11/26/2014 DementiaRatingScale

DementiaRatingScale

Purpose:Designedtomeasureandtrackmentalstatusinadultswithcognitiveimpairment.

Population:ages56to105

Score:Attention,InitiationPerseveration,Construction,Conceptualization,Memory,Total.

Time:.1530minutes

Author:LStevenMattis,Paul,J.Jurica,andChristopherL.Leitten

Publisher:PsychologicalAssessmentResources

Description:TheDementiaRatingScale(DRS2),isa36taskand32stimuluscardindividuallyadministeredinstrumentdesignedtoassesslevelof
cognitive functioning for individuals with brain dysfunction. The DRS2 is sensitive at the lower ends of functioning and differentiating levels of
deficits.Conversely,theinstrumentgenerallywillnotdiscriminateindividualfunctioningintheaverageorhigherrangeofintelligenceduetothe
designtominimizeflooreffectsofclinicallyimpairedindividuals.TheDRS2consistsofaprofessionalmanual,scoringbooklets,and32stimulus
cards. (DRS2) is an enhanced version of the original DRS designed to provide standardized, quantitative cognitive functioning assessment in
neurologicallyimpairedpopulations.Theinitialpoolofitemswasrevisedforcomprehensiveandbriefadministration,however,allowingforalow
floorsothatevenseverelyimpairedindividualscouldbeevaluated.TheDRS2hasawideragerangethantheoriginalDSR,andtheagecorrected
scaledandpercentileranksaremoresensitivetochangeincognitivestatus.Thetaskandstimuluscardhavenotbeenchangedfromtheoriginal.In
thehandsofanexperiencedneuropsychologistclinicalpsychologist,thisisanexcellentinstrumentbutitishighlydependentuponqualificationsand
skillofeachindividualtestuser.

Scoring:TheDRS2assessescognitivefunctioningonfivesubscales:Attention(ATT,8items)InitiationPerseveration(IP,11items)Construction
(CONST,6items)Conceptualization(CONCEPT,6items)andMemory(MEM,5items).

Reliability: The reliability and validity properties of the DRS2 are excellent. The DRS2 uses the previously established reliability and validity
scores. A testretest reliability correlation coefficient was .97 with subscale correlation coefficients ranging from .61 to .94. The DRS was
administeredtwicewitha1weekintervalbetweenadministrationstoagroupof30patientsdiagnosedwithdementiaoftheAlzheimer'stype.Asplit
halfreliabilitycoefficientwas.90,utilizingasampleof25patientsages65to94yearswhoreceiveddiagnosesofeitherorganicbrainsyndromeor
seniledementia.Attestindicatednosignificantdifferencesbetweenscoresonthetwohalves.ThealphacoefficientswerecalculatedforfourDRS
subscalesusingacombineddementiasample.ThealphacoefficientswereAttention(.95),InitiationPerseveration(.87),Conceptualization(.95),and
Memory(.75).Fivefactorswerefoundhowever,thereisaconfoundofscoringdependenceaspatientswhoscorepositiveontheinitialitemsare
givencreditfortheremainingitemsonthesubtest,whichresultsinanartificialcorrelation.
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11/26/2014 DementiaRatingScale

Validity:TheDRS2wascomparedwiththeMiniMentalStateExamination(MMSE),whichdisplayedasignificantcorrelation(r=.82)withthe
DRS2showingagreatersensitivitytochangethantheMMSEinpatientswithseveredementia.Inaddition,correlationswiththeWechslerAdult
IntelligenceScaleindicatedacorrelationof.75betweentheWAISfullscaleandtheDRS2totalscore.

Norms:ThenormativedatafortheDRS2isprovidedbytheMayoOlderAmericansNormativeStudy(MOANS)takenfrom623healthyadults
livingincommunitysettingsfromages56105(199menand424women).ThenormativedatabasearenotrepresentativeofU.S.population,asthey
consistedofpredominatelyCaucasianadultswithhigherthanaverageeducationallevels..

Suggesteduse:TheDRS2isveryusefulintheassessmentandprogressionofdementiaofAlzheimer'stype,vasculardementia,Parkinson'sdisease,
Huntington'sdisease,andagerelateddementiainmentalretardationandDown'ssyndrome.

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