Journal

The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

[Vol.29 No.3 contents]
Japanese/English

Full Text of this Article
in Japanese PDF (395K)
ArticleTitle Short Fluctuations Questionnaire (SFQ): diagnostic validity in patients with different severity of cognitive impairment and validity for severity index of cognitive fluctuation
Language J
AuthorList Syouko Koseki1), Atsuko Nagashima2), Chie Ichino3), Takuya Sato3), Toru Imamura1)4)
Affiliation 1)Department of Speech Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Niigata University of Health and Welfare
2)Department of Rehabilitation, Hitachi General Hospital
3)Division of Speech Therapy, Department of Rehabilitation, Niigata Rehabilitation Hospital
4)Department of Neurology, Niigata Rehabilitation Hospital
Publication Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 29 (3), 203-211, 2013
Received Jan 15, 2013
Accepted Apr 5, 2013
Abstract Objective: The Short Fluctuations Questionnaire (SFQ) is a structured interview to evaluate cognitive fluctuation, an important sign of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In this study, we examined the following 2 issues:(1) the sensitivity and specificity of the SFQ in patients with different severity of cognitive impairment, (2) the hypothesis that the SFQ score detects the severity of cognitive fluctuation so that the positive predictive value of cognitive fluctuation is higher in patients with higher SFQ score than in patients with lower score. Patients: 199 patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 40 patients with DLB. A behavioral neurologist, who was independent to the SFQ assessment, assessed cognitive fluctuation and classified each patient into the group with "positive" or "negative" fluctuation. Methods: At the first visit of each patient, a speech therapist administered the SFQ to the reliable informant of each patient. In patients with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of 11 and above, the sensitivity and specificity of the SFQ for "positive" and "negative" fluctuation were evaluated in each subgroup stratified with the MMSE score ranges (11-14, 15-17, 18-20, 21-23, and 24-30). In the total patients, the DLB patients and the AD patients, the logistic regression analyses were performed with "positive" and "negative" fluctuation as the dependent variable and the SFQ scores as the independent variable. Results: The levels of the sensitivity and specificity of SFQ were similar among subgroups with different MMSE score ranges. The logistic regression analyses presented significant odd ratios for SFQ scores in the DLB patients and AD patients, as well as the total patients, which indicated that the positive predictive value of cognitive fluctuation is significantly higher in patients with higher SFQ score. Conclusion: The severity of cognitive impairment did not affect the validity of the SFQ in patients with MMSE scores of 11 and above, which indicates that the SFQ is useful for early diagnosis of DLB. The results of the logistic regression analysis suggest that the SFQ may detect the severity of cognitive fluctuation as well as its presence. SFQ may enable us to evaluate the factors related to the severity of cognitive fluctuation.
Keywords Short Fluctuations Questionnaire, cognitive fluctuation, dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer's disease

Copyright © 2002 NEUROPSYCHOLOGY ASSOCIATION OF JAPAN All rights reserved
http://www.neuropsychology.gr.jp/