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. 2008 Aug-Sep;23(4):377-81.
doi: 10.1177/1533317508316680. Epub 2008 May 4.

The clock-drawing test: time for a change?

Amy Chan  1 , Ruth Remington, James Paskavitz, Thomas B Shea
Affiliations

The clock-drawing test: time for a change?

Amy Chan et al. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2008 Aug-Sep.

Abstract

Clock-drawing tests are simple and rapid screening devices for dementia. It was observed that individuals <60 years of age showed similar performance with a digital prompt (" . . .make the clock read 12:45") or an analog prompt (" . . .quarter to 1"), whereas individuals >70 years of age showed improved performance with an analog prompt. The digital prompt has routinely been used to force participants to recode the prompt via conceptualization. Differential scoring across a range of ages has likely derived from the advent and increase of digital clocks with the younger segment of the population. This implies the need for as-yet undetermined alteration in the nature of prompts to force recoding as the current younger population ages.

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