ABSTRACT
As the aged population increases [1], the diagnosis of dementia and its differentiation from other causes of global cognitive impairment becomes more challenging. The diagnosis of dementia is important both in terms of the etiology of the disease and the cost of long-term care [2]. Although a complete medical “work-up” for dementia may include expensive tests such as EEG and CT scan, the cost of these tests is much less than the cost of long-term institutionalization [3]. The diagnosis of irreversible dementia may result in decreased medical attention to the patient and increased mortality [4]. The diagnosis of dementia is particularly difficult because other factors contribute to the clinical presentation; these include normal aging, the effects of other diseases, and social factors.
