Abstract

The purpose of this study was to adapt and examine the psychometric properties of the Test for the Early Detection of Alzheimer’s Disease (TDPEA) in a sam- ple of Chilean elderly adults. TDPEA was culturally and linguistically adapted to the older Chilean population. Then, along with other neuropsychological tests, the TDPEA, in its Chilean version (TDPEA-Ch), was administered to a group of 10 patients clinically diagnosed with probable AD and a group of 10 cogni- tively normal elderly adults, obtaining measures of global cognitive efficiency, severity of dementia and functionality in activities of daily living (ADL). The results indicate that the TDPEA-Ch scores significantly correlate with measu- res of global cognitive efficiency and functionality in ADL, providing evidence of concurrent validity. It presented an excellent reliability, with a Cronbach’s α coefficient of 0.97. The recommended score or cutoff for EA detection is ≤ 56 points, with a sensitivity and specificity of 100% for both. It is concluded that the TDPEA-Ch showed adequate psychometric properties, making it a useful tool for the early detection of AD in the Chilean population.