title: [Medical evaluation of dementia].
abstract: A careful medical evaluation of each dementia patient from any age group is necessary. Dementia targeted questioning of the patients and their relatives should be accompanied by a quantitative dementia rating like the NOSGER-scale. The essential neuropsychological evaluation should be followed by a nosological differential diagnosis including a row of laboratory tests. Brain imaging is necessary only if one of the Dietch-criteria is met. Pharmaco-therapy should be considered for non-cognitive symptoms of dementia and a cholinergic therapy in cases of Alzheimer's disease. Considering the axiome of dementia: one dementia = two in need of help, the care-giver burden has to be eased by proposing sets of medico-social interventions, optimally at a family conference.
authors.affiliation: Stadtärztlicher Dienst Zürich.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wettstein
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D017281:Cost of Illness; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011368:Professional-Family Relations