neurology geriatrics

Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale

Staging tool for dementia severity. Assesses memory, orientation, judgment/problem solving, community affairs, home/hobbies, and personal care. CDR-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) gives more granular staging.

Used in: Delirium & Cognitive Impairment

Memory*

Orientation*

Judgment & problem solving*

Community affairs*

Home & hobbies*

Personal care*

Score interpretation

Normal 0

CDR 0 — no cognitive impairment

→ Routine follow-up; reassess if symptoms develop

Questionable/MCI 0.5

CDR 0.5 — mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or very mild dementia

→ Neuropsychological testing; amyloid biomarkers if diagnostic certainty needed; lifestyle counselling; medication review; annual reassessment

Mild Dementia 1

CDR 1 — mild dementia. Patient manages with some difficulty but independent.

→ Dementia diagnosis workup; cholinesterase inhibitor if Alzheimer's; driving assessment; safety planning; carer support; DVLA notification consideration

Moderate Dementia 2

CDR 2 — moderate dementia. Significant functional impairment.

→ Specialised dementia care; medication review; carer support services; social care assessment; consider residential care needs

Severe Dementia 3

CDR 3 — severe dementia. Extensive assistance required.

→ Palliative and end-of-life care planning; nursing home care often required; DNACPR discussion; symptom management

Interpretation bands for the CDR Scale. Apply clinical judgement and local guidance.

References

Morris JC. The Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR): current version and scoring rules. Neurology. 1993;43(11):2412–2414.

Curated clinical cross-links plus same-class fallbacks.

Calculators

Drugs

Pathways

Decision support only — verify against a current formulary, NICE, or your local guideline before clinical use.

Score interpretation

References

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