Cross-national comparisons of the Cambridge Cognitive Examination-revised: the CAMCOG-R: results from the European Harmonization Project for Instruments in Dementia

Background: transnational and psychometrically appropriate versions of instruments used in the diagnosis of dementia are essential for comparing information between different countries. The Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly incorporates a brief neuropsychological test battery, Cambridge Cognitive Examination (recently revised version), which provides objective data on performance across a number of cognitive domains. Objective: to harmonise the Cambridge Cognitive Examination between seven European countries. Method: 40 patients with probable or possible Alzheimer's disease of each of the seven countries were administered the Cambridge Cognitive Examination. The Nurse Observation Scale for Geriatrics was used to assess concordance between cognitive and behavioural measures. Results: only small differences between the various Cambridge Cognitive Examination versions were found, and patterns of correlation between Cambridge Cognitive Examination and the Nurse Observation Scale for Geriatrics were consistent. Conclusion: these findings indicate that the harmonisation of the Cambridge Cognitive Examination was successful

Monitoring Energy Policy

Policy monitoring has been gaining importance in energy and climate gover-nance. It is currently being heralded as a key solution for coordinating energygovernance not only regionally in the emerging Energy Union in the EuropeanUnion (EU), but also globally in the Paris Agreement on climate change. Thecore idea is that transparency through monitoring will incentivize actors to adoptpolicy pathways toward mutually agreed long-term energy and climate policygoals. In addition, monitoring of key indicators (e.g., use of certain kindsof energy), in particular, sectoral contexts, may be a necessary precursor toevaluation and improved regulation. This chapter unpacks the concept of monitoring, reviews the emergence of energy and climate policy monitoring inthe EU, and then details experiences with concrete monitoring regimes in differ-ent settings related to energy and climate policy, ranging from the United Nations(UN) to the EU, as well as nation states and nongovernmental actors. In so doing,it highlights various strands of emerging research and knowledge on monitoringstructures, steering effects and costs, but also the need for further work, especiallyregarding usage and impact. Issues related to politics, coordination, and resourcesare likely to challenge monitoring regimes; further investigation should focus onthe efficacy of monitoring systems, which many assume, but few haveresearched