Association of the Qualitative Clock Drawing Test with Progression to Dementia in Non-Demented Older Adults

To evaluate the predictability of progression of cognitive impairment to dementia using qualitative clock drawing test (CDT) scores, we administered both the CDT using Cahn et al.'s qualitative scoring system and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function in non-demented older individuals attending a memory clinic at a university hospital. Patients visiting the clinic for assessment of cognitive function between January 2015 and December 2019 were enrolled, and only those who were diagnosed as not having dementia at the time of initial assessment completed a follow-up assessment at 1 y (n= 163). To examine any association of qualitative CDT score with progression to dementia, multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted with the change in diagnosis from non-dementia to dementia at 1 y as the dependent variable. A total of 26 participants (16.0%) were diagnosed as having converted to dementia. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that both the qualitative CDT score using Cahn et al.'s scoring system and the existence of conceptual deficits were significantly associated with progression to dementia at 1 y after initial assessment of cognitive function, irrespective of the MMSE score, among non-demented older individuals. The CDT may be a useful predictor of progression to dementia in primary care settings.