RESEARCH ARTICLE:

Validation of a brief Multicultural Cognitive Examination (MCE) for evaluation of dementia

The aims of this study were to present the psychometric properties of a newly designed cognitive screening instrument, the Multicultural Cognitive Examination (MCE), and to compare it with the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) in a multicultural population.

Key points

• The Multicultural Cognitive Examination (MCE) evaluates key aspects of cognition with minimal need for specialized test materials. It is a brief instrument that incorporates the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) and expands assessment of memory, verbal fluency, and visuospatial function.
• The MCE can be applied across several languages and cultures and across a broad educational range, including no formal education. The MCE components are easily administered both with and without the help of an interpreter and have been applied in more than 20 languages without need to change the content.
• By expanding the evaluation of cognitive functions covered by the RUDAS, the MCE improves the diagnostic accuracy in cross‐cultural evaluations of early or mild dementia and may particularly be a resource in settings where neuropsychological support is not readily available.
• The MCE seems easily implemented in most clinical settings and may help increase diagnostic accuracy in patients from ethnic minorities. However, further validation studies are necessary to establish the clinical utility of the MCE.