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

Noriaki Watanabe; Masayoshi Kamijo; Tomoyuki Nishino; Kazuki Ashida; Fumihito Sasamori; Masao Okuhara; Suchinda Jarupat Maruo; Hisaaki Tabuchi; Koji Terasawa

doi:10.1038/s41598-024-81301-5

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

Sci Rep. 2024 Dec 1;14(1):29834. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-81301-5.

Authors

Noriaki Watanabe¹, Masayoshi Kamijo², Tomoyuki Nishino³, Kazuki Ashida⁴, Fumihito Sasamori⁵, Masao Okuhara⁶, Suchinda Jarupat Maruo⁷, Hisaaki Tabuchi⁸, Koji Terasawa⁹

Affiliations

¹ Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Tokida, Ueda, 386-8567, Nagano, Japan. 21hs109a@shinshu-u.ac.jp.
² Graduate School of Medicine, Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Tokida, Ueda, 386-8567, Nagano, Japan.
³ Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1, Tokida, Ueda, 386-8567, Nagano, Japan.
⁴ National Institute of Technology, Nagano College, 716, Tokuma, Nagano, 381-8550, Nagano, Japan.
⁵ Faculty of Engineering, Shinshu University, 4-17-1, Wakasato, Nagano, 380-8553, Nagano, Japan.
⁶ Department of Applied Information Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Suwa University of Science, 5000-1, Toyohara, Chino, 391-0292, Nagano, Japan.
⁷ Department of Occupational Health and Safety, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, 272 Rama VI Road, Road, Ratchathewl, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand.
⁸ Department of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Universitätsstraße 15 , Innsbruck, 6020, Austria.
⁹ Graduate School of Medicine, Shinshu University, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Nagano, Japan.

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.

Keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Dementia; Frontal Assessment Battery; Go/no-go task.

MeSH terms

Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cognitive Dysfunction / diagnosis
Cross-Sectional Studies
Dementia* / diagnosis
Feasibility Studies*
Female
Humans
Male
Mass Screening / methods
Mental Status and Dementia Tests*
Middle Aged
Neuropsychological Tests*

Grants and funding

Kiban A:16H02713/The Japan Society for the Promotion of Science