Modeling Cognitive Status through Automatic Scoring of a Digital Version of the Clock Drawing Test

Abstract

The Clock Drawing Test is used as a cognitive assessment tool in geriatrics to detect signs of dementia or to model the progress of stroke recovery. The result is scored manually by a trained professional. We implement the Mendez scoring scheme and create a hierarchy of error categories that model the test characteristics of the clock drawing test, based on a set of impaired clock examples provided by a geriatrics clinic. Using a digital pen we recorded 120 clock samples for evaluating the automatic scoring system, with a total of 2400 error samples distributed over the 20 error classes of the Mendez scoring scheme. Error classes are scored automatically using a handwriting and gesture recognition framework. Results show that we provide a clinically relevant cognitive model for each subject. In addition, we heavily reduce the time spent on manual scoring. We compare manual scoring results with results produced by our automated system.