A web-based normative data tool for assessing cognitive performance in healthy older Australians

Authors

• Simon J. McBride, CSIRO ICT Centre, Brisbane,QLD
• Cassandra E.I. Szoeke, CSIRO Preventative Health Flagship, Melbourne, VIC.
• Norm M. Good, Australian e-Health Research Centre, CSIRO ICT Centre, Brisbane, QLD.
• David Ames, National Ageing Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC
• Ralph N. Martins, Edith Cowan University
• Colin N. Masters, University of Melbourne
• Paul T. Maruff, CogState Pty Ltd, Melbourne, VIC
• Christopher C. Rowe, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
• Greg Savage, Macquarie University
• Kathryn A. Ellis, University of Melbourne

Document Type

Journal Article

Publisher

Australasian Medical Publishing Company Pty. Ltd.

Faculty

Faculty of Computing, Health and Science

School

School of Medical Sciences / Centre of Excellence for Alzheimer's Disease Research and Care

RAS ID

12546

Comments

McBride, S., Szoeke, C., Good, N., Ames, D., Martins, R. N., Masters, C., Maruff, P., Rowe, C., Savage, G., & Ellis, K. (2011). A web-based normative data tool for assessing cognitive performance in healthy older Australians. Medical Journal of Australia, 194(4), S12-S14. Available here

Abstract

A decline in cognition greater than expected with ageing and accompanied by subjective cognitive concerns or functional changes may be indicative of a dementing disorder. • The capacity to correctly identify cognitive decline relies on comparisons with normative data from a suitably matched healthy reference group with relatively homogeneous demographic features. • Formal assessment of cognition is usually performed by specialist neuropsychologists trained in administration and interpretation of psychometric tests. With a scarcity of normative data from large cohorts of older adults, Australian neuropsychologists commonly use representative data from small international studies. • Data from 727 healthy older Australians participating in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) Flagship Study of Ageing have been used to create a normative dataset. • A web-based calculator was developed to simplify the timeconsuming process of comparing cognitive performance MJA 2011; 194: S12–S14 scores with these representative data.

Access Rights

subscription content