A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries
Abstract Background Cognitive screeners are imperative for early diagnosis of dementia. The Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT) is a language-neutral, visual-based test which has proven useful for a multilingual population in a single-center study. However, its performance utility is unknown in...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
BMC
2018-01-01
|
Series: | Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13195-017-0333-z |
_version_ | 1811276927721275392 |
---|---|
author | Levinia Lim Tze Pin Ng Anam Paulus Ong Maw Pin Tan Alvin Rae Cenina Qi Gao Adeline Ng Nagaendran Kandiah |
author_facet | Levinia Lim Tze Pin Ng Anam Paulus Ong Maw Pin Tan Alvin Rae Cenina Qi Gao Adeline Ng Nagaendran Kandiah |
author_sort | Levinia Lim |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Abstract Background Cognitive screeners are imperative for early diagnosis of dementia. The Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT) is a language-neutral, visual-based test which has proven useful for a multilingual population in a single-center study. However, its performance utility is unknown in a wider and more diverse Southeast Asian cohort. Methods We recruited 164 healthy controls (HC) and 120 cognitively impaired (CI) subjects- 47 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 73 mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia participants, from four countries between January 2015 and August 2016 to determine the usefulness of a single version of the VCAT, without translation or adaptation, in a multinational, multilingual population. The VCAT was administered along with established cognitive evaluation. Results The VCAT, without local translation or adaptation, was effective in discriminating between HC and CI subjects (MCI and mild AD dementia). Mean (SD) VCAT scores for HC and CI subjects were 22.48 (3.50) and 14.17 (5.05) respectively. Areas under the curve for Montreal Cognitive Assessment (0.916, 95% CI 0.884–0.948) and the VCAT (0.905, 95% CI 0.870–0.940) in discriminating between HCs and CIs were comparable. The multiple languages used to administer VCAT in four countries did not significantly influence test scores. Conclusions The VCAT without the need for language translation or cultural adaptation showed satisfactory discriminative ability and was effective in a multinational, multilingual Southeast Asian population. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:06:31Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-15b6c6bb20b541d7847c2d1404c07a07 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1758-9193 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-13T00:06:31Z |
publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
publisher | BMC |
record_format | Article |
series | Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy |
spelling | doaj.art-15b6c6bb20b541d7847c2d1404c07a072022-12-22T03:11:13ZengBMCAlzheimer’s Research & Therapy1758-91932018-01-011011910.1186/s13195-017-0333-zA novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countriesLevinia Lim0Tze Pin Ng1Anam Paulus Ong2Maw Pin Tan3Alvin Rae Cenina4Qi Gao5Adeline Ng6Nagaendran Kandiah7Department of Neurology, National Neuroscience InstituteGerontology Research Programme, Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Health System, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of SingaporeFaculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Padjadjaran UniversityDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Jalan UniversitiDepartment of Neurosciences, Philippine General Hospital, University of the PhilippinesGerontology Research Programme, Department of Psychological Medicine, National University Health System, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine National University of SingaporeDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience InstituteDepartment of Neurology, National Neuroscience InstituteAbstract Background Cognitive screeners are imperative for early diagnosis of dementia. The Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT) is a language-neutral, visual-based test which has proven useful for a multilingual population in a single-center study. However, its performance utility is unknown in a wider and more diverse Southeast Asian cohort. Methods We recruited 164 healthy controls (HC) and 120 cognitively impaired (CI) subjects- 47 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 73 mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia participants, from four countries between January 2015 and August 2016 to determine the usefulness of a single version of the VCAT, without translation or adaptation, in a multinational, multilingual population. The VCAT was administered along with established cognitive evaluation. Results The VCAT, without local translation or adaptation, was effective in discriminating between HC and CI subjects (MCI and mild AD dementia). Mean (SD) VCAT scores for HC and CI subjects were 22.48 (3.50) and 14.17 (5.05) respectively. Areas under the curve for Montreal Cognitive Assessment (0.916, 95% CI 0.884–0.948) and the VCAT (0.905, 95% CI 0.870–0.940) in discriminating between HCs and CIs were comparable. The multiple languages used to administer VCAT in four countries did not significantly influence test scores. Conclusions The VCAT without the need for language translation or cultural adaptation showed satisfactory discriminative ability and was effective in a multinational, multilingual Southeast Asian population.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13195-017-0333-zDementiaMild cognitive impairmentAlzheimer’s diseaseCognitive testScreening tool |
spellingShingle | Levinia Lim Tze Pin Ng Anam Paulus Ong Maw Pin Tan Alvin Rae Cenina Qi Gao Adeline Ng Nagaendran Kandiah A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy Dementia Mild cognitive impairment Alzheimer’s disease Cognitive test Screening tool |
title | A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries |
title_full | A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries |
title_fullStr | A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries |
title_full_unstemmed | A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries |
title_short | A novel language-neutral Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT): validation in four Southeast Asian countries |
title_sort | novel language neutral visual cognitive assessment test vcat validation in four southeast asian countries |
topic | Dementia Mild cognitive impairment Alzheimer’s disease Cognitive test Screening tool |
url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13195-017-0333-z |
work_keys_str_mv | AT levinialim anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT tzepinng anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT anampaulusong anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT mawpintan anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT alvinraecenina anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT qigao anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT adelineng anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT nagaendrankandiah anovellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT levinialim novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT tzepinng novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT anampaulusong novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT mawpintan novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT alvinraecenina novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT qigao novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT adelineng novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries AT nagaendrankandiah novellanguageneutralvisualcognitiveassessmenttestvcatvalidationinfoursoutheastasiancountries |