Subjective memory complaints in the elderly: a sign of cognitive impairment?

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive impairment in the elderly is frequently overlooked by general practitioners. The use of subjective memory complaints as a sign of cognitive impairment by the general practice is controversial. METHODS: Elderly individuals (N = 248) were asked whether they had memory complaints and underwent a cognitive impairment screening. Subjects classified as exhibiting “probable cognitive impairment” underwent a complete cognitive evaluation, and the final diagnoses were established by expert consensus. RESULTS: A total of 147 patients presented with subjective memory complaints, and 43 were further classified as demented or “cognitively impaired not demented”. Subjective memory complaints presented a sensitivity of 100% and a negative predictive value of 100%. CONCLUSION: Subjective memory complaints are an indicator for cognitive impairment screening

Avaliação cognitiva, comportamental e funcional : doença de Alzheimer

A review of the evidence on cognitive, functional and behavioral assessment for the diagnosis of dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is presented with revision and broadening of the recommendations on the use of tests and batteries in Brazil for the diagnosis of dementia due to AD. A systematic review of the literature (MEDLINE, LILACS and SCIELO database) was carried out by a panel of experts. Studies on the validation and/or adaptation of tests, scales and batteries for the Brazilian population were analyzed and classified according to level of evidence. There were sufficient data to recommend the IQCODE, DAFS-R, DAD, ADL-Q and Bayer scale for the evaluation of instrumental activities of daily living, and the Katz scale for the assessment of basic activities of daily living. For the evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptoms, the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and the CAMDEX were found to be useful, as was the Cornell scale for depression in dementia. The MiniMental State Examination has clinical utility as a screening test, as do the multifunctional batteries (CAMCOG-R, ADAS-COG, CERAD and MDRS) for brief evaluations of several cognitive domains. There was sufficient evidence to recommend the CDR scale for clinical and severity assessment of dementia. Tests for Brazilian Portuguese are recommended by cognitive domain based on available data.Este artigo apresenta revisão e ampliação das recomendações sobre os testes e baterias empregados no Brasil para o diagnóstico e avaliação cognitiva, funcional e comportamental da demência na doença de Alzheimer (DA). De modo sistemático foi revista a literatura disponível (nas bases MEDLINE, LILACS e SCIELO) e os artigos foram avaliados e classificados por níveis de evidência, para se estabelecerem as recomendações. Para a avaliação funcional a recomendação é o uso das escalas IQCODE, DAFS-R, DAD, ADL-Q e Bayer para avaliação das atividades instrumentais da vida diária e escala Katz para avaliação das atividades básicas. Para avaliação dos sintomas neuropsiquiátricos foram recomendadas as escalas NPI e CAMDEX e a Cornell para depressão em demência. Como instrumento de rastreio deve-se utilizar o Mini-Exame do Estado Mental; quanto às baterias multifuncionais, pode-se aplicar CAMCOG-R, ADAS-COG, CERAD e MDRS, que avaliam brevemente várias funções cognitivas. Para avaliação clínica da demência e classificação de acordo com a gravidade é recomendada a escala CDR. São recomendados os testes por domínio cognitivo baseados nas evidências disponíveis para uso na nossa língua

The dementia rating scale (DRS) in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer´s disease

