The Depistage Cognitif De Quebec: A New Clinician'S Tool For Early Recognition Of Atypical Dementia

Introduction: Early recognition of atypical dementia remains challenging partly because of lack of cognitive screening instruments precisely tailored for this purpose. Methods: We assessed the validity and reliability of the Depistage Cognitif de Quebec (DCQ; www.dcqtest.org), a newly developed cognitive screening test, to detect atypical dementia using a multi-center cohort of 628 participants. Sensitivity and specificity were compared to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). A predictive diagnostic algorithm for atypical dementia was determined using classification tree analysis. Results: The DCQ showed excellent psychometric properties. It was significantly more accurate than the MoCA to detect atypical dementia. All correlations between DCQ indexes and standard neuropsychological measures were significant. A statistical model distinguished typical from atypical dementia with a predictive power of 79%. Discussion: The DCQ is a better tool to detect atypical dementia than standard cognitive screening tests. Expanding the clinician's tool kit with the DCQ could reduce missed/delayed identification of atypical dementia and accelerate therapeutic intervention. (C) 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel