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The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia
Reisberg B, Ferris SH, de Leon MJ, Crook T.. The American journal of psychiatry, 1982-09-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Cognitive decline associated with old age and consistent with the diagnosis of primary degenerative dementia is a unique clinical syndrome with characteristic phenomena and progression. The authors describe a Global Deterioration Scale for the assessment of primary degenerative dementia and delineation of its stages. The authors have used the Global Deterioration Scale successfully for more than 5 years and have validated it against behavioral, neuroanatomic, and neurophysiologic measures in patients with primary degenerative dementia.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Reisberg, B., Ferris, S. H., de Leon, M. J., & Crook, T. (1982). The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. The American journal of psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.139.9.1136
Vancouver
Reisberg B, Ferris SH, de Leon MJ, Crook T. The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. The American journal of psychiatry. 1982. doi:10.1176/ajp.139.9.1136. PMID: 7114305.
BibTeX
@article{reisberg1982-7114305,
author = {Reisberg, B. and Ferris, S. H. and de Leon, M. J. and Crook, T.},
title = {{The Global Deterioration Scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia}},
journal = {The American journal of psychiatry},
year = {1982},
doi = {10.1176/ajp.139.9.1136},
pmid = {7114305},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1176/ajp.139.9.1136}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Cognitive decline associated with old age and consistent with the diagnosis of primary degenerative dementia is a unique clinical syndrome with characteristic phenomena and progression.
Why it matters
This 1982 paper introduced the Global Deterioration Scale, a tool for assessing primary degenerative dementia and "delineation of its stages." The authors report using it "successfully for more than 5 years" and validating it against behavioral, neuroanatomic, and neurophysiologic measures, but the record we hold gives no patient numbers or validation statistics. It is a way to rate how advanced decline is, not a test that confirms a cause or a treatment.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 54/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | American Journal of Psychiatry: journal h-index 549 (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 | 1982 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 5,005 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 108.8 citations a year over 46 year(s) since 1982 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 14.2× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 5 / 6 | Cited by 164 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 436 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author T. H. Crook: h-index 19 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | New York University: institution h-index 1,612 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 2 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 7114305) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 54 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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