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Early Diagnosis of Dementia via a Two-Step Screening and Diagnostic Procedure

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2005

Hannes B. Stähelin ,
Andreas U. Monsch  and
René Spiegel
Hannes B. Stähelin
Affiliation:
Memory Clinic, Geriatric University Hospital, Kantonsspital, Basel, Switzerland
Andreas U. Monsch
Affiliation:
Memory Clinic, Geriatric University Hospital, Kantonsspital, Basel, Switzerland
René Spiegel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Abstract

We propose a two-step process for the assessment of dementia using standardized instruments. The family physician performs a screening consisting of taking a medical history, gathering information from relatives and friends of the patient, and administering the combined Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Clock Drawing Test (CDT). Specialists examine patients with suspected dementia to confirm the diagnosis of dementia and, after a thorough differential diagnostic process, provide the family physician with recommendations for treatment. Specialists should perform neurological and psychiatric examinations, imaging (computer-assisted tomography [CT], magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), and laboratory work-up. The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) core neuropsychological battery is proposed to serve as a minimal data set that is internationally compatible. In addition, we recommend the Nurses' Observation Scale for Geriatric Patients (NOSGER) as a standard tool for functional assessment.

Type
Mental Status and Neuropsychological Assessment
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 9 , Issue S1 , December 1997 , pp. 123 - 130
Copyright
© 1997 International Psychogeriatric Association

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