CERAD and NOSGER. Comparing predictive scales for dementia in a Swiss gerontopsychiatric patient population

The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) is an established screening instrument for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. The Nurses Observation Scale for Geriatric Patients (NOSGER), actually developed for rating the frequency of behavioral disturbances, appears suitable for dementia screening as well. In this retrospective study we analyze the neuropsychological data of 400 consecutive patients at our hospital with several psychiatric diagnoses and cognitive deficits. By means of logistic calculation in single and multivariable models, the predictive value of CERAD and NOSGER for dementia diagnosis was studied. All CERAD subtests were significant single predictors for dementia. The multivariable model with the highest prediction for probability of dementia diagnosis contained the subtests Verbal Fluency Test, Word List Recall, Constructional Practice Recall, and the Mini-Mental State Examination. However, NOSGER could not differentiate between demented and nondemented patients. In our gerontopsychiatric population, CERAD separates demented patients from nondemented ones with high predictive potency. The NOSGER does not reveal any predictive value for the diagnosis of dementia.