MMSE and scoring of clock drawing test increase the accuracy of diagnosis of dementia

Abstract

The clock drawing test (CDT) is frequently used in dementia screening because it is simple and acceptable to patients. We investigated the usefulness of scoring the CDT. We enrolled 156 patients (aged 78.2 ± 8.7 years; 87 females) who were administered both the CDT and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) between October 2016 and April 2017. The scores were evaluated using the Freedman method by two clinical technologists. The CDT scores showed a significant correlation with the MMSE scores. With respect to CDT subscores, there was a tendency to perform poorly in the placement of the clock hands by Alzheimer’s patients and a tendency to perform poorly in the placement of the numbers by patients with vascular dementia and dementia with Lewy bodies. It was suggested that CDT scoring supports the diagnosis of dementia as well as helps in determining the type of dementia.