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Table 2 Item difficulty comparison across studies

From: Item response theory analysis of cognitive tests in people with dementia: a systematic review

 

Ashford et al.[46] (MMSE)

Gibbons et al.[48] UK (MMSE)

Gibbons et al.[48] US (MMSE)

Mungas and Reed[1] (BIMCT/MMSE)

Truncated above upper limit

Recall: tree

No ifs ands or buts

  

Recall: flag

Recall nouns

1st quartile (most difficult)

Serial sevens: subtraction 5

Orientation to date

Orientation to date

Recall ‘42’ (BIMCT)

Serial sevens: subtraction 3

Verbal directions

No ifs ands or buts

Recall ‘Market Street’ (BIMCT)

Orientation to date

Intersecting pentagons

Intersecting pentagons

Recall ‘John’ (BIMCT)

Recall: Ball

Serial sevens

Serial sevens

Recall ‘Chicago’ (BIMCT)

Recall ‘Brown’ (BIMCT)

2nd quartile

Serial sevens: subtraction 4

Orientation to year

Recall nouns

Orientation to year (BIMCT/MMSE)

Serial sevens: subtraction 2

Orientation to county/streets

Orientation to day

Orientation to month (BIMCT/MMSE)

Orientation to day

Orientation to day

Orientation to year

Age (BIMCT)

Orientation to county

Orientation to month

Orientation to season

Orientation to month

 

Orientation to month

Serial sevens: subtraction 1

 

Orientation to county/streets

Orientation to year

Orientation to season

Orientation to place

Orientation to floor

3rd quartile

Orientation to city

Orientation to state/county

Orientation to address

Orientation to state (MMSE)

Intersecting pentagons

Write sentence

Verbal directions

Type of work (BIMCT)

Orientation to state

Orientation to

Write sentence

Count forward (BIMCT)

Write sentence

Season

Orientation to place

Name watch (MMSE)

No ifs ands or buts

Orientation to Address

Orientation to city

Name watch

Verbal directions: paper-on floor

4th quartile (least difficult)

Close eyes

Repeat nouns

Orientation to state

Place of birth (BIMCT)

Repeat: flag

Orientation to city/town/village

Close eyes

Name pencil (MMSE)

Name pencil

Orientation to room

Name objects

Name (BIMCT)

Repeat: ball

Repeat: tree

Verbal directions: paper-take in right hand

Verbal directions: paper-fold in half

Truncated below 0

 

Close eyes

Repeat nouns

 

Name objects

  1. MMSE = Mini Mental State Examination, BIMCT = Blessed Information Memory Concentration Test.
  2. Ashford et al. [46] and Gibbons et al.[48] test items divided into quartiles based on range of scores. Mungas and Reed [1] items divided into quartiles based on difficulty parameters.
  3. Most difficult items were truncated above upper limit as difficulty estimates were above the upper limit. Easiest items were truncated below 0 as even this low level of ability most participants were able to answer correctly.
  4. Some differences between MMSE versions between studies led to some discrepancies between items, e.g.: state/county.