IQCODE · 26Q · Standard screening questionnaire
Dementia Risk in Older Adults
A relative or friend who has known the person for at least ten years reviews changes in memory and everyday functioning, to support assessment of cognitive decline.
For a relative or friend who has known the older adult for at least ten years. Chinese questions are rendered in Traditional characters, preserving source wording, order and scoring. This script-converted presentation has not been separately validated in Taiwan.
Compare this person’s current abilities with ten years ago. For each situation, choose how much things have improved, stayed the same or worsened. A difficulty already present ten years ago and unchanged today counts as “Not much change”. Use the separate unable-to-judge option when needed; do not guess. If any item cannot be judged, this page will not calculate a numeric score; you can bring your responses to a clinician.
Completed by a relative or friend · 26 items
Screening results can support a clinical conversation but cannot confirm or rule out a diagnosis on their own.
View score ranges and interpretation ↓
Recognizing the faces of family and friends
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering the names of family and friends
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering things about family and friends e.g. occupations, birthdays, addresses
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering things that have happened recently
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Recalling conversations a few days later
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Forgetting what he/she wanted to say in the middle of a conversation
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering his/her address and telephone number
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering what day and month it is
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering where things are usually kept
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering where to find things which have been put in a different place from usual
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Adjusting to any change in his/her day-to-day routine
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Knowing how to work familiar machines around the house
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Learning to use a new gadget or machine around the house
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Learning new things in general
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering things that happened to him/her when he/she was young
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Remembering things he/she learned when he/she was young
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Understanding the meaning of unusual words
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Understanding magazine or newspaper articles
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Following a story in a book or on TV
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Composing a letter to friends or for business purposes
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Knowing about important historical events of the past
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Making decisions on everyday matters
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Handling money for shopping
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Handling financial matters, e.g. the pension, dealing with the bank
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Handling other everyday arithmetic problems, e.g. knowing how much food to buy, knowing how long between visits from family or friends
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
Using his/her intelligence to understand what's going on and to reason things through
Much improved / A bit improved / Not much change / A bit worse / Much worse / Unable to judge / prefer not to answer · No numeric score
How to interpret the IQCODE mean score
A relative or friend who has known the person for at least ten years completes the 26 items. Their sum divided by 26 gives a mean of 1–5, describing change from ten years ago, not dementia severity.
| Score / range | What it means | Suggested next step |
|---|---|---|
| 1 ≤ mean < 3 | Improvement on average Reported abilities have improved on average, but this does not establish normal current cognition. | Still pay attention to declining individual abilities and difficulties in daily life. |
| Mean = 3 | No net change on average The overall mean indicates no net change; individual abilities may have improved or worsened. | Discuss any observed deterioration in memory, judgement or daily functioning with a clinician. |
| 3 < mean ≤ 5 | Worsening on average Scores nearer 5 reflect greater reported decline, but do not establish dementia. | Arrange an assessment and bring specific examples of changes in daily life. |
| No mean score | At least one item could not be assessed An unassessable or declined response prevents calculation on this page; it is not scored as zero. | Do not guess. Print the responses and discuss them with someone familiar with the person or a clinician. |
Item anchors are 1 = much improved, 2 = a bit improved, 3 = not much change, 4 = a bit worse and 5 = much worse. The reported mean does not grade dementia severity.
ANU lists 3.27/3.30 as a research reference cut point for the 26-item form. Suitable cut points vary by population and setting; this page does not treat it as a validated Taiwanese threshold for this Chinese form or use it to diagnose dementia.
Interpretation sources：ANU: IQCODE forms and scoring ↗ · IQCODE developer review ↗