A Escala de Avaliação de Demência (Dementia Rating Scale -DRS), proposta por Steven Mattis (1988), tem sido bastante utilizada na avaliação de pacientes com demência tanto na atividade clínica como na pesquisa. Consiste de 5 subescalas: Atenção, Iniciativa/Perseveração, Construção, Conceituação e Memória. Neste estudo, a Escala de Avaliação de Demência foi aplicada em 56 pacientes com doença de Alzheimer com demência de intensidade leve; 55 pacientes com diagnóstico de comprometimento cognitivo leve; e, 60 indivíduos controles. Na diferenciação entre pacientes com doença de Alzheimer e controles a nota de corte de < 128 demonstrou 90,0% de sensibilidade e 89,3 % de especificidade; e, entre pacientes com doença de Alzheimer e comprometimento cognitivo leve, a nota de corte foi < 123 com sensibilidade de 78,2% e 76,8% de especificidade. Na diferenciação entre pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve e controles, a nota de corte foi de < 134 com 73,3% de sensibilidade e 72,7% de especificidade. A DRS demonstrou ser um instrumento com boa acurácia diagnóstica na discriminação entre pacientes com doença de Alzheimer de intensidade leve e indivíduos controles. A DRS também foi capaz de diferenciar entre pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve de controles, e pacientes com comprometiemnto cognitivo leve de pacientes com doença de Alzheimer de intensidade leve. As subescalas Memória e Iniciativa/Perseveração demonstraram maior acurácia diagnóstica em todas as situações analisadas quando comparadas às demais subescalas.The Dementia Rating Scale (DRS), proposed by Steven Mattis (1988), it has been very used to assess patients with dementia both in clinical practice and research. Consists of 5 subscales: Attention, Initiation/Perseveration, Construction, Conceptualization and Memory. The Dementia Rating Scale was applied to 56 patients with Alzheimer´s disease, witha dementia of mild intensity; 55 patients with diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment; and, 60 controls. Between patients with Alzheimer´s disease and controls the cutoff score of <128 showed a 90.0% of sensitivity and 89.3% of specificity; and, between patients with Alzheimer´s disease and mild cognitive impairment, the cutoff score was <123 with sensitivity of 78.2% e 76.8% of specificity. In the analysis between patients with mild cognitive impairment and controls, the cutoff score was <134 with 73.3% of sensitivity and 72.7% of specificity. The Dementia Rating Scale showed to be a instrument with good diagnostic accuracy in the discrimination between patients with mild Alzheimer´s disease and controls. The Dementia Rating Scale also was able to discriminated between patients mild cognitive impairment and controls, and between patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer´s disease. The Memory and Initiation/Perseveration subscales showed good diagnostic accuracy in all analysed situations

The dementia rating scale (DRS) in the diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer´s disease

A Escala de Avaliação de Demência (Dementia Rating Scale -DRS), proposta por Steven Mattis (1988), tem sido bastante utilizada na avaliação de pacientes com demência tanto na atividade clínica como na pesquisa. Consiste de 5 subescalas: Atenção, Iniciativa/Perseveração, Construção, Conceituação e Memória. Neste estudo, a Escala de Avaliação de Demência foi aplicada em 56 pacientes com doença de Alzheimer com demência de intensidade leve; 55 pacientes com diagnóstico de comprometimento cognitivo leve; e, 60 indivíduos controles. Na diferenciação entre pacientes com doença de Alzheimer e controles a nota de corte de < 128 demonstrou 90,0% de sensibilidade e 89,3 % de especificidade; e, entre pacientes com doença de Alzheimer e comprometimento cognitivo leve, a nota de corte foi < 123 com sensibilidade de 78,2% e 76,8% de especificidade. Na diferenciação entre pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve e controles, a nota de corte foi de < 134 com 73,3% de sensibilidade e 72,7% de especificidade. A DRS demonstrou ser um instrumento com boa acurácia diagnóstica na discriminação entre pacientes com doença de Alzheimer de intensidade leve e indivíduos controles. A DRS também foi capaz de diferenciar entre pacientes com comprometimento cognitivo leve de controles, e pacientes com comprometiemnto cognitivo leve de pacientes com doença de Alzheimer de intensidade leve. As subescalas Memória e Iniciativa/Perseveração demonstraram maior acurácia diagnóstica em todas as situações analisadas quando comparadas às demais subescalas.The Dementia Rating Scale (DRS), proposed by Steven Mattis (1988), it has been very used to assess patients with dementia both in clinical practice and research. Consists of 5 subscales: Attention, Initiation/Perseveration, Construction, Conceptualization and Memory. The Dementia Rating Scale was applied to 56 patients with Alzheimer´s disease, witha dementia of mild intensity; 55 patients with diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment; and, 60 controls. Between patients with Alzheimer´s disease and controls the cutoff score of <128 showed a 90.0% of sensitivity and 89.3% of specificity; and, between patients with Alzheimer´s disease and mild cognitive impairment, the cutoff score was <123 with sensitivity of 78.2% e 76.8% of specificity. In the analysis between patients with mild cognitive impairment and controls, the cutoff score was <134 with 73.3% of sensitivity and 72.7% of specificity. The Dementia Rating Scale showed to be a instrument with good diagnostic accuracy in the discrimination between patients with mild Alzheimer´s disease and controls. The Dementia Rating Scale also was able to discriminated between patients mild cognitive impairment and controls, and between patients with mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer´s disease. The Memory and Initiation/Perseveration subscales showed good diagnostic accuracy in all analysed situations

