Screening Utility of the King-Devick Test in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer Disease Dementia.

Abstract

The King-Devick (K-D) test is a 1 to 2 minute, rapid number naming test, often used to assist with detection of concussion, but also has clinical utility in other neurological conditions (eg, Parkinson disease). The K-D involves saccadic eye and other eye movements, and abnormalities thereof may be an early indicator of Alzheimer disease (AD)-associated cognitive impairment. No study has tested the utility of the K-D in AD and we sought to do so. The sample included 206 [135 controls, 39 mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 32 AD dementia] consecutive subjects from the Boston University Alzheimer's Disease Center registry undergoing their initial annual evaluation between March 2013 and July 2015. The K-D was administered during this period. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves generated from logistic regression models revealed the K-D test distinguished controls from subjects with cognitive impairment (MCI and AD dementia) [area under the curve (AUC)=0.72], MCI (AUC=0.71) and AD dementia (AUC=0.74). K-D time scores between 48 and 52 seconds were associated with high sensitivity (>90.0%) and negative predictive values (>85.0%) for each diagnostic group. The K-D correlated strongly with validated attention, processing speed, and visual scanning tests. The K-D test may be a rapid and simple effective screening tool to detect cognitive impairment associated with AD.

• Authors: Kristin M Galetta, Kimberly R Chapman, Maritza D Essis, Michael L Alosco, Danielle Gillard, Eric Steinberg, Diane Dixon, Brett Martin, Christine E Chaisson, Neil W Kowall, Yorghos Tripodis, Laura J Balcer, Robert A Stern
• Journal: Alzheimer disease and associated disorders (Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord) 2017 Apr-Jun Vol. 31 Issue 2 Pg. 152-158 ISSN: 1546-4156 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 27299935 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Topics

• Aged
• Alzheimer Disease (diagnosis)
• Cognitive Dysfunction (diagnosis)
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Neuropsychological Tests (statistics & numerical data)
• Saccades (physiology)