Accuracy of praxis test from Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) for Alzheimer’s disease: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Praxis impairment may be one of the first symptoms manifested in dementia, primarily in cortical dementia. The Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) evaluates praxis, but little is known about the accuracy of CAMCOG for diagnosing dementia. The aims here were to investigate the accuracy of praxis and its subitems in CAMCOG (constructive, ideomotor and ideational subitems) for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) among elderly patients. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study on community-dwelling elderly people. METHODS: 158 elderly patients were evaluated. CAMCOG, Mini-Mental State Examination and Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire were used. ROC curve analysis was used to establish cutoff points. RESULTS: The total scores for praxis and the constructive subitem presented significant differences (P