Patient name:   
       Date:   
GLOBAL DETERIORATION SCALE
Stage 1: No cognitive decline
● Experiences no problems in daily living
Stage 2: Very mild cognitive decline
● "Normal forgetfulness of ageing"
● May forget names they formerly knew well
● May forget where they have placed familiar objects
●
No problems
at
work
or in
social
situations
●
No objective
evidence of memory deficit on clinical interview.
● Patient displays
appropriate concern
about their symptoms.
Stage 3: Mild cognitive decline
● May get lost when driving
● Decreased work performance
●
Family can notice
the cognitive decline
●
Denial and anxiety
may start appearing
Stage 4: Moderate cognitive decline
● Has difficulty with complex tasks like finances, shopping and planning a dinner party
● May start to
withdraw
from family and friends
●
Denial is common
● There is
objective evidence
of memory and concentration deficits
Stage 5: Moderately severe cognitive decline
● Needs help to choose clothing
● Needs prompting to bathe
● Can
no longer survive
without some assistance
●
Does not
generally need help with
toileting and eating
● Generally
remembers their own name
and the name of their spouse and children
● Can
forget common details
like address and phone number
Stage 6: Severe cognitive decline
● Needs help bathing
● Needs help with toileting or has incontinence
● Forgets about recent events and experiences
● Can develop
personality and emotional changes
with behavioral problems (BPSD)
● Generally
unaware of their surroundings
, the year, or the season.
Stage 7: Very severe cognitive decline
● Loses ability to talk or communicate
● Loses ability to walk and sit.
● Needs help with eating.
●
Progresses to generalized rigidity
and may develop primitive neurological reflexes
Subject:
Reference: Reisberg B, Ferris SH, Leon MJ, et al. The global deterioration scale for assessment of primary degenerative dementia. Am J Psychiatry. 1982; 139:1136-1139.