Office-based assessment of cognitive impairment

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Dementia is an increasingly prevalent condition, currently affecting over 400,000 Australians, and this is expected to rise to over one million by 2056. Diagnosis of dementia is a clinical one, as there is no single well-defined blood test, imaging or cognitive function test that validly diagnoses dementia. There are also many causes of cognitive impairment other than dementia, which need to be identified or excluded. General practitioners (GPs) are on the frontline of presentation and will therefore play an increasingly important role in identification and management. OBJECTIVE: This article reviews what the GP can do in relation to office-based assessment for cognitive impairment. DISCUSSION: Dementia is an increasingly common condition, and it is important that GPs become familiar with its assessment and management in order to optimise access to care services, advance care planning and management of other conditions for their patients.