The Efficacy of General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition in Chinese Elders Aged 80 and Older

Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2019 Nov-Dec;34(7-8):523-529. doi: 10.1177/1533317519860333. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

Abstract

Objectives: This study examined the efficacy of the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition-Chinese version (GPCOG-C) in screening dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older Chinese.

Methods: Survey questionnaires were administered to 293 participants aged 80 or above from a university hospital in mainland China. Alzheimer disease and MCI were diagnosed in light of the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer's Association (NIA/AA) criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of GPCOG-C and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in screening dementia and MCI were compared to the NIA/AA criteria.

Results: The GPCOG-C had the sensitivity of 62.3% and specificity of 84.6% in screening MCI, which had comparable efficacy as the NIA/AA criteria. In screening dementia, GPCOG-C had a lower sensitivity (63.7%) than the MMSE and a higher specificity (82.6%) higher than the MMSE.

Conclusions: The GPCOG-C is a useful and efficient tool to identify dementia and MCI in older Chinese in outpatient clinical settings.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; Chinese elders; GPCOG-C; efficacy; mild cognitive impairment.

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • China
  • Cognitive Dysfunction / diagnosis*
  • Dementia / diagnosis*
  • Female
  • General Practitioners*
  • Geriatric Assessment*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neuropsychological Tests / standards*
  • Primary Health Care
  • Sensitivity and Specificity