학술논문
Validation of the Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT) for the Early Diagnosis of Cognitive Impairment in Multilingual Population in Malaysia
Document Type
article
Author
Li Yun Ng; Chen Joo Chin; Monica Danial; Stephenie Ann Albart; Purnima Devi Suppiah; Kurubaran Ganasegeran; Wei Theng Tan; Hung Eun Hoo; Ewe Eow Teh; Gaaitheri Karupiah; Laavanya Vijaya Kumar; Wen Mei Choong; Hooi Ling Tan; Szer Lik Yeap; Al-Zilal Abdul Wahid; Khian Boon Ng; Mohammad Nabhan Khalil; Esther G. Ebenezer; Basanta Kumar Mohanty; Helvinder Kaur; Xin Hui Choo; Wee Kooi Cheah; Sreevali Muthuvadivelu; Prema Muninathan; Hoon Lang Teh; Chiann Ni Thiam; Jia Hui Loh; Alan Swee Hock Ch’ng; Nagaendran Kandiah; Irene Looi
Source
Psych, Vol 4, Iss 1, Pp 38-48 (2022)
Subject
Language
English
ISSN
2624-8611
Abstract
As Malaysia undergoes a demographic transformation of population aging, the prevalence of dementia is expected to rise, posing a major public health threat issue. Early screening to detect cognitive impairment is important to implement appropriate clinical interventions. The Visual Cognitive Assessment Test (VCAT) is a language-neutral cognitive assessment screening tool suitable for multilingual populations. This study was aimed to validate the VCAT screening tool for the detection of cognitive impairment amongst the population of Malaysia. A total of 184 participants were recruited, comprising 79 cognitively healthy participants (CHP), 46 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients, and 59 mild dementia (Alzheimer’s disease and Vascular Dementia) patients from five hospitals between May 2018 and December 2019 to determine the usefulness of VCAT. Diagnostic performance was assessed using area under the curve (AUC), and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysies was performed to determine the recommended cutoff scores. ROC analyses for the VCAT was comparable with that of MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) in differentiating between CHP, MCI, and mild dementia (AD and VaD) participants. The findings of this study suggest the following optimal cutoff score for VCAT: Dementia 0–19, MCI 20–23, Normal 24–30. The mean ± SD time to complete the VCAT was 10.0 ± 2.75 min in the CHP group and 15.4 ± 4.52 min in the CI group. Results showed that 76.0% of subjects thought that the instructions in VCAT were similar or easier to understand compared with MoCA. This study showed that the VCAT is a valid and useful screening tool for patients with cognitive impairment in Malaysia and is feasible to be used in the clinical settings.