Table 3.
Summary of main scales used for assessment of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s Disease ([47] with modifications).
| Main Scales | Description |
|---|---|
| Activities of Daily Living ADCS-ADL, ADCS-IADL | It measures the functional ability to perform activities of daily life. ADL assess basic living skills such as bathing and eating, whereas Instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) measures more complex tasks such as using the telephone or preparing meals. A higher ADL or IADL score indicates a worsening functionality. |
| Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) | It is a sensitive and reliable method for the assessment of cognitive function in dementia. It consists of a psychometric scale of 11 items, and scores range from 0 (no impairment) to 70 (very severe impairment). |
| Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) | It is a 21-question multiple-choice self-report inventory, one of the most widely used psychometric tests for measuring the severity of depression. |
| Brief Assessment Schedule Depression Cards (BASDEC) | It is a brief test for screening depression, requiring minimal training to administer. |
| Bristol’s Activities of Daily Living Scale (BADLS) | It is specifically designed for individuals with mild dementia living in the community for completion by caregivers. |
| Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) | It is a global measure that assesses memory, orientation, judgment, and other features. Is based on caregiver interview. Classifies dementia into questionable, mild, moderate, and severe. |
| Clinical Global Impression Scale (CGI) | It measures symptom severity, treatment response, and the efficacy of treatments in treatment studies of patients with mental disorders. |
| Clinician Interview-Based Impression of Change, plus carer interview (CIBIC-Plus) | It is a global measure capable of detecting changes in cognition, functionality, and behavior, thus assessing dementia’s severity and progression. Requires separate interviews with patients and caregivers. |
| Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) | It is the handbook used by health care professionals in the United States and much of the world as the authoritative guide to the diagnosis of mental disorders. |
| Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS) | Is the most widely used clinician-administered depression assessment scale. The original version contains 17 items pertaining to symptoms of depression experienced over the past week. |
| Hoehn and Yahr scale | It is a commonly used system for describing how the symptoms of PD progress. |
| Hopkins Verbal Learning Test–Revised (HVLT-R) | It is a brief verbal learning and memory test ideal in situations calling for repeated neuropsychological examinations. |
| Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) | It evaluates cognitive function in the areas of orientation, memory, attention, calculation, language, and visual construction. It is widely translated and used in clinical practice. Patients score between 0 and 30 points, and cutoffs of 23/24 have typically been used to show significant cognitive impairment. |
| Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) | It is a ten-item diagnostic questionnaire which psychiatrists use to measure the severity of depressive episodes in patients with mood disorders. |
| Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) | It assesses dementia-related behavioral symptoms. The NPI originally examined 10 sub-domains of behavioral functioning: Delusions, hallucinations, agitation/aggression, dysphoria, anxiety, euphoria, apathy, disinhibition, irritability/lability, and aberrant motor activity. |
| Neuropsychological test battery (NTB) | This scale assesses changes in cognitive function and is seen as a promising method for mild AD. NTB has shown to be able to detect changes in memory performance. |
| Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) | It evaluates motor impairment and disability of patients with PD. |