Cognitive function assessment in individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To describe brief assessments of functional performance and cognition to detect Alzheimer's disease (AD) and depression in older adults for the primary care provider.


METHODS
Review of the literature.


CONCLUSIONS
It is important for the clinician to interview both the patient and a knowledgeable informant to assess changes in the patients' functioning in daily life tasks and to administer brief screening tests to detect cognitive impairment and depression in older adults. Several suggested instruments for use in the primary care setting are included.


CONCLUSIONS
Standardized assessments of functional performance and brief cognitive tests identify individuals with clinically meaningful cognitive impairment and provide baseline measurement against which to compare future assessments.
Cotter
Valerie T
VT
Adult Health & Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Programs, School of Nursing, Alzheimer's Disease Center, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Clark
Christopher M
CM
Karlawish
Jason H T
JH
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D012307:Risk Factors