Triple test plus rapid cognitive screening test: A combination of clinical signs and a tool for cognitive assessment in older adults

Abstract

Less time-consuming, easy-to-apply and more reliable cognitive screening tests are essential for use in primary care. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of the Turkish version of the Rapid Cognitive Screen (RCS-T) and Triple Test individually and the combination of RCS-T with each sign and Triple Test to screen elderly patients for cognitive impairment (CI). A total of 357 outpatients aged 60 or older, who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment, were included in the study. Presence or absence of attended alone sign (AAS), head-turning sign, and applause sign was investigated. The mean age of the patients was 74.29 ± 7.46. Of those, 61 patients (28 men, 33 women) had Alzheimer’s disease (AD), 59 patients had mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (29 men, 30 women), and 237 (80 men, 157 women) were cognitively robust. The sensitivity of the combination of RCS-T and negative for AAS for CI, AD and MCI is 0.79, 0.86 and 0.61, respectively; the specificity was 0.92, 0.93 and 0.92, respectively; and the positive and negative predictive values revealed good diagnostic accuracy. The combination of RCS-T and negative for AAS is a simple, effective and rapid way to identify possible CI in older adults.