Abstract
In this chapter we review the literature on cognitive decline and dementia in African American elders with a specific focus on the Mini-Mental Status Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Cognistat, Short Blessed Test, Mini-Cog-Functional Activities Questionnaire (MC-FAQ), Community Screening Interview for Dementia (CSI-D), AD-8, Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR), and examination of ADLs and IADLs. In our review of the literature we found that adjustments to cutoff scores for screening measures may be necessary based on age, education, and literacy level. In addition, there are a number of cultural considerations that must be taken into account in the interpretation of assessment results. Specifically, we recommend that literacy and educational attainment be taken into consideration when interpreting scores on screening measures. When a cognitive screen results in suspected cognitive decline, further assessment will be necessary including using collateral contacts. Lastly, the MMSE may be useful in terms of establishing baseline cognitive performance and may be used to track cognitive decline over time.
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Benuto, L., Soto, C., Leany, B. (2015). Screening for Cognitive Decline and Assessment of Dementia with African Americans. In: Benuto, L., Leany, B. (eds) Guide to Psychological Assessment with African Americans. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1004-5_15
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