MDAS: Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale
1997Ten-item severity measure developed in cancer and AIDS inpatients; suited to repeated assessments in research and palliative settings.
Classification
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Tool and original sources
No direct copy is linked here. The original paper and a Google Images search are available below. Image results may be unofficial; check the version and source before use.
Original and selected diagnostic-accuracy papers
- Original paperBreitbart W, Rosenfeld B, Roth A, Smith MJ, Cohen K, Passik S. The Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale. Journal of pain and symptom management. 1997;13(3):128-37. doi: 10.1016/s0885-3924(96)00316-8. PMID: 9114631.
This is the original published source for MDAS. It reported sensitivity of 70.59% and specificity of 93.75% against a DSM-IV clinical assessment.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyLawlor PG, Nekolaichuk C, Gagnon B, Mancini IL, Pereira JL, Bruera ED. Clinical utility, factor analysis, and further validation of the memorial delirium assessment scale in patients with advanced cancer: Assessing delirium in advanced cancer. Cancer. 2000;88(12):2859-67. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(20000615)88:12<2859::aid-cncr29>3.0.co;2-t. PMID: 10870073.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated MDAS in tertiary acute palliative-care unit in a university-affiliated teaching hospital against a DSM-IV clinical assessment. It reported sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 96% in 104 consecutive advanced-cancer admissions; 330 complete MDAS ratings for cut-off analysis.
- Selected diagnostic-accuracy studyGrassi L, Caraceni A, Beltrami E, Borreani C, Zamorani M, Maltoni M, et al. Assessing delirium in cancer patients: the Italian versions of the Delirium Rating Scale and the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale. Journal of pain and symptom management. 2001;21(1):59-68. doi: 10.1016/s0885-3924(00)00241-4. PMID: 11223315.
This diagnostic-accuracy study evaluated MDAS in multicentre Italian oncology/palliative-care population against CAM criteria plus clinical examination. It reported sensitivity of 68% and specificity of 94% in 105 cancer patients referred for mental-status change.
At a glance
- Purpose
- Measurement of delirium severity
- Population
- Adult
- Setting
- Palliative care, General / acute hospital
- Time
- variable
- Items
- 10
- Score or threshold
- 0–30 severity score; ≥13 was evaluated as a diagnostic threshold in original Study 1
Format: The instrument records 10 scored items or observations. This site classifies it under measurement of delirium severity. It is intended for adult use in Palliative care, General / acute hospital. The stated administration time is variable. The published result is recorded using Continuous severity (0–30).
- Strengths: Repeatable severity measure; strong in palliative/oncology
- Limitations: Designed primarily to measure delirium severity rather than as a standalone diagnostic screen; diagnostic thresholds vary between studies and settings
Evidence
Reported sensitivity and specificity
Original/source study · 1997 — pmid:9114631
- Denominator
- 33 patients
- Reference standard
- Study 1 DSM-III-R/DSM-IV delirium versus non-delirium clinical classification
Original 1997 Study 1 estimates at MDAS ≥13 (n=33). Study 2 (n=51) had no non-delirious comparator and contributed correlations only; do not combine the cohorts or use 84 as the diagnostic-performance denominator.
More evidence and citation details
- Full name
- Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale
- Also known as
- MDAS
- Evidence summary
- multi
- Diagnostic-accuracy studies
- 15
- Reference standard
- Study 1 delirium/non-delirium clinical classification reported in the source article
- Reliability
- Inter-rater 0.92; α 0.91
- Citation
- Breitbart W, Rosenfeld B, Roth A, Smith MJ, Cohen K, Passik S The Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale Journal of pain and symptom management. 1997;13(3):128-37. PMID 9114631
Copyright and reuse
- Information checked
- 2026-07-19
Instrument-specific terms apply. See the access and copyright policy or send a correction.
Sources checked 2026-07-24. How profiles are prepared.