Translation and validation of the Persian version of the Brief Assessment of Impaired Cognition (P-BASIC) in older adults

Cognitive impairment is common in older adults and significantly impacts quality of life. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Brief Assessment of Impaired Cognition (P-BASIC) in an Iranian older adult population. In this cross-sectional study, 120 participants, 80 cognitively healthy (CH) older adults and 40 individuals with cognitive impairment (CI), completed the P-BASIC following translation and cultural adaptation. Validity was evaluated through correlations with established cognitive measures, including the Quick Mild Cognitive Impairment screen-Persian version (QMCI-pr), Mini-Cog, and the Persian Narrative Discourse Test. Construct validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), and reliability was assessed via internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) and test–retest reliability over a two-week interval. The mean age of the cognitively impaired group was 69.1 ± 6.0 years and 67.2 ± 5.8 years in the CH group. The P-BASIC showed strong correlations with the QMCI-pr (r = 0.86) and Mini-Cog (r = 0.75), supporting concurrent and convergent validity. CFA supported a four-factor structure, indicating adequate reliability and validity. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.81, indicating acceptable internal consistency, and test–retest reliability was 0.72. The P-BASIC demonstrated excellent discriminative performance in differentiating CI from CH (area under the curve [AUC]: 95% CI: 0.93–0.99), with a sensitivity of 0.91 and a specificity of 0.90, at an optimal cutoff score of 19/20. The Persian version of the BASIC (P-BASIC) is a brief, valid, and reliable tool for cognitive screening in older adults. Its strong psychometric properties and ease of administration make it a suitable instrument for both clinical and research settings within Persian-speaking populations.