Verbal and non-verbal semantic impairment: From fluent primary progressive aphasia to semantic dementia

Abstract Selective disturbances of semantic memory have attracted the interest of many investigators and the question of the existence of single or multiple semantic systems remains a very controversial theme in the literature. Objectives: To discuss the question of multiple semantic systems based on a longitudinal study of a patient who presented semantic dementia from fluent primary progressive aphasia. Methods: A 66 year-old woman with selective impairment of semantic memory was examined on two occasions, undergoing neuropsychological and language evaluations, the results of which were compared to those of three paired control individuals. Results: In the first evaluation, physical examination was normal and the score on the Mini-Mental State Examination was 26. Language evaluation revealed fluent speech, anomia, disturbance in word comprehension, preservation of the syntactic and phonological aspects of the language, besides surface dyslexia and dysgraphia. Autobiographical and episodic memories were relatively preserved. In semantic memory tests, the following dissociation was found: disturbance of verbal semantic memory with preservation of non-verbal semantic memory. Magnetic resonance of the brain revealed marked atrophy of the left anterior temporal lobe. After 14 months, the difficulties in verbal semantic memory had become more severe and the semantic disturbance, limited initially to the linguistic sphere, had worsened to involve non-verbal domains. Conclusions: Given the dissociation found in the first examination, we believe there is sufficient clinical evidence to refute the existence of a unitary semantic system

Semantic dementia: Brazilian study of nineteen cases

Abstract The term semantic dementia was devised by Snowden et al. in 1989 and nowadays, the semantic dementia syndrome is recognized as one of the clinical forms of frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and is characterized by a language semantic disturbance associated to non-verbal semantic memory impairment. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe a Brazilian sample of 19 semantic dementia cases, emphasizing the clinical characteristics important for differential diagnosis of this syndrome. Methods: Nineteen cases with semantic dementia were evaluated between 1999 and 2007. All patients were submitted to neurological evaluation, neuroimaging exams and cognitive, language and semantic memory evaluation. Results: All patients presented fluent spontaneous speech, preservation of syntactic and phonological aspects of the language, word-finding difficulty, semantic paraphasias, word comprehension impairment, low performance in visual confrontation naming tasks, impairment on tests of non-verbal semantic memory and preservation of autobiographical memory and visuospatial skills. Regarding radiological investigations, temporal lobe atrophy and/or hypoperfusion were found in all patients. Conclusions: The cognitive, linguistic and of neuroimaging data in our case series corroborate other studies showing that semantic dementia constitutes a syndrome with well defined clinical characteristics associated to temporal lobe atrophy

Neuropsychological differences between frontotemporal lobar degeneration and Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Memory impairment is the main clinical feature in Alzheimer disease (AD), whereas in frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) behavioral and language disorders predominate. Objectives: To investigate possible differences between the neuropsychological performance in FTLD and AD. Methods: Fifty-six AD patients (mean age=72.98±7.43; mean schooling=9.62±4.68; 35 women and 21 men), 17 FTLD patients (mean age=67.64±7.93; mean schooling=12.12±4.77; 9 women and 8 men), and 60 controls (mean age=68.90±7.48; mean schooling=10.72±4.74; 42 women and 18 men) were submitted to a Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) and a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation composed of tasks assessing attention, visuoperceptual abilities, constructive abilities, executive functions, memory and language. Results: DRS total score and subscales were not able to differentiate FTLD from AD patients. However, FTLD and AD patients showed statistically significant differences in performance in tests of verbal (Logical Memory, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test) and visual (Visual Reproduction, recall of the Rey Complex Figure) episodic memory, verbal immediate memory (Logical Memory), attention with interference (Trail Making Test - Part B), verbal fluency (semantic and phonemic) and concept formation (WCST). Conclusion: Contrary to expectations, only a few tasks executive function tasks (Trail Making Test - Part B, F.A.S. and WCST) and two memory tests (verbal and visual episodic memory tests) were able to differentiate between FTLD and AD patients