Validation of a German version of the dementia screening questionnaire for individuals with intellectual disabilities (DSQIID-G) in Down's syndrome.
The German DSQIID reliably screens dementia in adults with Down syndrome—use a cut-off score above 7 to catch early cognitive decline.
01Research in Context
What this study did
A team translated the English dementia screener for people with intellectual disabilities into German.
They tested it with adults who have Down syndrome.
The goal was to see if the new German form still spots early memory loss.
What they found
The German DSQIID works well.
A score above 7 flagged adults who were starting to slip.
The tool was reliable and matched doctor checks.
How this fits with other research
Anne-Harris et al. (2021) did the same job in France.
They also got a strong tool, but their cut-off was 19.
The lower German cut-off does not clash with the French one; it simply fits a different risk level.
Waldron et al. (2023) followed the same translation steps for a swallowing tool in Sweden, showing the method travels across languages and skills.
Why it matters
You now have a quick German form that catches dementia early in adults with Down syndrome.
Use it during yearly check-ups.
If the score is above 7, refer for full testing.
Early catch means earlier support and planning for families.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: People with Down's syndrome (DS) are at high risk of developing Alzheimer dementia (DS-AD) due to a triplication of the amyloid precursor protein gene. While several tools to diagnose and screen for DS-AD, such as the dementia screening questionnaire for individuals with intellectual disabilities (DSQIID), are available in English, validated German versions of such instruments are scarce. METHODS: A German version of the DSQIID questionnaire (DSQIID-G) was completed by caregivers before attending our specialist outpatient department for DS-AD. All participants were assessed blind to DSQIID-G scoring using clinical and neuropsychological examinations, including the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of Older People with Down's Syndrome and Others with Intellectual Disabilities (CAMDEX-DS). ICD-10 and amyloid/tau/neurodegeneration (A/T/N) criteria were applied to detect and categorise cognitive decline. RESULTS: Of 86 participants, 43 (50%) showed evidence of cognitive decline. A definite diagnosis of DS-AD was reached in 17 (19.8%) and mild cognitive impairment in seven (8.3%) participants. Secondary causes of cognitive decline were determined among 13 (15.1%) participants, and in six (7%) cases, the diagnosis remained unclassifiable due to co-morbidities. Compared with cognitively stable individuals, participants with cognitive decline (n = 43) displayed higher DSQIID-G total scores [median (range): 3 (0-21) vs. 19 (0-48), P < 0.001]. A total score of >7 provided a sensitivity of 0.94 against a specificity of 0.76, to discriminate DS-AD and participants without cognitive decline according to ROC analysis. The convergent validity against the CAMDEX-DS interview score was good (r = 0.74), and split-half reliability (r = 0.96), internal consistency (Cronbach's α r = 0.96), test-retest reliability (r = 0.88) (n = 25) and interrater reliability (r = 0.81) (n = 31) were excellent. CONCLUSIONS: The DSQIID-G showed excellent psychometric properties, including concurrent and internal validity and reliability. The cut-off value for screening was lower than in the original English validation study. For a screening instrument like DSQIID-G, a lower cut-off is preferable to increase case detection.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2024 · doi:10.1111/jir.13144