Short IQCODE
ValidatedShort Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (Short IQCODE)
Older adults (60+), completed by a relative or friendInformant~10 min16 questions
Now we want you to remember what your friend or relative was like 10 years ago and to compare it with what he/she is like now. Below are situations where this person has to use his/her memory or intelligence and we want you to indicate whether this has improved, stayed the same or got worse in that situation over the past 10 years. Note the importance of comparing his/her present performance with 10 years ago. So if 10 years ago this person always forgot where he/she had left things, and he/she still does, then this would be considered “Hasn't changed much”. Please indicate the changes you have observed.
Report details · optional
Shown on the report and stored with the screening record. Use initials or a code, not full names.
Answers, results and report details are recorded by OpenScreener to monitor and improve the service. Privacy
About this screener — evidence, source, alternatives
Sixteen everyday situations — remembering recent events, learning new gadgets, handling money and making decisions — each rated by an informant as improved, unchanged or worse compared with 10 years ago. The average score runs from 1 (much improved) to 5 (much worse), with 3 meaning no change. Useful when direct cognitive testing is difficult (low education, a different language or culture, or acute illness) and alongside a cognitive test.
Evidence · validated
The 16-item short form performed as well as the 26-item original when cross-validated against dementia/delirium diagnosis (Jorm, 1994). In 684 community residents aged 70+, a cut-off of 3.38+ gave a sensitivity of 79% and specificity of 82% for DSM-III-R dementia or delirium (ROC area 0.85). Jorm's 2004 review recommends 3.44+ as a reasonable clinical screening cut-off.
Free alternative to
- AD8 Dementia Screening Interview · Washington University
Brief informant interview that requires a licence; the Short IQCODE is a copyright-free informant alternative.
Source & licence
Jorm AF. A short form of the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE): development and cross-validation. Psychol Med. 1994;24(1):145–153. Jorm AF. The Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE): a review. Int Psychogeriatr. 2004;16(3):275–293.
Licence: No copyright — the author's form states: “There is no copyright on the Short IQCODE”
The author appreciates being kept informed of research projects which make use of it. Author's review: https://nceph.anu.edu.au/files/IQCODE_review.pdf
Official source ↗