Screening tests for cognitive impairment and dementia: A practical perspective

Abstract

Early diagnosis of degenerative dementia, particularly Alzheimers disease (AD), is a matter of great interest to researchers and clinicians. The knowledge of the cognitive profile in preclinical phase of dementias is very important to diagnosis, prognosis, pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention. General practitioner (GP) in primary care are the most suitable for detecting early cognitive decline, although some studies indicate that dementia is underdiagnosed in primary care. This is due to the limitation of time that GP dispose for the consultations and the lack of habit in the use of cognitive screening tests. The cognitive screening tests should be fast to apply, easy to score and well accepted by patients. In this sense, we will refer some tests for rapid application, citing some of its features and some studies where they were used. The application of a brief test may allow the screening of cases for further detailed neuropsychological examination, because early detection of dementia still in preclinical stages and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is a public health priority due to high incidence of dementia.