The CDR is a clinically based, semistructured interview, which rates impairment level in 6 cognitive domains: memory, orientation, judgment/problem solving, community affairs, home and hobbies, and personal care.
Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale
CDR Score | Impairment | ||||
0 Healthy |
0.5 Very Mild |
1 Mild |
2 Moderate |
3 Severe |
|
Memory | No memory loss or slight in consistent forgetfulness | Consistent slight forgetfulness; partial recollection of events; “benign” forgetfulness | Moderate memory loss; more marked for recent events; defect interferes with everyday activities | Severe memory loss; only highly learned material retained; new material rapidly lost | Severe memory loss, only fragments remain |
Orientation | Fully orientated | Fully orientated except for slight difficulty with time relationships | Moderate difficulty with time relationships; may have geographic disorientation elsewhere | Severe difficulty with time relationships; usually disorientated in time, often to place | Orientated to person only |
Judgment Problem-Solving | Solves everyday problems and business affairs well; judgment good in relation to past performance | Slight impairment in solving problems, similarities, differences | Moderate difficulty in handling problems, similarities, differences | Severely impaired in handling problems, similarities, differences | Unable to make judgments or solve problems |
Community Affairs | Independent function at usual level in job, shopping, volunteer and social groups | Slight impairment in these activities | Unable to function independently at these activities, though may still be engaged in some | No pretense of independent function outside home. Appears well enough to be taken to functions outside a family home |
No pretense of independent function outside home. Appears too ill to be taken to functions outside a family home |
Home & Hobbies | Life at home, hobbies, intellectual interests well maintained | Life at home, hobbies, intellectual interests slightly impaired | Mild but definite impairment of function at home; more complicated hobbies abandoned | Only simple chores preserved;very restricted interests, poorly maintained | No significant function in home |
Personal Care | Fully capable of self-care | Fully capable of self-care | Needs prompting | Requires assistance in hygiene, keeping of personal effects | Requires much help with personal care |
The Global CDR Score is useful for characterizing and tracking a patient’s level of impairment/dementia3. The Global CDR Score ranges from 0 (normal) to 3 (severe dementia).
References:
- Cummings J, Hahn-Pedersen JH, Eichinger CS, Freeman C, Clark A, Tarazona LRS, Lanctôt K. Exploring the relationship between patient-relevant outcomes and Alzheimer’s disease progression assessed using the clinical dementia rating scale: a systematic literature review. Front Neurol. 2023 Aug 17;14:1208802. [Medline]
- Ousset PJ, Andrieu S, Reynish E, Puel M, Vellas B. Evaluation clinique de la démence d’une cohorte de 358 patients par la version française de l’échelle CDR [Clinical evaluation of dementia in a cohort of 358 patients with the French version of the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale]. Rev Med Interne. 2003 Oct;24 Suppl 3:283s-287s. [Medline]
Created Sep 24, 2024