Validation Analysis of the Attention Questionnaire Scale

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Kim, SangYun^{a; *} | Park, Moon Ho^b | Han, Seol-Heui^c | Na, Hae Ri^d | Cho, SungJin^e | Choi, Mun Seong^f | Lee, Jae-Hong^g | Na, Duk L.^h | Kim, Jung Eunⁱ | Park, Kun Woo^j

Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurology, Seoul National University College of Medicine & Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea | [b] Department of Neurology, Korea University College of Medicine & Korea University Ansan Hospital, Ansan, Republic of Korea | [c] Department of Neurology, Konkuk University School of Medicine & Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [d] Department of Neurology, Bobath Memorial Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea | [e] Department of Neurology, SungAe General Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [f] Department of Neurology, Maryknoll Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea | [g] Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine & Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [h] Department of Neurology, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [i] Center for Cognitive & Neurodegenerative Disorders, Department of Neurology, Ewha Womans University Mokdong Hospital & Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea | [j] Department of Neurology, Korea University College of Medicine & Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Dr. SangYun Kim, Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, 166 Gumi-ro, Bundang-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do 463-707, Republic of Korea. Tel.: +82 31 787 7462; Fax: +82 31 719 6815; E-mail: neuroksy@snu.ac.kr.

Abstract: Screening tests that briefly measure early signs of cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are lacking. We devised a new scale focused on early detecting cognitive dysfunction: the Attention Questionnaire Scale (AQS). We prospectively studied the AQS in 268 subjects with varying degrees of cognitive dysfunction and compared it with the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE), digit span test, trail making test part B, letter cancellation test, Instrumental ADL, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. The internal consistency was excellent with the AQS (Cronbach's α = 0.945). There were significant differences in the overall AQS scores across varying degree of cognitive dysfunction (26.80 ± 3.43 in normal elderly, 20.78 ± 4.83 in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 19.01 ± 4.49 in early AD, 16.00 ± 5.03 in mild AD, and 12.02 ± 6.28 in moderate AD), and subjects with the early stage of cognitive dysfunction could be further distinguished using the AQS than MMSE. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was estimated to be 0.93 (95% confidence interval 0.89–0.97) in screening for normal elderly versus patients with MCI or various stages of AD. The AQS provides greater screening ability for early stage cognitive dysfunction, used not only as a screening tool but also an appropriate simple questionnaire.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, attention, dementia, questionnaire

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2011-100660

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 393-402, 2011