The incidence of dementia and MCI is rising, particularly among Dutch migrants, where diagnosing poses challenges. The Cross-Cultural Dementia screener (CCD) was developed to address these challenges. While it can distinguish between dementia and no dementia, it remains unclear whether it can also differentiate between MCI and dementia, between dementia subtypes, or predict future dementia development. Therefore, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) Can the CCD distinguish between MCI and dementia? (2) Can the CCD distinguish between AD and other forms of dementia? and (3) Can the CCD score predict dementia development in MCI patients? The sample consists of memory clinic patients with a migrant background presenting with cognitive complaints (N = 72). The hypotheses were tested by binary logistic regression analyses. The study showed that: (1) total CCD and/or subtest scores cannot discriminate between MCI vs. dementia; (2) total CCD and/or subtest scores cannot discriminate between AD vs. other dementia subtypes; (3) total CCD score cannot predict future dementia development in MCI patients. These findings suggest that the CCD is suitable for identifying the presence or absence of dementia, but not for differential diagnostic purposes. Given the small sample size and unequal group distribution, conclusions about the CCD’s differential diagnostic abilities should be drawn with caution. Future research on the CCD with larger and more balanced samples is recommended, as well as the development of a culturally fair dementia screener with differential diagnostic properties.

            Keywords: cross-cultural dementia screener, CCD, cognitive screening, elderly migrants, dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s disease.