Revised Ischemic Score for diagnosing multi-infarct dementia.

Although the validity and reliability of the Ischemic Score (IS) have not yet been established, the IS has become a favored clinical and research tool for use in differentiating Alzheimer-type from multi-infarct dementia. In its current form, however, the IS has several shortcomings that interfere with standardization. To address these difficulties, the IS has been revised to include: anchoring statements to maximize interrater reliability; a multipoint subscale to allow for assessment of severity; and a confidence subscale to account for varied sources of data. The revised IS aims to stimulate additional research focused on validating and refining such instruments.