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. 2025 Feb;103(4):1013-1022.
doi: 10.1177/13872877241308877. Epub 2025 Jan 15.

Validation of Spatial Orientation Screening questionnaire for use in memory clinic patients

Gro Gujord Tangen  1   2   3 , Knut Engedal  1   2 , Karin Persson  1   2 , Geir Selbæk  1   2   4 , Shams Dakhil  2   4 , Riona McArdle  5 , Marit Mjørud  1   2 , Janne Røsvik  1   2 , Anne Marit Mengshoel  4 , Anne Brita Knapskog  2
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Validation of Spatial Orientation Screening questionnaire for use in memory clinic patients

Gro Gujord Tangen et al. J Alzheimers Dis. 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Background: Spatial orientation is required for independent mobility in society. Deficits in spatial orientation can be an early symptom of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, and there is a need for brief assessment tools to identify impairments.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the construct and known-group validity of our newly developed Spatial Orientation Screening (SOS) questionnaire.

Methods: We included 132 patients with subjective cognitive decline (n = 16), mild cognitive impairment (n = 32), or all-cause dementia (n = 84) from a memory clinic and a reference group of cognitively unimpaired older adults (n = 108). The patients and their next-of-kin answered the self- and proxy-rated versions of the 4-item SOS (0-8 points) and the 10-item Questionnaire of Everyday Navigational Ability (QuENA, 0-30 points). The patients also performed the Floor Maze Test (FMT) for performance-based spatial abilities.

Results: Mean ages (SD) of the patient and reference groups were 68.6 (±7.6) years and 73.7 (±6.7) years, respectively. Construct validity between self-rated versions of the SOS and QuENA was satisfactory with rs = 0.66, between the proxy-rated versions rs = 0.61, and between the proxy-reported SOS and FMT rs = 0.49 (all p < 0.001). Known-group validity was also acceptable, with significantly higher median (IQR) SOS self-reported scores in patients 1.0 (2.0) compared to the reference group 0.2 (0.5) points, (p < 0.001). Informants reported more severe impairments compared to the patients' self-reports on both SOS and QuENA (both p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The SOS had satisfactory validity for use as a screening instrument for assessment of spatial orientation in memory clinic patients.

Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; cognition; dementia; orientation; questionnaire.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interestsKarin Persson reports work with Novo Nordisk NN6535-4730 trial outside the submitted work.Geir Selbæk has participated at advisory board meetings for Roche and Eisai concerning monoclonal antibody drugs for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.Anne Brita Knapskog has contributed to clinical trials for Roche (BN29553), Boehringer-Ingelheim (1346.0023), Novo Nordisk (NN6535-4730), and GSK (219867).Knut Engedal is an Editorial Board Member of this journal but was not involved in the peer-review process of this article nor had access to any information regarding its peer-review.The remaining authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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