Selected versions of the clock test in clinical practice - a comparative analysis of quantitative and qualitative scoring systems

Throughout the years, the clock test has achieved widespread clinical use in assessing cognitive function in patients with dementia. Both the clock test and Mini-Mental State Examination scale are the most common and simple tools for assessing cognitive functions. 'They are also part of numerous more complex screening methods. There are several versions of clock test, which vary in their scoring systems and can be performed in different ways. Initially, the test was primarily used for the hemispatial neglect. With time, however, it has become one of the main screening tools for cognitive functions in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. It is also used in other types of dementia, which are dominated by executive function disorders and visuospatial deficits, such as dementia with Lewy bodies and dementia in Parkinson's disease. The availability of different versions of the clock test allows for the choice of an appropriate scoring system depending on time available, skills, experience and knowledge of the medical personnel. As a psychometric tool, the clock test is a screening method to be used by doctors, which should help quickly and easily identify dysfunctions and their severity. For this reason, most versions of the test are quantitative, the scoring system is simple, and the evaluation procedure is easy to conduct. The aim of this paper was to analyse and compare the quantitative and qualitative scoring systems of this valuable screening tool.