Neuropsychiatric evaluation in an outpatient setting.
In a retrospective case review of 336 outpatients who underwent neuropsychiatric evaluations, patients were sorted into five groups: 1) atypical psychiatric; 2) atypical neurological; 3) prior psychiatric/new-onset neurological; 4) prior neurological/new-onset psychiatric; 5) dementia versus pseudodementia. Cluster analysis of 19 presenting complaints differentiated among groups. Post-consultation changes in preconsultation diagnosis occurred frequently overall, with more new case finding for psychiatric than for neurological disorders. For example, mood disorder diagnoses increased from 7.7% to 16.1%. Overall, dementia was the most common postconsultation diagnosis (32.8%). The authors conclude that suspicion for dementia should be high in neuropsychiatric referrals and that mood disorders may be especially common in neuropsychiatric patients.
Feinberg
T E
TE
Neurobehavior and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, NY 10003, USA.
Roane
D M
DM
Miner
C R
CR
Kaufman
H
H
Cantillon
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009518:New York / Q000453:epidemiology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors