COGNITIVE EVALUATION OF PATIENTS WITH DEM ENTIA OF ALZHEIMERS TYPE USING THE FRENCH REVISED VERSION OF THE HIERARCHICAL DEMENTIA SCALE

The revised French version of the Hierarchic Dementia Scale (HDS) was assessed in 88 DA T patients (30 men, 58 women, mean age: 70, MMS from 0 to 26). The HDS consisted of 20 subtests which covered the entire r ange of cognitive functions; each subtest was hierarchically organized . This scale has been validated by the authors in 149 control subjects (Demonet et al., 1990). The goals of the present study were to valida te this scale in DAT patients in comparison with the MMS scores and to specify the cognitive impairments of our pathologic population. Resul ts showed that the scores on the HDS were highly correlated with the M MS scores (p < .0001). Some subtests of the HDS (memory subtests and m ental control) allow good discrimination between mild demented patient s and controls (sensibility = 80,8 p. 100, specificity = 96 p. 100). C onversely some subtests allowed a cognitive follow-up of patients for whom the MMS was no longer useful (MMS scores from 0 to 10). In conclu sion, it appears that this scale is useful for drawing cognitive profi le of DA T patients and to approach the heterogeneity of dementia.