ABSTRACT
The primary care physicians are usually the first healthcare provider to receive complaints about cognitive impairment. Cognitive evaluations can be divided into two basic types: screening and standardized comprehensive. A screening device differs from standardized assessment in important ways. The treatment of cognitive impairment may require referral to a neuropsychologist, psychiatrist, speech and language therapist, neurologist, or neurosurgeon. The most likely etiologies for cognitive complaints brought to the attention of the psychologist are Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, concussion, dementia, psychiatric disorder, and substance abuse. Although the process of assessing for cognitive impairment involves what have come to be known as screening instruments, screening should be considered a process with multiple sources of information and not just a single cognitive test. Many instruments have been developed to assist in screening specific types of disorders, many of which present themselves in primary care settings.
