Cognitive screening in elderly people
Cognitive screening in elderly people

Summary/Abstract: Elderly people are exposed to functional losses, which can either be natural transformations (senescence), or pathological (senility). Cognitive screening tests identify cognitive impairment and risk of developing dementia. This article aims to assess the effectiveness of three cognitive screening instruments in detecting cognitive impairment in elderly individuals with limited education. The study involved 920 individuals over the age of 60, who were recruited from driver’s license centers in various Brazilian states. Participants were assessed using the cognitive screening tools: Battery Routes of Attention (BRA), to attentional capacity; Nonverbal General Intelligence Matrices (MIG), to non-verbal intelligence; and Visual Recognition Memory Test (Memore), to short-term memory. The study examined the correlation between the total scores on tests and the participants’ profile (mean=69.10 and SD=6.54), according to sex, age, age group, education level, and state of Brazil. The analysis found a positive correlation between the total scores of the cognitive tests and the level of education of the participants, with higher levels of education serving as a protective factor for cognition. There was moderate correlation between visual recognition memory and sex, indicating better mnemonic performances for female participants. Age was found to have a negative correlation with all cognitive screening tests. The use of cognitive screening batteries can provide relevant indicators to plan appropriate interventions with elderly people. Furthermore, these test results emphasize the significance of further research to enhance the credibility of cognitive screening tests and broaden their applicability to elderly populations with diverse cultural backgrounds.

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