Observation Protocol:
Dementia Score

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Observed Dementia:
General Information

When? | Time 1 | Time 2 | Time 3 | Time 4 | Time 5 | Time 6 | Time 7
Where? | Intake Assessment (EE) | Intake Assessment (EE) | Intake Assessment (EE) | Intake Assessment (EE) | Intake Assessment (EE) | Intake Assessment (EE) | -
Questionnaire | EE: Observation protocol pp. 6,7,8 | EE: Observation protocol p. 7,8,9 | EE: Observation protocol p. 6,7,8 | EE: Observation protocol p. 6,7,8 | EE: Observation protocol, p. 6,7,8 | EE: Observation protocol p. 1-3 | -
SIR Data bank | EE: ZPK rec/table 13 (Z1BB) rec/table 2 (Z1COMP) | EE: ZPK rec/table 113 (Z2BB) rec/table 102 (Z2COMP) | EE: ZPK rec/table 213 (Z3BB) rec/table 202 (Z3COMP) | EE: ZPK rec/table 313 (Z4BB) rec/table 302 (Z4COMP) | EE: ZPK rec/table 413 (Z5BB) rec/table 402 (Z5COMP) | EE: ZPK rec/table 513 (Z6BB) rec/table 502 (Z6COMP) | -

The dementia score is an instrument used to assess disorders of cognitive performance related to dementia. It is a subjective assessment of the study participant made by the interviewer, based on impressions gained from the observation of the participant. The interviewers were given special training for this rating using clinical examples.

The dementia score is composed of the screening-variables for psychopathological diagnosis listed in the table below. The items were selected from the AMDP system (Helmchen, 1979) on the basis of their relevance for the psychiatric assessment of elderly participants and their ability to be operationalized for assessment by a lay person.

When coding their observations, interviewers chose from five possible answers on a probability scale:

1 = "certainly not", i.e., the symptom is certainly not present.
2 = "probably not", i.e., it is not certain that the symptom is not present.
3 = "probably", i.e., it is not certain that the symptom is present.
4 = "certainly", i.e., the symptom is present.
5 = "not ascertainable", i.e., no information on the presence/absence of the symptom in question could be gained (e.g. in short contacts or telephone contacts). For T6 this variable was coded "8".

The lay interviewers were not asked to make an assessment of symptom severity due to the fact that even expert judgments can be unreliable here. A symptom only counted as observed if it was clearly noticeable for a lay assessor. To this end, a brief description of each symptom was provided. In order for the items to be assessed properly, an observation period of at least 15 minutes was necessary. If the first contact was shorter than this, the relevant items of the observation protocol could only be filled in if a longer contact took place at a later date.

Even if the interviewer was aware of the reason behind an observed symptom, this was not taken as an assessment criterion, except where explicitly mentioned in the brief description of the item (e.g. false teeth missing for articulatory problems).

In the calculation of the dementia score, a temporary weighting was given to the importance of the symptom for the clinical diagnosis of dementia according to clinical criteria of item weighting.
Calculation instructions: zbb6a+2zbb6b+3zbb6e+3zbb6g+zbb6j+zbb6k

Literature: Helmchen, H. (1979) (Ed.). Das AMDP-System: Manual zur Dokumentation psychiatrischer Befunde, 3. Auflage [The AMDP system: Manual for the documentation of psychiatric findings, 3rd Edition]. Berlin: Springer.

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Observed Dementia:
Items used in BASE

Note:
According to the design, variable names for Time 1 have the prefix z1, names for Time 2 have the prefix z2,
names for Time 3 have the prefix z3, names for Time 4 have the prefix z4, names for Time 5 have the prefix z5,
and names for Time 6 have the prefix z6.

| BASE items / variables | English translation | Variable names Time 1 | Variable names Time 2 | Variable names Time 3 | Variable names Time 4 | Variable names Time 5 | Variable names Time 6
1. | Artikulationsprobleme | Articulatory problems | z1bb6a | z2bb18x1 | z3bb26x1 | z4bb26x1 | z5bb26x1 | z6bb26x1
2. | Umständliche Sprache | Awkward speech | z1bb6b | z2bb18x2 | z3bb26x2 | z4bb26x2 | z5bb26x2 | z6bb26x2
3. | Verminderte Sprachäußerung | Decreased speech production | z1bb6c | z2bb18x3 | z3bb26x3 | z4bb26x3 | z5bb26x3 | z6bb26x3
4. | Vermehrte Sprachäußerung | Increased speech production | z1bb6d | z2bb18x4 | z3bb26x4 | z4bb26x4 | z5bb26x4 | z6bb26x4
5. | Verständnisstörung im Gespräch | Comprehension disorders | z1bb6e | z2bb18x5 | z3bb26x5 | z4bb26x5 | z5bb26x5 | z6bb26x5
6. | Bewegungsunruhe | Restlessness | z1bb6f | z2bb18x6 | z3bb26x6 | z4bb26x6 | z5bb26x6 | z6bb26x6
7. | Erinnerungsstörung im Gesprächsverlauf | Memory disorders | z1bb6g | z2bb18x7 | z3bb26x7 | z4bb26x7 | z5bb26x7 | z6bb26x7
8. | Mißtrauen | Suspicion | z1bb6h | z2bb18x8 | z3bb26x8 | z4bb26x8 | z5bb26x8 | z6bb26x8
9. | Bedrückte Stimmung | Depressive mood | z1bb6i | z2bb18x9 | z3bb26x9 | z4bb26x9 | z5bb26x9 | z6bb26x9
10. | Vermehrte Stimmungs-schwankungen | Mood swings | z1bb6j | z2bb1810 | z3bb2610 | z4bb2610 | z5bb2610 | z6bb2610
11. | Verlangsamung | Retardation | z1bb6k | z2bb1811 | z3bb2611 | z4bb2611 | z5bb2611 | z6bb2611
12. | Ängstlichkeit | Anxiety | - | - | z3bb2612 | z4bb2612 | z5bb2612 | z6bb2612
13. | Erschöpfung nach der Untersuchung | Exhaustion after the examination | - | - | - | - | z5bb2613 | z6bb2613
14. | Ungeschicktheit, Probleme im Objektgebrauch | Clumsiness, problems with object use | - | - | - | - | z5bb2614 | z6bb2614
15. | Unangemessenheit der Beurteilung der Umgebung oder der eigenen Person | Inappropriate perception of self and environment | - | - | - | - | z5bb2615 | z6bb2615
16. | Benommenheit, Störung der Wachheit | Drowsiness, disturbance of alertness | - | - | - | - | z5bb2616 | z6bb2616

- General Information
- Items used in BASE
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###
Constructs Created in BASE

Note:
According to the design, variable names for Time 1 have the prefix k1, names for Time 2 have the prefix k2,
names for Time 3 have the prefix k3, names for Time 4 have the prefix k4, names for Time 5 have the prefix k5,
and names for Time 6 have the prefix k6.

Constructs | Construct names Time 1 | Construct names Time 2 | Construct names Time 3 | Construct names Time 4 | Construct names Time 5 | Construct names Time 6
Dementia score | k1z6dem | k2z6dem | k3z6dem | k4z6dem | - | -
sum score = (z1bb6a + 2 * z*bb6b+ 3 * z*bb6e+3 * z*bb6g + z*bb6j + 2 * z*bb6k)

- General Information
- Items used in BASE
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