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DemTect: a new, sensitive cognitive screening test to support the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia
Kalbe E, Kessler J, Calabrese P, Smith R, Passmore AP, Brand M, Bullock R.. International journal of geriatric psychiatry, 2004-02-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objectives To design a new, highly sensitive psychometric screening to identify patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and patients with dementia in the early stages of the disease. Methods Five tasks were included in the DemTect: a word list, a number transcoding task, a word fluency task, digit span reverse, and delayed recall of the word list. The normation was performed with 145 healthy control subjects (CG). Furthermore, 97 MCI patients and 121 patients with possible Alzheimer's disease (AD) were tested with the DemTect and the MMSE. Classification rates for both tests were analysed. Results On the basis of the CG data, age-dependant transformation algorithms for the DemTect subtests were defined, and an education correction was provided for the total transformed score. The patient groups scored significantly below the CG in both the DemTect and the MMSE. Compared to the MMSE, classification rates of the DemTect were superior for both the MCI and the AD group, with high sensitivities of 80% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions The DemTect is short (8-10 minutes), easy to administer, and its transformed total score (maximum 18) is independent of age and education. The DemTect helps in deciding whether cognitive performance is adequate for age (13-18 points), or whether MCI (9-12 points) or dementia (8 points or below) should be suspected.
Key findings
- Results On the basis of the CG data, age-dependant transformation algorithms for the DemTect subtests were defined, and an education correction was provided for the total transformed score.
- The patient groups scored significantly below the CG in both the DemTect and the MMSE.
- Compared to the MMSE, classification rates of the DemTect were superior for both the MCI and the AD group, with high sensitivities of 80% and 100%, respectively.
Why it matters
This study describes the DemTect, a short cognitive screening test that classified mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer's disease better than the MMSE, with high sensitivities of 80% and 100%. It does not test any treatment, cure or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Participants121
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 53/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (International journal of geriatric psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: journal h-index 190 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2004 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 2 / 4 | 121 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 767 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 32.0 citations a year over 24 year(s) since 2004 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 7.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 14 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 94 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author R. Morris Bullock: h-index 75 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Max Planck Society: institution h-index 1,183 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 5 institution(s) in 2 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 14758579) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 53 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Kalbe, E., Kessler, J., Calabrese, P., Smith, R., Passmore, A. P., Brand, M., et al. (2004). DemTect: a new, sensitive cognitive screening test to support the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. International journal of geriatric psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.1042
Vancouver
Kalbe E, Kessler J, Calabrese P, Smith R, Passmore AP, Brand M, et al. DemTect: a new, sensitive cognitive screening test to support the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia. International journal of geriatric psychiatry. 2004. doi:10.1002/gps.1042. PMID: 14758579.
BibTeX
@article{kalbe2004-14758579,
author = {Kalbe, E. and Kessler, J. and Calabrese, P. and Smith, R. and Passmore, A. P. and Brand, M. and Bullock, R.},
title = {{DemTect: a new, sensitive cognitive screening test to support the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and early dementia}},
journal = {International journal of geriatric psychiatry},
year = {2004},
doi = {10.1002/gps.1042},
pmid = {14758579},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.1042}
}
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