An examination of the psychometric properties of Fuld Object Memory Evaluation in assessing episodic memory and retrieval in Chinese elderly

Abstract

Introduction: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to an early but abnormal state of cognitive impairment between normal ageing and dementia (Petersen et al., 1999). Fuld Object Memory Evaluation (FOME) assesses the episodic memory functions of older adults across five recall trials and a delayed trial. Research Design: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of FOME in a sample of 204 Chinese older adults with cognitive impairments in Hong Kong. Discriminative power of FOME was inspected via receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: FOME showed good test-retest reliability and significant correlations with backward digit span, trail making and daily functioning. Total retrieval and verbal fluency significantly predicted lower likelihoods of dementia comparing to MCI, with optimal cut-off scores at 36 (75% sensitivity, 79% specificity) and 27 (91% sensitivity, 69% specificity), respectively. Conclusions: The findings support FOME as a clinically valid assessment tool of various degrees of cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults. Future studies could further examine the predictive power of FOME in differentiating cognitively normal elderly from both MCI and dementia cases.