Background: Validated screening tests for dementia in Arabic are lacking. Given the low levels of education among older people in the Middle East and North Africa region, the commonly used screening instrument, the Mini Mental Status Exam is not best suited because it requires arithmetical ability, reading and writing skills. The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) alternatively minimizes the effects of cultural learning and education (1). RUDAS has been cross-culturally validated and has shown good psychometric properties with low education levels (2). The aim of our study was to validate the RUDAS in Arabic and evaluate its performance for mild and moderate dementia. Methods: 244 participants older than 65 years were recruited from social organizations, primary care community clinics and hospital-based specialist clinics: 142 controls and 100 cases; of which, 53 had mild dementia and 47 had moderate dementia. Clinicians used DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition) criteria in their diagnosis, and rated dementia severity using Clinical Dementia Rating Scale. Interviewers blind to the cognitive status administered the RUDAS. The psychometric properties of the Arabic RUDAS were examined. Results: Using the recommended cutoff of 22/30, the Arabic RUDAS exhibited good sensitivity (84.0%) and specificity (84.5%). Its positive predictive value (PPV) was 79.3%, and a ROC area of 0.84. When participants were stratified by dementia severity, sensitivity and ROC area improved for those with moderate dementia. Conclusion: This short scale can be recommended for screening dementia in clinical practice and in research in Arabic speaking populations with high

Chaaya M, Phung K, Asmar K, Atweh S, Ghusn H, Khoury RM, et al. Validation of the arabic rowland universal dementia assessment scale (RUDAS) in elderly with mild and moderate dementia. Neuroepidemiology. 2013;41(3-4):245.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25984584