Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40249550›Full record

Observational studyAging clinical and experimental research2025

Visuospatial impairment in dementia: a new index to improve the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Francesca Santagata, Stefano F Cappa, Roberto Presta, Caterina Burgio, Chiara Luppi, Massimiliano Massaia, Elisa Calvi, Patrizia D'Amelio

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Aging clinical and experimental research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Francesca SantagataCenter for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, Section of Geriatrics, City of Health and Science University Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Stefano F CappaUniversity Institute for Advanced Studies IUSS, Pavia, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1003-3925
Roberto PrestaDepartment of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6680-7681
Caterina BurgioDepartment of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. caterina.burgio@unito.it.
Chiara LuppiCenter for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, Section of Geriatrics, City of Health and Science University Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Massimiliano MassaiaCenter for Cognitive Disorders and Dementia, Section of Geriatrics, City of Health and Science University Hospital, Turin, Italy.
Elisa CalviDepartment of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
Patrizia D'AmelioDepartment of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4467-8337

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe differential diagnosis between Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other causes of dementia is essential but challenging. Therefore, there is an increasing need for early, reliable, and non-invasive tests to distinguish between different forms of dementia.

aimsTo determine whether neuropsychological tests assessing visuospatial function can improve confidence in the clinical diagnosis of AD.

methodsRetrospective observational single-center cohort study involving all patients consecutively referred to our outpatient clinic for cognitive disorders who underwent neuropsychological assessment between 2013 and 2018. In addition to demographic and functional variables, each patient underwent neuropsychological tests to assess cognitive performance, memory, and executive, language, and visuospatial ability, according to clinical protocols. The clinical diagnosis of cognitive disorders, based on standard diagnostic criteria, served as the gold standard. Accuracy measures of visuospatial tests to diagnose AD were calculated. Additionally, a new index derived from the sum of four items (Rey-Osterrieth figure copying, Copy of Drawings, Clock Drawing Test, and years of schooling) was tested (ReDCOOL).

resultsOf the 342 patients analyzed, 308 were diagnosed with dementia or mild cognitive impairment, including 60 with AD. AD patients exhibited the worst performance in visuospatial tests, and the utilization of the ReDCOOL index proved to be more dependable in identifying AD compared to other tests (AUROC 0.729, 95%CI 0.659-0.799; p < 0.001).

conclusionThe ReDCOOL index appears to increase confidence in the clinical diagnosis of AD compared to each of the visuospatial tests considered. Furthermore, this index is easily calculated and does not prolong the time needed for clinical evaluation, as it does not require a customized patient assessment.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseCognitive DysfunctionDementiaAgedAged, 80 and overDiagnosis, DifferentialFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsRetrospective StudiesSpace PerceptionAlzheimer’s diseaseDementiaNeuropsychological assessmentVisuospatial function

Identifiers

PMID40249550
PMCPMC12008067

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.