[Early and differential diagnosis of 1,000 patients examined in a memory clinic]

The results from 1000 patients included in a consecutive sample of older persons showing signs of "age-related memory deficits" clearly demonstrate the necessity for a wide spectrum of differential diagnostic competence. The patients included in the study were diagnosed in succession by an interdisciplinary team of psychiatrists, neurologists, geriatric medical specialists, psychologists and gerontologists. The diagnostic process for clarification of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 criteria are discussed in detail. In all, 49.6% of the patients were diagnosed as suffering from dementia of the Alzheimer type, 31% from vascular dementia and 10% from a mixed form. In all, 12.5% of the patients were somatically ill and 31.4% displayed other psychiatric conditions, 50% of which were evaluated as being treatable with psychotherapy. The results are primarily discussed for their relevance to the reality of current treatment.