Utility of the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (Cognistat) with Geriatric Mental Health Outpatients

Abstract

Cognitive examination of older adults is important due to the risk for age-related cognitive disorders. Demand for efficient tools has resulted in multiscale measures such as the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE). Advantages of the NCSE include high sensitivity, test tolerability, a relatively detailed memory assessment, and inclusion of multiple ability areas. We explored the utility of the NCSE in identifying cognitive impairment and/or dementia. Geropsychiatric outpatients completed the NCSE as part of a comprehensive evaluation. The NCSE proved effective at discriminating the presence or absence of any cognitive disorder. However, the NCSE showed limited clinical utility in identifying etiologies of dysfunction.

KEYWORDS:

• dementia
• cognition
• screening
• geriatric
• testing, neuropsychology

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The authors thank the Department of Veterans Affairs & the VA North Texas Health Care System for its support in completion of this study.