ASSESSMENT OF A SCREENING INSTRUMENT TO S TUDY THE PREVALENCE OF CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES IN THE CHILEAN POPULATION

We assessed a screening instrument, adapted from a model suggested by WHO, aimed to perform population studies on the prevalence of cerebrov ascular disease in Chile. Sixty-two subjects, 31 with cerebrovascular diseases and 31 without, were asked about symptoms and requested to do simple movements by trained interviewers. The results of the instrume nt were compared with a neurological examination performed by two spec ialists. Global sensitivity and specificity of the instrument, using W HO evaluation criteria, were 100 and 38.7% respectively. When three or more symptoms and one positive sign were considered as cutoff points, global specificity increased to 61% and sensitivity decreased to 93%. It is concluded that the present instrument is highly sensitive but l acks specificity.