ABSTRACT
Introduction: This study aimed to compare the diagnostic value of four questionnaires for the diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders (NCDs) in the elderly. Methods: In this project, people older than 60 years who lived in Tehran were investigated. A total of 99 literate cases were enrolled in the study, and four questionnaires, including functional assessment staging tool (FAST), abbreviated mental test score (AMTS), mini-mental state examination (MMSE), and modified Persian test of elderly for assessment of cognition and executive function (PEACE) were completed for them. They were then referred to a neuropsychiatrist, and the status of their cognition and neurobehavior was determined. The specialists were blinded to the results of the tests. Results: Of the 99 participants studied, 39 cases were healthy, eight cases had mild Alzheimer's disease, 38 had amnesic MCI, five cases had secondary dementia, and nine cases had mixed vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. The area under the ROC curve for distinguishing the healthy group from the rest of the population was 0.692, 0.629, 0.734, and 0.751 for the FAST, AMTS, MMSE, and NBCSS questionnaires, respectively. Conclusion: MMSE and NBCSS tests had better diagnostic power than the other two tests to distinguish the healthy group from the rest of the population.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Early identification and intervention is recommended for developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Various screening tools are available, but most were developed in affluent English speaking countries. DESIGN AND METHODS: In order to identify possible early signs of ASD within Iranian society, parents of 623 children in an age range from 3 to 7 years of age at risk of ASD, were interviewed about the signs that alerted their concerns. Also two screening instruments were developed and tested with the parents using items derived from the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS2). One focused on autistic behaviors and the second on developmental indicators. RESULTS: Using both tools, 93% of the children who were identified as likely to have ASD based on a full GARS assessment were identified using the two screening tools. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: These assessments might be used in initial screening for ASD by early year's personnel or public health professionals with Iranian parents of toddlers who have concerns about their child's development.
