Cognitive Assessment with Neurocognitive Screening Tools

Abstract

Neurocognitive Disorders (NCDs) are widespread diseases, especially in elderly. The future possibility of having more effective treatments has to deal with the lack of early disorder detection, which would enable patients to benefit the most from them. Individual medical history, blood and cerebrospinal fluid tests, and neuroimaging, among other tools, support the diagnostic process; neurocognitive screening tests also have an irreplaceable role to play in NCD assessment. Ease of execution and low cost make these instruments to be so appreciate in clinical practice. Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Clock Drawing Test (CDT), used as first-level screening tools, will be at the centre of this mini review. In the present work we will highlight the contribution made by these tests in NCD assessment, emphasizing some interesting aspects recently emerged from the scientific literature.