Work

Evaluation of diagnostic concordance between algorithms for Parkinson’s disease dementia

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background: Significant number of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) gradually progress to Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). Recent proposal for updating current diagnostic criteria for PDD recommends alternative screening tests and broader functional assessments. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic concordance among algorithms for PDD based on Level I (i.e., screening) criteria and to assess their predictive validity for Level II (i.e., neuropsychological battery) diagnosis. Methods: A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of 190 patients with PD who underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. A total of 68 diagnostic algorithms were operationalized using combinations of scores derived from the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Functional impairment was based either on the Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) item 9 or the FAQ total score. Diagnostic concordance was evaluated using Cohen’s κ. Predictive validity for Level II classification was assessed using projection predictive variable selection. Results: Estimated PDD rates ranged from 2.1% up to 16.8%. Concordance was moderate to high among algorithms using the same functional impairment definition (κ FAQ total = 0.75, κ FAQ 9 = 0.86) but substantially lower when functional impairment definitions differed (κ = 0.43). A parsimonious screening model combining MoCA Five Words and MMSE Sevens adequately approximated Level II classification and yielded a prevalence-adjustable heuristic decision rule. Conclusions: Diagnostic outcomes for PDD are sensitive to the choice of cognitive and functional instruments suggesting that different algorithms may capture partially distinct constructs. Minimal screening using selected items can approximate Level II PDD diagnosis, but this simplification entails a trade-off between sensitivity and specificity.

Source: Journal of Parkinson s Disease

DOI: 10.1177/1877718x261450361

Authors: Martina Mana, Josef Mana, Petra Stofanikova, Tereza Uhrova, Robert Jech, Ondrej Bezdicek

Institutions: Charles University, General University Hospital in Prague

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: diamond

Funder: Ministerstvo Zdravotnictví Ceské Republiky