The feasibility of using the go/no-go task as a dementia screening test assessed with a cross-sectional design

Abstract

The Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Frontal Assessment Battery are screening tests for dementia. The go/no-go task offers an alternative approach for evaluating dementia patients. However, its role in screening for dementia remains unclear. We aimed to explore the feasibility of using the go/no-go task as a screening test for dementia via a cross-sectional design. Twenty-four Japanese individuals were evaluated using the go/no-go task, the MMSE, and the MoCA. The total MMSE and MoCA scores were correlated with the total number of errors in the go/no-go task (r=-0.699, p < 0.01; r=-0.756, p < 0.01). Moreover, When the MoCA cutoff value was 25 for MCI, the optimal cutoff score for the total number of error in the go/no-go task to detect MCI was 2, with an Area Under curve (AUC) of 0.98, a sensitivity of 0.94. When the MMSE cutoff value was 27 for MCI, the optimal cutoff score for the total number of error in the go/no-go task to detect MCI was 6, with an AUC of 0.89, a sensitivity of 0.76, showed respectively values close to 1. The go/no-go task is possible a practical screening test for dementia.