Dementia Screening Questionnaire (The Eight-item Informant Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia, AD8) – Chinese Version

Description

Alzheimer’s disease is a chronic and progressive clinical syndrome characterized by a decline in cognitive function, leading to significant impairment in patients’ daily life, work, learning, and social interaction. The World Health Organization estimates that by 2030, the number of individuals with dementia worldwide will increase to 78 million and will further rise to 139 million by 2050. With the aging population, the number of dementia patients in China ranks first globally, and the economic burden of the disease accounts for 1.47% of China’s GDP, higher than the world average. Dementia has become a significant public health issue affecting the health of older adults in China. Currently, there is no cure for dementia, making early screening, early diagnosis, and early intervention essential strategies to address the condition. Utilizing appropriate tools for dementia screening in community-dwelling older adults can help identify potential dementia patients early and facilitate dementia prevention and intervention.

Authors and Contact Email

Zheng Junhua, Chen Xuerui, Shuai Jiuhong, Hui Ling, Tian Renping, Yang Jianming. Email: information not available

Purpose

To evaluate the reliability and validity of the self-reported 8-item dementia screening questionnaire (AD8) in the community and identify cutoff values for different education levels.

Test Year

2024

Administration Method and Scoring

The AD8 questionnaire is considered simple and easy to operate, with high sensitivity, reliability, and effectiveness in detecting dementia, aimed at distinguishing normal aging signs from mild dementia symptoms. The responses include:
① 有变化 (There is a change)
② 无变化 (There is no change)
③ 不知道 (Don’t know)
The total score is obtained by summing the number of items answered with “有变化,” with a range of 0 to 8.

Reliability and Validity

Research indicates that when screening for cognitive impairment, informant-based AD8 demonstrates greater accuracy than self-reported AD8. However, if no reliable informant is available, self-reported AD8 is also a good option. Among community older adults, the internal consistency reliability of self-reported AD8 is 0.761, and the split-half reliability is 0.822. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the model fit of the AD8 is acceptable (χ2/ν=3.247, RMSEA=0.067, GFI=0.969, NFI=0.916, IFI=0.941). Self-reported AD8 as a tool for dementia screening in community older adults exhibits good reliability and validity, but its screening effectiveness is better in illiterate populations compared to literate populations.

Factors and Subscales

information not available

Keywords

Dementia, Cognitive Impairment, AD8 Questionnaire, Community Screening, Reliability, Validity

Items in Chinese

1. 判断力、处理事情和解决问题的能力有没有变得比之前差。
2. 有没有出现兴趣减退、爱好改变和活动减少的情况。
3. 会不会常问相同的问题,重复讲相同的事情或同一句话。
4. 这几年是否觉得学习新的工具或事物有困难。
5. 是否常出现忘记现在是几年或几月。
6. 是否觉得处理金钱问题有困难?例如:不能处理银行存提款、购物时付账或找钱,忘记如何交水、电、天然气费用等。
7. 近几年跟以前相比是否常忘记跟别人约定的事情。
8. 是否出现持续性记忆不好或对话时无法完整沟通的情况呢？

Items in English

1. Has your judgment, handling of matters, and problem-solving ability worsened compared to before?
2. Have you experienced a loss of interest, changes in hobbies, and a decrease in activities?
3. Do you often ask the same questions or repeat the same stories or phrases?
4. Have you found it difficult to learn new tools or things in recent years?
5. Do you often forget what year or month it is?
6. Do you find it difficult to manage financial matters? For example: unable to handle bank deposits and withdrawals, may forget how to pay for utilities such as water, electricity, and gas.
7. Have you often forgotten plans made with others compared to before?
8. Do you experience persistent memory issues or have trouble communicating fully during conversations?

References

郑俊华,陈雪芮,帅久红,惠玲,田仁萍,杨建明.自评8条目痴呆筛查问卷(AD8)社区筛查信效度评价及不同教育程度的截断值[J].中国健康心理学杂志,2024,32(11):1723-1728