What is it?
The Eight-item Informant Interview to Differentiate Aging and Dementia (AD8®) was developed as a brief instrument to help discriminate between signs of normal aging and mild dementia. The AD8 contains 8 items that test for memory, orientation, judgment, and function. Cut points are: normal cognition 0-1; impairment in cognition 2 or greater. The AD8 assesses intra-individual change across a variety of cognitive domains compared to previous levels of function and is sensitive to early signs of dementia regardless of etiology.
NOTE: The AD8 is a screening test and is insufficient to diagnose a dementing disorder. However, the AD8 is quite sensitive to detecting early cognitive changes associated with many common dementing illness. Scoring results that indicate cognitive impairment should be followed up by a primary care physician appointment.
Who can take it?
The AD8 was originally validated as an informant-based interview, completed by a spouse, adult child, friend who knew the older adult well. Recent studies validated the AD8 as a direct questionnaire for the person with potential dementia who can often rate change in performance into the later stages of dementia. It may be completed either in-person or over the phone. Additionally, it has been validated for use in emergency departments and other settings.
Is it quick to administer?
The AD8 is short, simple, and quick to administer. It takes on average 3 minutes to complete. This makes it an ideal tool for use in primary care practice during the annual wellness visit, an emergency room setting and research. The AD8 requires no specialized, formal training to administer.
Is it valid and reliable?
Concurrent validity is strong, with the AD8 correlating highly (r = 0.75) with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR®), a gold standard global dementia rating system and a formal neuropsychological evaluation. Sensitivity of >84% and a specificity of >80% has been reported. The Cronbach alpha of the AD8 is 0.84, showing excellent internal consistency.
How to license the AD8
The AD8 requires a license whether its intended use is for-profit or non-profit funded research or clinical use. If you would like to obtain a license, please use the button below to connect with our Office of Technology Management/Tech Transfer (OTM). Select the response that best applies to your intended use or reach out to the contact listed. Once a license is obtained, you will be allowed to access PDFs of the AD8.