RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Practical Guidelines for the Recognition and Diagnosis of Dementia
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 367
OP 382
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2012.03.100181
VO 25
IS 3
A1 Galvin, James E.
A1 Sadowsky, Carl H.
YR 2012
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/25/3/367.abstract
AB To date, user-friendly, practical guidelines for dementia have not been available for busy family physicians. However, the growing number of patients with dementia means that primary care physicians will have an increasingly important role in the diagnosis and subsequent management of dementia. This article provides practical guidance for the recognition and diagnosis of dementia and is aimed at family physicians, who are usually the first clinicians to whom patients present with dementia symptoms. Because Alzheimer disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, this condition is the main focus of this article. We review the pathophysiology of AD and discuss recommended diagnostic protocols and the importance of early diagnosis. An AD diagnostic algorithm is provided, with clearly defined steps for screening and diagnosing AD and assessing daily functioning, behavioral symptoms, and caregiver status.