title: The investigation of dementia: results in 200 consecutive admissions.
abstract: 200 patients admitted consecutively to the Neuropsychiatric Institute, Sydney, with the provisional diagnosis of dementia were investigated. The diagnosis was confirmed in 164 patients, 16 patients had a chronic organic brain syndrome not characterised by intellectual deterioration, and 20 patients had pseudodementing functional illnesses. A potentially reversible cause of the dementia was found in 13 patients: these comprised 11.5% of the demented patients aged 45 to 64 years and 3.8% of the demented patients aged 64 years and older. It is recommended that all patients with a provisional diagnosis of dementia be investigated early in the course of their illnesses in anticipation of the finding of a reversible dementia or a treatable pseudodementing illness.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged