Educational adjustments for the Chinese version of the Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral Screen (ECAS): establishing normative data.

Abstract

Background: The Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen (ECAS) is a cognitive screening tool designed for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It has been translated into various languages and used globally. This study aimed to establish normative data for the Chinese version of the ECAS to better serve the Mandarin population.

Methods: We enrolled 358 healthy individuals from different regions of China, all of whom completed the ECAS, and 340 also completed the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The participants were categorized into six age groups and five education groups.

Results: ECAS scores were found to be related to education level (p < 0.001). After Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons, we determined that there were no significant differences in total ECAS scores between the junior middle school and senior middle school groups, leading to their combination into a single middle school group. We established cutoff values for the ECAS on the basis of education group. After adjusting for age, sex, and education level, a significant correlation was found between MMSE scores and total ECAS scores (p < 0.001), indicating a high level of consistency in the cognitive assessment.

Conclusion: We have established norms for the ECAS on the basis of education level, and the ECAS is highly consistent with the MMSE in the assessment of cognition. These norms will be instrumental in future clinical and follow-up work for Mandarin ALS patients.