Validation of the Revised Quick Cognitive Screening Test In A Ghanaian Sample

Abstract

The Revised Quick Cognitive Screening Text is a portable cognitive screening test used in the detection of cognitive impairment in individuals suffering from neurological, medical and psychiatric conditions. Although many cognitive screening tests such as Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) are being used in Ghana, to my knowledge none of them have been standardized. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Revised Quick Cognitive Screening Test (RQCST). Five hundred and ninety-six (596) participants between the ages of sixteen and eighty- two years were recruited from Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, Pantang Psychiatric Hospital and Accra Psychiatric Hospital. The participants comprised three groups; healthy/ control group, psychiatric patients and participants with various medical conditions. Using Principal Component Analysis, taking into consideration cultural dimensions, the RQCST was reduced from the original 50 items to 31 items. The modified RQCST was administered together with some standardized measures. The modified RQCST had a Cronbach alpha of .84 and an area under the curve of .70. Results showed that the RCQST discriminated between the healthy group and the disease condition groups (Medical and Psychiatric groups). The RQCST significantly correlated with the other standardized measures demonstrating its psychometric properties in a Ghanaian population. The updated RQCST will provide a brief, sensitive and cost effective cognitive test for screening cognitive impairment among Ghanaians.