The Effects of the Dementia Rating Scale

The effects of the dementia rating scale are used to evaluate cognitive ability in people age 55 and older who may have some form of dementia. Psychological Assessment Resources, Inc. publishes the dementia rating scale, which is now called the DRS-2.

DRS-2

• The dementia rating scale is sometimes referred to as the dementia rating scale 2, or DRS-2. The DRS-2 was developed in part by Steven Mattis, PhD, to better account for the age and education level of those taking the test.

Features

• According to PARInc.com, the DRS-2 includes 36 tasks from the original dementia rating scale. There are also 32 stimulus cards used in tasks and questions intended to reveal a person’s level of cognitive decline.

Function

• The DRS-2 evaluates cognitive ability in those from a wide range of education levels. The test can only monitor changes in a persons cognitive abilities over time.

Types

• The DRS-2 includes five subscales, or categories of evaluation. According to PARinc.com, the subscales are attention, initiation/perseveration, construction, conceptualization and memory.

Considerations

• According a Psychological Assessment Resources document, the DRS-2 is intended as only one source of information regarding a person’s level of illness, and no diagnostic decisions should be based on the DRS-2 alone.