Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients
Abstract Memory and other cognitive complaints are common in the elderly population. However, the clinical meaning of these complaints remains controversial. Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive complaints and performance on a mental state screening...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associação Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento
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| Series: | Dementia & Neuropsychologia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642008000100046&lng=en&tlng=en |
| _version_ | 1811317949068214272 |
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| author | Renata Kochhann Ana Luiza Camozzato Cláudia Godinho Maria Otília Cerveiro Letícia M.K. Forster Márcia Lorena Fagundes Chaves |
| author_facet | Renata Kochhann Ana Luiza Camozzato Cláudia Godinho Maria Otília Cerveiro Letícia M.K. Forster Márcia Lorena Fagundes Chaves |
| author_sort | Renata Kochhann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Memory and other cognitive complaints are common in the elderly population. However, the clinical meaning of these complaints remains controversial. Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive complaints and performance on a mental state screening test in elderly patients attended for the first time at the Neurogeriatric and Dementia (NGA) Outpatient Clinic within a major University hospital. Methods: Two hundred patients referred to the NGA Clinic during 2005, 2006 and 2007 first semesters participated in the study. The variables of interest were: (a) source of and reason for referral; (b) whether or not they had previously been evaluated with the screening test (Mini Mental State Exam - MMSE) by their physicians before referral to our specialized clinic; (c) cognitive complaints; and (d) performance on the screening test (MMSE) at the NGA Clinic. Results: The main reason for referral to the NGA clinic was cognitive complaints 63% (N=126), where only 5% (N=10) of the referred patients had been previously evaluated by the cognitive screening test (MMSE or equivalent). Of the 135 patients who presented cognitive complaints during the first appointment, 52 (38%) presented MMSE scores below the education-adjusted cut-off. No association between cognitive complaint and performance on the MMSE during the first evaluation at the NGA Clinic was observed (c²=3.04, p=0.1). Conclusions: Although cognitive complaints among elders should not be disregarded, the mental state screening evaluation is crucial for the detection of clinically significant cognitive impairment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:18:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7ba15a85bcd14b25ab04c08749364352 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1980-5764 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:18:30Z |
| publisher | Associação Neurologia Cognitiva e do Comportamento |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dementia & Neuropsychologia |
| spelling | doaj.art-7ba15a85bcd14b25ab04c087493643522022-12-22T02:47:18ZengAssociação Neurologia Cognitiva e do ComportamentoDementia & Neuropsychologia1980-576421465110.1590/S1980-57642009DN20100010S1980-57642008000100046Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatientsRenata KochhannAna Luiza CamozzatoCláudia GodinhoMaria Otília CerveiroLetícia M.K. ForsterMárcia Lorena Fagundes ChavesAbstract Memory and other cognitive complaints are common in the elderly population. However, the clinical meaning of these complaints remains controversial. Objectives: The goal of this study was to investigate the association between cognitive complaints and performance on a mental state screening test in elderly patients attended for the first time at the Neurogeriatric and Dementia (NGA) Outpatient Clinic within a major University hospital. Methods: Two hundred patients referred to the NGA Clinic during 2005, 2006 and 2007 first semesters participated in the study. The variables of interest were: (a) source of and reason for referral; (b) whether or not they had previously been evaluated with the screening test (Mini Mental State Exam - MMSE) by their physicians before referral to our specialized clinic; (c) cognitive complaints; and (d) performance on the screening test (MMSE) at the NGA Clinic. Results: The main reason for referral to the NGA clinic was cognitive complaints 63% (N=126), where only 5% (N=10) of the referred patients had been previously evaluated by the cognitive screening test (MMSE or equivalent). Of the 135 patients who presented cognitive complaints during the first appointment, 52 (38%) presented MMSE scores below the education-adjusted cut-off. No association between cognitive complaint and performance on the MMSE during the first evaluation at the NGA Clinic was observed (c²=3.04, p=0.1). Conclusions: Although cognitive complaints among elders should not be disregarded, the mental state screening evaluation is crucial for the detection of clinically significant cognitive impairment.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642008000100046&lng=en&tlng=encognitive complaintagingelderlyMini Mental State Examcognitive decline associated with agingdementiadepressionmemory |
| spellingShingle | Renata Kochhann Ana Luiza Camozzato Cláudia Godinho Maria Otília Cerveiro Letícia M.K. Forster Márcia Lorena Fagundes Chaves Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients Dementia & Neuropsychologia cognitive complaint aging elderly Mini Mental State Exam cognitive decline associated with aging dementia depression memory |
| title | Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients |
| title_full | Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients |
| title_fullStr | Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients |
| title_short | Cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients |
| title_sort | cognitive complaints compared to performance on a mental state screening test in elderly outpatients |
| topic | cognitive complaint aging elderly Mini Mental State Exam cognitive decline associated with aging dementia depression memory |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-57642008000100046&lng=en&tlng=en |
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