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Aim The number-transcoding task on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test requires mutual conversion between Arabic and Chinese numerals (e.g. 209 → 二百九, 4054 → 四千五十四, 六百八十一 → 681, 二千二十七 → 2027). During this task, some characteristic errors have been seen among patients with Alzheimer's disease ( AD). The objective of this study was to clarify whether the frequency of appearance of error patterns differs between patients with mild and severe AD according to Clinical Dementia Rating ( CDR) scores. Methods A total of 250 patients with AD were recruited and subsequently categorized into two groups based on CDR scores (mild AD: CDR of 0.5 or 1; severe AD: CDR of 2 or 3). We analyzed 19 qualitative error patterns, including 15 that had been reported to date and 4 previously unreported errors, in each subtest. Results The frequency of appearance of two previously reported and four previously unreported errors in the mild and severe AD groups, respectively, were statistically significant. Conclusions Characteristic error pattern distributions in number transcoding can be observed in patients with mild and severe AD according to CDR scores and offers useful information for interpreting cognitive screening data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The supermarket task, which is included in the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test, requires the quick (1 min) generation of words for things that can be bought in a supermarket. Cluster size and switches are investigated during this task. We investigated how the severity of dementia related to cluster size and switches on the supermarket task in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Methods We administered the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test to 250 patients with very mild to severe Alzheimer's disease and to 49 healthy volunteers. Patients had Mini- Mental State Examination scores from 12 to 26 and Clinical Dementia Rating scale scores from 0.5 to 3. Patients were divided into four groups based on their Clinical Dementia Rating score (0.5, 1, 2, 3). We performed statistical analyses between the four groups and control subjects based on cluster size and switch scores on the supermarket task. Results The score for cluster size and switches deteriorated according to the severity of dementia. Moreover, for subjects with a Clinical Dementia Rating score of 0.5, cluster size was impaired, but switches were intact. Conclusions Our findings indicate that the scores for cluster size and switches on the supermarket task may be useful for detecting the severity of symptoms of dementia in patients with Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the Japanese version of the Rapid Dementia Screening Test (RDST-J), and its efficacy compared to the clock-drawing test (CDT) as brief psychometric screening tools for the severity of Alzheimer's disease. Topics include assessments using the Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), their relative sensitivity and specificity, and results of the study showing that the RDST-J is more effective in distinguishing CDR 0.5 from controls.