Rate recall of the 8 grocery items (Tea, Cooking Oil, etc).
Body Orientation
0 / 5
Successfully identify body parts (hand, shoulder, etc) across various tasks.
Visuospatial (Prism/Cube)
0 / 3
Quality of reproduction for the three-dimensional drawing.
Judgement (Street Crossing)
0 / 4
Safety-appropriate judgement in the traffic scenario.
Language (Animal Naming)
0 / 8
Naming 8 unique animals in 60 seconds (1 pt each).
Visuoconstruction / Praxis
0 / 2
Imitation of hand movements.
Guidelines & Evidence
Clinical Details
Section 1
When to Use
When to Use
Cognitive screening in patients from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds
Screening individuals with low levels of formal education or literacy
Brief assessment of Visuospatial, Memory, Language, and Executive function
Cross-cultural alternative to the MMSE or MoCA when language bias is suspected
Section 2
Formula & Logic
Scoring Logic
The RUDAS is a 30-point scale. It minimizes the influence of educational level and language proficiency on the final result.
Domains Assessed
Memory (Grocery List Recall) — 8 points
Body Orientation — 5 points
Visuospatial (Cube Drawing) — 3 points
Judgement (Crossing the Street) — 4 points
Language (Animal Naming) — 8 points
Visuoconstruction — 2 points
Interpretation
23–30 points
Normal Cognitive Function
< 23 points
Possible Cognitive Impairment / Dementia
Section 3
Evidence Appraisal
Validation
The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) and the MMSE in a multicultural cohort.
Storey JE et al. • Int Psychogeriatr.. 2004;16(1):13-31. Original validation showed the RUDAS is unaffected by gender, years of education, or preferred language.
The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale: a better tool for dementia screening in low literate populations.
Iype T et al. • Ann Indian Acad Neurol.. 2006;Demonstrated superior sensitivity in rural and low-literacy populations.
