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A memory clinic at a geriatric hospital: rationale, routine and results from the first 100 patients
Author(s) -
Ames David,
Flicker Leon,
Helme Robart D
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
medical journal of australia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.904
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1326-5377
pISSN - 0025-729X
DOI - 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1992.tb121459.x
Subject(s) - memory clinic , dementia , medical diagnosis , referral , medicine , cognition , organic brain syndrome , psychiatry , population , cognitive test , cognitive impairment , family medicine , disease , environmental health , pathology
Objective To describe the operation of a memory clinic with reference to the referral pattern, patient characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses, frequency of reversible dementias and utility of brief cognitive screening tools in the detection of dementia. Design All patients underwent cognitive screening tests (Mini Mental Status Examination, Abbreviated Mental Test Score, Organic Brain Syndrome Scale of the Brief Assessment Scale) and two activities of daily living instruments. Psychiatric diagnoses were made according to criteria of the Diagnostic and statistical manual, third edition revised, of the American Psychiatric Association (DSM‐III‐R). Setting A large geriatric hospital. Subjects First 100 patients referred. Results The mean age of the patients was 75.5 years and 75 were women. Seventy‐four met DSM‐III‐R criteria for dementia and a further 13 had other organic brain syndromes. No case of reversible dementia which recovered was encountered. The cognitive screening tools had a high correlation (r = 0.85–0.89) with one another but a much lower correlation with the activities of daily living instruments (r = 0.27–0.37). Conclusion Reversible dementias are unlikely to be detected in a memory clinic at a geriatric hospital, but the assessment process may have other benefits which will need to be assessed in prospective research. The clinic population represents a unique resource for further research on dementia.