Screening for visual processing deficits in dementia
Reviewed by Claire Howard

The Queen Square Screening test for Visual Deficits (QS test) screens for changes in visual processing. It has never been formally validated as a single test. The test consists of a short booklet developed using remnant object and spatial perception tests from the validated Visual Object and Space Perception (VOSP) test battery. This pilot study aimed to review the applicability of the QS test in individuals with dementia compared to those with normal cognition. Participants with major and minor neurocognitive disorder scored 50/71 (n=12) and 61/71 (n=10) respectively on the QS test, compared to 65/71 for age-matched healthy controls (n=11). Analysis of results showed that the QS test score correlated with cognitive impairment as measured using the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (r=0.74). The authors conclude that the QS test is an affordable and easy to administer bedside screening test for visual processing changes. It may be a promising screening tool for visual processing deficits caused by dementia.

Pilot study: The Queen Square Screening Test for Visual Deficits in Dementia.
Kim LN, Cordato D, McDougall A, Fraser C.
NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY
2021;45(6):380-5.