The assessment of populations at risk of dementia is carried out using various tools that aim at giving a measure to the behavioral, cognitive, and functional symptoms that are related to dementia. According to the study, the assessment is made by drawing a comparison between the test scores for an individual at risk for dementia and standard values. A decline in the risk for dementia is done by comparing the scores for such individuals over numerous evaluations (Weintraub, & Kielb, 2018). Several global measures are accepted for undertaking these evaluations within clinical settings. The “Mini-Mental State Examination” is the commonly used tool which is administered through eleven tasks such as recalling words, naming, short phrase repetition, drawing, writing, and reading. However, this model is criticized due to the limited ability in detecting the emerging mild cognitive symptoms.
Montreal cognitive assessment also has been widely used for dementia diagnosis. The model is lauded for its ability to detect mild cognitive impairment stages. The administration of the model is often done in ten minutes mainly with individuals between fifty-five and eighty-five years (Weintraub, & Kielb, 2018) . MoCA takes the form of assessment for attention, working memory, concentration, language, and executive functions, among other evaluations. The application of the model has proven its superiority over the MMSE model.
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The "Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly" is another assessment tool, especially for individuals who are not aware of their difficulties or deny the existence of such challenges. Therefore, this model hinges its assessment on the information given by third parties and usually consists of twenty-six activities rating such activities on a scale of five points. Scoring more than 3.3 points would warrant for screening even though it has been indicated as not warranting independent assessment. The method is lauded since it is not affected by sociodemographic factors.
The “AD8: Washington University Dementia Screening Test” as a survey for assessing mild dementia an Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers is a yes-no based judgment that seeks to evaluate the memory, daily activities, judgment, and orientation of individuals. A total score of the yes answers has eight points in the upper limit with a rating of one or zero being considered as healthy. The assessment tool is best applicable in individuals who have shown cognitive impairment symptoms that need to be worked on. The dementia rating scale for clinical practice is an accepted global measure of how severe dementia is when a clinical practitioner rates the functional and cognitive functions. Specially trained and certified examiners only apply the model.
Other global measures such as “Neuropsychological Battery of the Uniform Data Set” encompass tests that are administered by practitioners under prescription. The model measures episodic memory as well as other cognitive domains. Additionally, the “Cognitive Battery of the National Institutes of Health Toolbox” measures the emotional, cognitive, and motor as well as sensory functions and requires an examinee to recall images that are used for examination thus assisting in the determination of the weaknesses and strengths of dementia prone individuals. Furthermore, the “Frontotemporal Labor Degeneration Module of the Uniform Data Set” revolves around neuropsychological tests that are informant-based as well as behaviors that are rated by clinicians.
Special considerations are made while using the assessment tools, which include sociodemographic factors, availability of resources, and the setting for assessment. The tools that are used in dementia assessment have proven to be useful in diagnosing, treating, and long-term care for dementia patients.
References
Weintraub, S., & Kielb, S., (2018). Widely disseminated tools for the assessment of populations at risk for dementia. APA handbook of dementia , 171-186. doi:10.1037/0000076-009
