The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised is as effective as the original to detect dementia in a French-speaking population

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2012;34(5-6):337-43. doi: 10.1159/000345562. Epub 2012 Dec 6.

Abstract

Introduction: This paper presents the validation of the French version of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R).

Methods: The variability of the 3 versions of the ACE-R (A, B and C), performed by the same observer, hence mainly 2 or 3 times on 119 patients showing no progression, was first calculated by Cronbach's alpha coefficient, t test and linear regression. The alpha coefficients of the 3 versions were obtained showing that the ACE-R versions can be considered as one, and an analysis of the interobserver variability was performed by Cohen's kappa coefficient, t test and linear regression on 12 patients. Eventually, we performed a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to compare the sensitivities and specificities to detect dementia of the ACE, the ACE-R and Mini Mental State Examination on 319 consecutive patients.

Results: The ROC areas of sensitivities and specificities of the ACE and ACE-R were very similar. Two cutoffs were identified at 83/100 and 89/100 with a specificity to normality of 98.6% if the ACE-R score was ≥83 and a sensitivity to dementia of 98.4% if the ACE-R score was ≤89.

Conclusion: ACE-R in French is as reliable and valid as the original version to detect dementia.

Publication types

  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Alzheimer Disease / diagnosis
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • Dementia / diagnosis*
  • Dementia / psychology*
  • Female
  • France
  • Humans
  • Language
  • Linear Models
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Neuropsychological Tests*
  • Observer Variation
  • ROC Curve
  • Reproducibility of Results