[Prevalence of potentially reversible cognitive function disorders in patients of a memory dysfunction clinic]

Potentially reversible dementias are rarely detected in out-patient care facilities. Actual reversibility is virtually not known and has been occasionally reported in literature.

To determine the prevalence of potentially reversible dementias among patients seen at the ambulatory care facility and to estimate their "real life" reversibility.

A retrospective analysis of medical records of 258 outpatients attending the Memory Clinic of the Central University Hospital of Lódź in the years 2002-2003.

Potentially reversible dementia was diagnosed in 18 (5 women, mean age 60.9 +/- 4.9) subjects yielding 7% of all the subjects presented. These patients were significantly younger and the severity of their cognitive deficits milder as compared to the "non-reversible" cases. Treatment was successful only in 3 cases what translates into only 1.5% of those diagnosed as demented. Twenty seven cases with cognitive deficit but no dementia (depression or drugs side-effects) were claimed as potentially reversible and treated, in most cases (22 out of 27), successfully. However, within the 2 years period of follow-up in 13 of the 22 cases, the development of dementia was observed.

Potentially reversible dementia is a rare phenomenon in ambulatory care facility. The majority of potentially reversible cases can be found among younger and less impaired patients. Even in cases treated successfully, the risk of developing dementia within 2 years is very high.