Screening of patients admitted to a geriatric hospital with supposed organic dementia

75 patients, aged 69 to 97 (mean 84) years, admitted to a geriatric clinic with symptoms or signs of organic brain failure, were examined with a wide test battery including chemical analyses, electroencephalogram (EEG), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurement, and psychometric tests. There was a prevalence of 89% organic dementia, 3% treatable dementia, and 8% non-dementia conditions. Thus the prevalence of treatable conditions was rather low (11%). Multi-infarct dementia was more prevalent (52%) than dementia of Alzheimer type (31%). All but one of the non-dementia conditions were due to confusional reaction. In no case was depression, drug intoxication, or deafness the only cause of symptoms. After a follow-up period of 6 months, 33% of the patients had died. An autopsy was performed in 80% of these cases, and the clinical diagnosis was confirmed in all but four cases.