What is ARCS?
The Audio Recorded Cognitive Screen (ARCS) is a simple and robust screening tool for the detection of cognitive impairment or dementia, e.g. Alzheimer's Disease in older individuals, or conditions such as multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia or traumatic brain injury in younger individuals.
The ARCS is based on research conducted by the University of Newcastle in Australia, which confirmed that the ARCS has good validity and reliability, a sound normative base, and measures functioning in multiple cognitive domains while imposing minimal time demands upon the clinician.
The ease of use and low cost makes the ARCS a valuable tool for both General Practitioners and Specialists to screen for cognitive impairment across the entire adult age range.
The key benefits of the ARCS include:
- Validated, robust and portable
- Ease of use
- Can be administered by the General Practitioner, assistant or nurse with minimal patient supervision
- No expensive equipment required, other than a MP3 player with a set of headphones
- Low cost to purchase, i.e. $110 (Australian dollars) per annum per practice for unlimited use