Diagnostic performance and neural basis of the combination of free- and pre-drawn Clock Drawing Test.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to clarify the diagnostic performance and neural basis of the Clock Drawing Test (CDT) combining free- and pre-drawn methods.

METHODS

This retrospective study included 165 participants (91 with Alzheimer disease [AD], 52 with amnestic mild cognitive impairment [aMCI], and 22 healthy controls [HC]), who were divided into four groups according to their free- and pre-drawn CDT scores: group 1, could do both; group 2, impaired in both; group 3, impaired in pre-drawn CDT; and group 4, impaired in free-drawn CDT. The diagnostic performances of the free-drawn, pre-drawn, and combination methods were compared using receiver operating characteristics analysis; in voxel-based morphometry analysis, the gray matter (GM) volume of groups 2-4 were compared with that of group 1.

RESULTS

The area under the curve of the combination method was greater than that of the free- or pre-drawn method alone when comparing AD with HC or aMCI. Group 2 had a significantly smaller GM volume in the bilateral temporal lobes than group 1. Group 3 had a trend toward smaller GM volumes in the right temporal lobe when a liberal threshold was applied. Group 4 had significantly smaller GM volumes in the left temporal lobe than group 1.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the combination method may be able to screen for a wider range of brain dysfunction. Combined use of free- and pre-drawn CDT may be useful for screening for AD and its early detection and treatment.