ADAS-Cog: The gold standard for cognitive tracking in Alzheimer\'s trials. This calculator aggregates errors across the 11 clinical domains.
Cognitive Scorer
Word Recall
Incorrect words over 3 trials
/ 10
Naming Objects/Fingers
Failure to name items
/ 5
Commands
Failure to perform 1–5 step commands
/ 5
Constructional Praxis
Geometric form copying quality
/ 5
Ideational Praxis
Letter envelope task performance
/ 5
Orientation
Errors in person, place, time
/ 8
Word Recognition
Incorrect recognitions
/ 12
Remembering Instructions
Need for re-explanation
/ 5
Spoken Language Ability
Quality of verbal exchange
/ 5
Word Finding Difficulty
Expressive language errors
/ 5
Comprehension
Ability to understand spoken word
/ 5
Guidelines & Evidence
Clinical Details
Section 1
When to Use
Clinical Utility
Evaluation of cognitive symptom severity in patients with Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
Primary outcome measure and gold standard for AD pharmacotherapy clinical trials
Longitudinal monitoring of cognitive decline in clinical settings
Assessment of core cognitive domains: memory, language, orientation, and praxis
Section 2
Formula & Logic
Scoring Rules
The ADAS-Cog 11-item version scores range from 0 to 70. Higher scores indicate greater cognitive impairment. A score of 0–10 is normal, while scores >15 are indicative of cognitive impairment. A change of 3–4 points is considered clinically significant in longitudinal studies.
11 Domains Scored
Word Recall (0–10)
Naming Objects and Fingers (0–5)
Commands (0–5)
Constructional Praxis (0–5)
Ideational Praxis (0–5)
Orientation (0–8)
Word Recognition (0–12)
Remembering Test Instructions (0–5)
Spoken Language Ability (0–5)
Word Finding Difficulty (0–5)
Comprehension (0–5)
Section 3
Evidence Appraisal
Validation
A new rating scale for Alzheimer's disease.
Rosen WG et al. • Am J Psychiatry.. 1984;141(11):1356-64. The original derivation of the global gold-standard AD trial endpoint.
The Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog): Modifications and Responsiveness in Pre-Dementia Populations. A Narrative Review.
Kueper JK et al. • J Alzheimers Dis.. 2018;63(2):423-44. Confirmed responsiveness and utility in early-stage AD management.
