Digit-in-noise test for screening older adults with mild cognitive impairment in a community setting – a pilot validation study

Objectives: To validate the Cantonese Digit in Noise Test (CDINT) for screening individuals with mild cognitive impairment in the community. Hypothesis to be tested: The psychometric properties of the newly developed automated CDINT should be comparable to those in the Hong Kong version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (HK-MoCA) in screening for cognitive impairment. Design and subjects: This is a cross-sectional study on 260 adults aged 60 or above. Instruments: CDINT, HK-MoCA, pure-tone audiometry Main outcome measures: 1) speech reception threshold of CDINT; 2) average response time of CDINT; 3) HK-MoCA scores Data analysis: Test-retest reliability of CDINT will be assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient; correlation analysis will be performed between CDINT results and HK-MoCA scores to examine the convergent validity; ROC analysis will be used to test the criterion validity, and a cut-off at an optimal combination of sensitivity and specificity will be derived. Expected results: It is expected that the psychometric properties of the CDINT will be comparable to those obtained with HK-MoCA in screening mild cognitive impairment in the community-dwelling older adults.

Funding Source: HKSAR Govt Related Organizations - Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF)