Question: How effective is The Allen Cognitive Level Screen or Large Allen Cognitive Level Screen, compared to other tools, for assessing functional cognition in people with dementia?

Answer:

One, poorly reported study provided early stage results indicating that the Allen Cognitive Level Screen (ACL) or Large Allen Cognitive Level Screen (LACL) may have the potential to discriminate between people with dementia and healthy elderly people; ACL and LACL score were significantly different between the two groups. However, this study does not provide any information on the effectiveness of either the ACL or the LACL as a screening tool for dementia. Similarly, it does not provide any information on the utility of the LACL in people who are unable to see or manipulate the original ACL; persons with poorer vision were explicitly excluded from the study.

Further research is needed to determine the optimal ACL/LACL diagnostic threshold(s) for the target condition(s). The test(s) would then need to be validated, against an appropriate reference standard(s), in a sample clinical population with unknown diagnosis.

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