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The Clinician Assessment of Fluctuation and the One Day Fluctuation Assessment Scale. Two methods to assess fluctuating confusion in dementia
Walker MP, Ayre GA, Cummings JL, Wesnes K, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT, Ballard CG.. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science, 2000-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background The identification of fluctuating confusion is central to improving the differential diagnosis of the common dementias. Aims To determine the value of two rating scales to measure fluctuating confusion. Method The agreement between the clinician-rated scale and the scale completed by a non-clinician was determined. Correlations between the two scales were calculated; variability in attention was calculated on a computerised cognitive assessment and variability in delta rhythm on an electroencephalogram (EEG). Results The Clinician Assessment of Fluctuation and the computerised cognitive assessment were completed for 155 patients (61 Alzheimer's disease, 37 dementia with Lewy bodies, 22 vascular dementia, 35 elderly controls). A subgroup (n = 40) received a further evaluation using the One Day Fluctuation Assessment Scale and an EEG. The two scales correlated significantly with each other, and with the neuropsychological and electrophysiological measures of fluctuation. Conclusions Both scales are useful instruments for the clinical assessment of fluctuation in dementia.
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APA 7th
Walker, M. P., Ayre, G. A., Cummings, J. L., Wesnes, K., McKeith, I. G., O'Brien, J. T., et al. (2000). The Clinician Assessment of Fluctuation and the One Day Fluctuation Assessment Scale. Two methods to assess fluctuating confusion in dementia. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.177.3.252
Vancouver
Walker MP, Ayre GA, Cummings JL, Wesnes K, McKeith IG, O'Brien JT, et al. The Clinician Assessment of Fluctuation and the One Day Fluctuation Assessment Scale. Two methods to assess fluctuating confusion in dementia. The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science. 2000. doi:10.1192/bjp.177.3.252. PMID: 11040887.
BibTeX
@article{walker2000-11040887,
author = {Walker, M. P. and Ayre, G. A. and Cummings, J. L. and Wesnes, K. and McKeith, I. G. and O'Brien, J. T. and Ballard, C. G.},
title = {{The Clinician Assessment of Fluctuation and the One Day Fluctuation Assessment Scale. Two methods to assess fluctuating confusion in dementia}},
journal = {The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science},
year = {2000},
doi = {10.1192/bjp.177.3.252},
pmid = {11040887},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.177.3.252}
}
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.
Key findings
- Results The Clinician Assessment of Fluctuation and the computerised cognitive assessment were completed for 155 patients (61 Alzheimer's disease, 37 dementia with Lewy bodies, 22 vascular dementia, 35 elderly controls).
- The two scales correlated significantly with each other, and with the neuropsychological and electrophysiological measures of fluctuation.
Why it matters
This study found that two rating scales for fluctuating confusion correlated significantly with each other and with neuropsychological and electrophysiological measures of fluctuation. It concluded that both scales are useful instruments for the clinical assessment of fluctuation in dementia.
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Study details
- Participants40
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 51/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomized / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | The British Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 376 (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 | 2000 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 40 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) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomization or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 363 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 13.0 citations a year over 28 year(s) since 2000 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 21 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 27 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Clive G. Ballard: h-index 141 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Medical Research Council: institution h-index 1,249 (OpenAlex) |
| Multicenter collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 11040887) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 51 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1192/bjp.177.3.252
- PubMed: 11040887
- Original source →
- Free full text: The British Journal of Psychiatry →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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