Background: The Memory Impairment Screen (MIS-A) is a validated test to detect Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and other dementias. We have modified this test to suit a Spanish speaking population and added a new component, delayed recall (MIS-D).
Objectives: 1) To test a Spanish version of MIS-A and MIS-D. 2) To assess the discriminative validity of MIS-D as a screening tool for the amnestic variant of Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI).
Methods: A case-control study of a cohort of 739 aged 65 years old and over, of whom 436 were healthy controls and 303 had a diagnosis of aMCI. The MCI group was patients from the Geriatric Unit for the Elderly at the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires staffed by geriatricians.
Measurements: ANOVA test and test t de Student mean comparison. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NVP) were estimated for MIS-D and MIS-A.
Results: Normative values for MIS-A and MIS-D were obtained from the control population. Both age and education significantly affected these values (p<0.0001). The cut-off for MIS-A should be 7.5 and for MIS-D, 5.5. Comparison between control population and aMCI population using ROC curve gave a result of 5.5 in MIS-D, with 97% specificity and 76% sensitivity.
Conclusion: MIS-D was positively predictive of Amci. An extension of the sample in other health care contexts would enable us to verify its clinical validity for other populations.