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  • Title: Attention, vigilance and visuospatial function in hospitalized elderly medical patients: Relationship to neurocognitive diagnosis.
    Author: Leonard M, O'Connell H, Williams O, Awan F, Exton C, O'Connor M, Adamis D, Dunne C, Cullen W, Meagher DJ.
    Journal: J Psychosom Res; 2016 Nov; 90():84-90. PubMed ID: 27772564.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVE: Efficient detection of neurocognitive disorders is a key diagnostic challenge. We explored how simple bedside tests of attention, vigilance and visuospatial function might assist in identifying delirium in hospitalized patients. METHODS: Performance on a battery of bedside cognitive tests was compared in elderly medical inpatients with DSM-IV delirium, dementia, comorbid delirium-dementia, and no neurocognitive disorder. RESULTS: 193 patients [mean age 79.9±7.3; 97 male] were assessed with delirium (n=45), dementia (n=33), comorbid delirium-dementia (n=65) and no neurocognitive disorder (NNCD) (n=50). The ability to meaningfully engage with the tests varied from 84% (Spatial Span Forwards) to 57% (Vigilance B test), and was especially problematic among the comorbid delirium-dementia group. The NNCD was distinguished from the delirium groups for most tests, and from the dementia group for the Vigilance B test and the Clock Drawing Test. The dementia group differed from delirium groups in respect of the Months Backward Test, Vigilance A and B tests, Global assessment of visuospatial ability and the Interlocking Pentagons Test. Overall, patients with delirium were best identified by three tests - the Months Backward Test, Vigilance A test and the Global Assessment of visuospatial function with failure to correctly complete any two of these predicting delirium status in 80% of cases. CONCLUSION: Simple bedside tests of attention, vigilance and visuospatial ability can help to distinguish neurocognitive disorders, including delirium, from other presentations. There is a need to develop more accurate methods specifically designed to assess patients with neurocognitive disorder who are unable to engage with conventional tests.
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