About Information for the Cornell Scale for Dementia

The Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) is a clinical test used to determine the symptoms and signs of depression in individuals suffering from dementia. Dementia refers to the deterioration in brain function caused by various illnesses. Observation of the patient and an interview with the patient and the patient's caregiver are conducted to calculate the CSDD. The interview is conducted in five separate sections. (Ref. 1.)

Mood-Related Signs

• Questions here involve the patient's mood, including anxiety, sadness and irritability levels. The patient's evolving reaction to pleasant events is also gauged.

Behavioral Disturbance

• Behavioral disturbances are also indicative of depression. Questions here pertain to whether the patient is agitated, has lost interest, or has decreased speech or motor response.

Physical Signs

• This part of the interview is designed to determine if any physical changes have occurred, including decrease in appetite or weight loss, or if the patient suffers from a lack of energy.

Cyclic Functions

• This section determines whether the body's cyclical functions have changed. Changes would include difficulty falling asleep or multiple awakenings during the night.

Ideational Disturbance

• This section of the interview determines if the patient has suicidal thoughts, or suffers from pessimism or low self-esteem.

Scoring

• The CSDD consists of 19 questions. Each response is scored as follows:

  a - Unable to evaluate
  0 - Absent
  1 - Mild to Intermittent
  2 - Severe

  A score greater than 12 indicates probable depression.