Abstract
IntroductionTests for screening cognitive functions are gaining importance with the increasing incidence and prevalence of demential syndromes. For our elderly population, the challenge is to develop neuropsychological tests independent from the influence of educational level.ObjectiveTo compare the influence of education on the elderly with or without cognitive decline, on the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB).MethodsWe studied 176 elderly people: 60 with cognitive decline (aged 73.6±9.3 years and with 5.7±0.7 years of education) and 116 without cognitive impairments (aged 73.4±0.6 years and with 5.6±0.5 years of education). The BCSB was applied in all subjects. The data were submitted to descriptive statistics and analyzed by Independent Student test with 95% confidence intervals.ResultsThe data showed that the BCSB is an appropriate battery for identifying cognitive status in normal elderly individuals, as well as cognitive decline in our elderly sample. The BCSB items were not significantly influenced by schooling years, making this test favorable for different groups characterized by illiterate individuals, as well as by those with low or high levels of formal education.ConclusionThe BCSB proved to be a useful cognitive screening test for old people with or without cognitive decline independent of their educational level.
Highlights
Tests for screening cognitive functions are gaining importance with the increasing incidence and prevalence of demential syndromes
This study aimed to compare the influence of education of elderly people, with or without cognitive decline, on Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) scores
The sample of 176 subjects was classified into two groups: 116 elderly people residing in the city of Rio Claro, SP – Brazil, cognitively preserved, and 60 institutionalized elderly people with cognitive decline
Summary
Introduction: Tests for screening cognitive functions are gaining importance with the increasing incidence and prevalence of demential syndromes. Objective: To compare the influence of education on the elderly with or without cognitive decline, on the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB). Conclusion: The BCSB proved to be a useful cognitive screening test for old people with or without cognitive decline independent of their educational level. Os itens da BBRC não sofreram influência significativa dos anos de escolaridade, fator que favorece sua aplicação em diferentes grupos, compostos por indivíduos iletrados, bem como por sujeitos com pouca ou elevada escolaridade. Language, reasoning, executive functions, perception, capability of recognition, and praxis are cognitive activities achieved by distinct and integrated cortical areas. Disorders in these areas commonly indicate the beginning of a demential process[1,2]. For example, some cognitive tests require an adjustment of scores, or a cutoff point according to the intellectual requirements that their several tasks demand[4,5]
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