DemTect is a short screening scale designed to differentiate between mild cognitive impairments and dementia patients, first developed und published in 2000 in Germany. DemTect provides cutoff scores for dementia and for mild cognitive impairments. Cognitive performance is adequate for age.

To evaluate the diagnostic utility in Polish clinical practice a cross-sectional study was undertaken.

The analysis was conducted on data from 224 patients diagnosed as patients with AD (n=109), MCI (n=85) and healthy controls (n=30). Subjects ranged in age from 55 to 94 with a mean age of 71,42 ± 9,86 (SD). All patients underwent detailed neuropsychological and psychiatric examinations including TK, MRI. The diagnostic utility of DemTect was compared with MMSE. All patients underwent the DemTect, MMSE, CDT, FAS, CDR conducted by a trained psychometrist.

1. The average of total DemTect score was 16.93 (SD+/−1,68) in HC, 13.40 (SD+/−2,52) in MCI patients and 6.10 (SD+/− 3,04) in AD patients. 2. There was a significant difference in DemTect performance between the AD and MCI (p<0,0001) groups as well as between MCI and healthy controls (p<0,0001). 3. The DemTect enable more accurate differentiation between AD and HC as well between MCI and HC compared to MMSE.

The Polish version of DemTect scale is a useful screening test in clinical practice patients with dementia and MCI. It may be seen as superior cognitive instrument tool in day-to-day practice as it achieves more accurate differentiation between AD and HC as well between MCI and HC compared to MMSE.