ABSTRACT

Michael G. Mercury Jerry J. Sweet Evanston Hospital and Northwestern University Medical School, Evanston, Illinois

The ability to perform and interpret cognitive screening evaluations is essential for clinicians in primary care, particularly those working with older patients. For example, a patient may present complaining of memory loss, or the clinician may detect possible confusion in a patient who has not been diagnosed with dementia. This chapter addresses the outpatient office and bedside evaluation of patients suspected of a developing or progressing dementia. Cognitive impairments other than diffuse degenerative dementia include isolated cognitive impairments due to focal lesions, trauma, delirium, and mental retardation (Royall, 1996). However, these conditions generally are readily distinguishable from an ongoing dementing process by history and physical examination, and are not discussed further here.