The Clock Drawing Test (CDT) is widely used in both research and clinical practice to assess cognitive function, particularly in elderly individuals and those with neurological or psychiatric disorders. It has been found to correlate well with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD). The test evaluates various cognitive abilities such as visuoconstructive skills, memory, attention, executive functions, and more. Despite its simplicity and low cost, the CDT offers valuable insights into cognitive status. However, there are considerations regarding education and ethnicity in interpreting CDT results, with evidence suggesting that factors such as reading ability may influence performance more than years of education or ethnicity. There's also ongoing research to enhance the sensitivity of the CDT, especially in detecting early cognitive changes associated with conditions like MCI and AD. While normative data on CDT performance is limited, recent studies aim to provide more comprehensive and expanded scoring systems to better capture subtle cognitive differences, especially in preclinical stages of dementia.
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