Work

Mapping the clockworks: what does the Clock Drawing Test assess in normal and pathological aging?

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is a cognitive screening tool used in clinical and research settings. Despite its role on the assessment of global cognitive functioning, the specific cognitive components required for test performance are still unclear. We aim to assess the role of executive functioning, global cognitive status, visuospatial abilities, and semantic knowledge on Shulman's CDT performance. Fifty-three mild cognitive impairment, 60 Alzheimer's dementia, and 57 normal elderly controls performed the CDT, the Frontal Assessment Battery, the Mini-Mental State Examination, the Stick Design Test, and a naming test (TN-LIN). An ordinal regression assessed specific neuropsychological influences on CDT performance. All the cognitive variables were related to the CDT, accounting for 53% of variance. The strongest association was between the CDT and executive functions, followed by global cognitive status, visuospatial processing, and semantic knowledge. Our result confirms the multidimensional nature of the test and the major role of executive functions on performance.

Source: Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria

DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x20130118

Authors: Jonas Jardim de Paula, Debora Marques de Miranda, Edgar Nunes de Moraes, Leandro Fernandes Malloy-Diniz

Institutions: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Medicina Molecular

Language: English

Topic: Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $200