Background: Early detection of atypical dementia remains difficult partly because of the absence of specific cognitive screening tools. This creates undue delays in diagnosis and management. The Dépistage Cognitif de Québec (DCQ; dcqtest.org) was developed in French and later validated in participants with atypical syndromes. We report the validation of the English version.
Methods: This multicentre prospective validation study was conducted in 10 centers across Canada and the United States on 260 English-speaking participants aged over 50. We translated and modified the original French DCQ to add targeted stimuli to the Visusopatial Index and social cognition vignettes to the Behavioral Index. A backward translation was performed and equivalence between languages was assessed by administering both tests to 30 bilingual participants.
Results: Mean DCQ total score (out of 100) was 95.0 (SD = 3.6). Spearman's correlation coefficient showed a strong and significant correlation (r = 0.49, p < .001) with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. Test-retest reliability was good (Spearman's coefficient = 0.72, p < .001) and interrater reliability, excellent (intraclass correlation = 0.97, p < .001). Normative data shown in percentiles were stratified by age and education for a population-based sample of 260 English-speaking controls aged between 50 and 87 years old.
Conclusions: Similar to the French version, the English DCQ proved to be a valid cognitive screening test. The original version was very sensitive to detect atypical dementias such as primary progressive aphasias, Alzheimer's disease' variants and syndromes along the frontotemporolobar degeneration spectrum. This 20-min test can be administered à la carte and offers an alternative to detailed comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations.
Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Assessment; Cognitive screening; Frontotemporal dementia; Norms/normative studies; Test construction.
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press.