Predictive validity of the Cornell Scale for depression in dementia among older adults with and without dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

This review analyzes the predictive validity of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), considering cognitive function. Electronic searches were performed using MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases. Overall, 20 studies were reviewed, including 3,499 older adults, with and without dementia, who satisfied the selection criteria. Participants were stratified into the dementia, non-dementia, and mixed groups, and the diagnostic performance of the CSDD was assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. In the dementia and non-dementia groups, the area under the curve was ≥ 0.9, confirming high accuracy of the test. The pooled sensitivity was the highest in the dementia group (0.87), followed by the mixed group (0.84) and non-dementia group (0.82). In the subgroup analysis based on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the ROC curve was 0.90 for older adults with MMSE scores < 15 and 0.87 for those with an MMSE score ≥ 15. Therefore, the CSDD can be considered excellent tool for assessing depression in all older adults, although its predictive ability is better for older adults with dementia compared to that in those without dementia. It can be used as a first-line screening tool for depression, regardless of cognitive function.