Clock drawing in the oldest old

Abstract

The present study investigated clock drawing performance by cognitively intact, elderly, community-dwelling individuals, with specific attention paid to the effects of age on both qualitative and quantitative features of performance. Comparison of three age groups (66–75, 76–84, and 85+) on a quantitative rating revealed no significant main effect. When specific qualitative features of performance (i.e., error types and planning strategies) were examined, no significant differences between groups were found. The results suggest that clock drawing ability is relatively preserved in healthy elderly individuals. Impaired clock drawing performance in cognitive screening of the elderly may indicate that further neuropsychological testing is warranted.