Sensitivity and specificity of a briefer version of the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCog-Short) in the detection of cognitive decline in the elderly: An exploratory study

OBJECTIVE To create a reduced and briefer version of the widely used Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCog) battery as a concise cognitive test to be used in primary and secondary levels of health care to detect cognitive decline. Our aim was to reduce the administration time of the original test while maintaining its diagnostic accuracy. METHODS On the basis of the analysis of 835 CAMCog tests performed by 429 subjects (107 controls, 192 mild cognitive impairment [MCI], and 130 dementia patients), we extracted items that most contributed to intergroup differentiation, according to 2 educational levels (≤8 and >8 y of formal schooling). RESULTS The final 33-item "low education" and 24-item"high education" CAMCog-Short correspond to 48.5% and 35% of the original version and yielded similar rates of accuracy: area under ROC curves (AUC) > 0.9 in the differentiation between controls × dementia and MCI × dementia (sensitivities > 75%; specificities > 90%); AUC > 0.7 for the differentiation between controls and MCI (sensitivities > 65%; specificities > 75%). CONCLUSIONS The CAMCog-Short emerges as a promising tool for a brief, yet sufficiently accurate, screening tool for use in clinical settings. Further prospective studies designed to validate its diagnostic accuracy are needed.