Validation of the Dutch version of the quick mild cognitive impairment screen (Qmci-D)

Abstract

BackgroundDifferentiating mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from dementia is important, as treatment options differ. There are few short (<5 min) but accurate screening tools that discriminate between MCI, normal cognition (NC) and dementia, in the Dutch language. The Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen is sensitive and specific in differentiating MCI from NC and mild dementia. Given this, we adapted the Qmci for use in Dutch-language countries and validated the Dutch version, the Qmci-D, against the Dutch translation of the Standardised Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE-D).MethodThe Qmci was translated into Dutch with a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. In all, 90 participants were recruited from a hospital geriatric clinic (25 with dementia, 30 with MCI, 35 with NC). The Qmci-D and SMMSE-D were administered sequentially but randomly by the same trained rater, blind to the diagnosis.ResultsThe Qmci-D was more sensitive than the SMMSE-D in discriminating MCI from dementia, with a significant difference in the area under the curve (AUC), 0.73 compared to 0.60 (p = 0.024), respectively, and in discriminating dementia from NC, with an AUC of 0.95 compared to 0.89 (p = 0.006). Both screening instruments discriminated MCI from NC with an AUC of 0.86 (Qmci-D) and 0.84 (SMMSE-D).ConclusionThe Qmci-D shows similar,(good) accuracy as the SMMSE-D in separating NC from MCI; greater,(albeit fair), accuracy differentiating MCI from dementia, and significantly greater accuracy in separating dementia from NC. Given its brevity and ease of administration, the Qmci-D seems a useful cognitive screen in a Dutch population. Further study with a suitably powered sample against more sensitive screens is now required.

Screening for Cognitive Frailty Using Short Cognitive Screening Instruments: Comparison of the Chinese Versions of the MoCA and Qmci Screen

“…The MoCA-CN was significantly better able to separate MCI from dementia. The Qmci-CN represents another external validation of the instrument, after the Irish, Dutch, Australian, Turkish, Italian, Taiwanese, Japanese, and Portuguese versions (Bunt et al, 2015;O'Caoimh et al, 2016;Clarnette et al, 2017;Yavuz et al, 2017;dos Santos et al, 2019;Iavarone et al, 2019;Lee et al, 2018;Morita et al, 2019). This study adds more evidence to support its use in patients with MCI in busy clinical setting.…”

Is the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment Screen (QMCI) more accurate at detecting mild cognitive impairment than existing short cognitive screening tests? A systematic review of the current literature

“…Table 1 shows superior accuracy of the QMCI compared with the SMMSE at detecting MCI or any form of cognitive impairment (MCI or dementia). The two tests showed similar accuracy at differentiating MCI from dementia, with one study showing the SMMSE to be superior in this regard 19 . Table 2 shows that the QMCI has superior accuracy levels to the MoCA across all conditions and studies as defined by AUC.…”

Comparison of the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment (Qmci) screen to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in an Australian geriatrics clinic

“…Derived from an earlier version, the AB cognitive screen 135 (Molloy and Lewis, ; Standish et al ., ), it was designed to improve sensitivity and specificity, yet retain a short administration time. The Qmci is validated in Canada against the SMMSE and AB cognitive screen 135 (O'Caoimh et al ., ), in Dutch against the SMMSE (Bunt et al ., ) and in Ireland against the six‐item cognitive impairment test (O'Caoimh and Molloy, 2014a), but has not otherwise been externally validated. Given that few studies have compared short cognitive instruments designed specifically to identify MCI, we externally validated the Qmci in an Australian sample by comparing its accuracy to the MoCA.…”