Effectiveness of the clock drawing test in differentiating various types of dementia

Year 2021, Volume: 46 Issue: 4, 1703 - 1710, 30.12.2021

Gülcan Göçmez Yılmaz , Aynur Ozge , Mekselina Şahin , Kahraman Kıral

https://doi.org/10.17826/cumj.983409

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of clock-drawing test (CDT) in differentiating dementia types.
Materials and Methods: 48 Alzheimer's disease (AD), 68 vascular dementia (VaD) and 13 frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients were included in the study. Clock drawing test (CDT), mini mental state examination (MMSE) and other neurophysiological tests (back and forward numerical range, calculation test, abstraction test, word memory tests, boston naming test, word list recall and recognition tests) were applied to all patients. The scores of CDT and other neurophysiological tests were compared between the AH, VaD and FTD groups. The relationship between CDT and other neurophysiological tests was evaluated.
Results: There was no significant difference in CDT between the dementia groups. MMSE and back numerical range scores were statistically significant among dementia groups. An positive correlation was found especially in AD and VaD patients when MMSE and CDT tests were used together. In addition, a positive correlation was found between CDT and boston naming test for FTD type.
Conclusion: CDT is not a unique predictor to determine primary dementia type. However among the neurophysiological test batteries we used in the study, especially the combined use of MMSE and CDT and combined use of CDT with other tests have an important place in dementia differentiation.

Keywords

Clock-drawing test, dementia, visuospatial skills, assessment of cognition

Saat çizme testinin çeşitli demans tiplerini ayırt etmedeki etkinliği

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, demans tiplerini ayırt etmede saat çizme testinin (SÇT) etkinliğini araştırmaktır.
Gereç ve Yöntem: 48 Alzheimer hastalığı (AH), 68 vasküler demans (VaD) ve 13 frontotemporal demans (FTD) hastası çalışmaya dahil edildi. Tüm hastalara SÇT ile mini mental durum muayenesi (MMSE) ve diğer nörofizyolojik testler (ileri-geri sayım aralık, hesaplama testi, soyutlama testi, kelime hafıza testleri, boston adlandırma testi, kelime listesi hatırlama ve tanıma testleri) uygulandı. SÇT ve diğer nörofizyolojik testlerin skorları AH, VaD ve FTD grupları arasında karşılaştırıldı. SÇT ile diğer nörofizyolojik testler arasındaki ilişki değerlendirildi.
Bulgular: AH, VaD ve FTD grupları arasında SÇT testinin anlamlı bir fark olmadığı görülmüştür. Demans grupları arasında MMSE and geri sayım aralık skorları istatiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur. MMSE ve SÇT testlerinin birlikte kullanımında özellkle AH ve VaD hastalarında pozitif korelasyon saptanmıştır. Ek olarak FTD tipi için SÇT ve boston anlamlandırma testi arasında da pozitif bir ilişki saptanmıştır.
Sonuç: SÇT primer demans tipi belirlemede benzersiz bir öngörücü değildir, ancak çalışmada kullandığımız nörofizyolojik test bataryaları arasında, özellikle MMSE ve SÇT nin birlikte kullanımı ve SÇT’nin diğer testlerle kombine kullanımının demans farklılaşmasında önemli bir yeri vardır.

Keywords

clock-drawing test, dementia, visuospatial skills, assessment of cognition

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