Sensitivity and specificity of seven-minute screen (7MS) Thai version in screening Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Background: Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is often delayed due to lack of a simple and effective screening test in primary care settings. Objective: To determine sensitivity and specificity of the validated 7 Minute Screen (7 MS) Thai version in screening elders with mild to moderate AD. Material and Method: The original 7 MS was translated and modified to be appropriate for Thai elders. The validity and reliability of the test were obtained. The 7 MS was administered to community-dwelling elders in Chiang Mai province. AD was diagnosed by a neurologist based on NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. All AD cases were confirmed by MRI. Results: One hundred forty nine elders (20 AD; mean age 79.10 ± 5.49 yrs and 129 non-AD; mean age 74.17 ± 6.88 yr) participated. The Thai version of 7 MS was valid (IOC = 0.96) and reliable (ICC = 0.99). It had a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 89.9% in discriminating elders with mild to moderately severe AD from non-AD. Conclusion: The Thai version of 7 MS has a high level of sensitivity and specificity for detecting elders with mild to moderate AD. The test is suitable to use in primary care settings since it is simple, can be rapidly administered by allied health professions with minimal training requirement.