Validation Study of a Performance-Based Measure of Executive Function in People with Dementia

Rationale / Objectives: Effective executive function is the key to achieving autonomy and independence in activities of daily living, and impairment in executive function is a major determinant of poor functional outcomes. Performance-based evaluation of executive function by real-world activities is an important area of research in people with dementia.Methods:This study aimed to validate a performance-based evaluation ˗ the Chinese Multiple Errands Test (Chinese-MET) for forty subjects with dementia. The functional disabilities profile of the subjects was examined. Selected validated instruments were administered concurrently,including the Lawton Instrumental of Daily Living- Chinese Version (Lawton IADL-CV), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong Version (MoCA-HK) and the Chinese Version of the Disability Assessment for Dementia (CDAD), for reliability and validity testing.Results: Subjects’ performance efficiency in the Chinese-MET showed significant correlation with the Lawton IADL-CV (r = 0.86, p< 0.001), the HK-MoCA (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), and the CDAD (r= 0.44, p < 0.001). Regression analysis of the relationship with socio demographic factors indicated that the Chinese-MET was not significantly correlated with gender, education or age.Conclusions:The Chinese-MET was shown to be a reliable and valid instrument in assessing executive function in Chinese elderly subjects with dementia. The Chinese-MET can identify executive function deficits that would be missed by standard paper-and-pencil and office-based measures alone. This study’s contribution went beyond the introduction of the Chinese-MET, since no validated MET had been conducted specifically for people with dementia.