[Effects of extended clinical diagnostics on the diagnostic spectrum of an outpatient memory clinic].
OBJECTIVE
In an outpatient memory clinic, the methods of extended clinical diagnostics pertaining to imaging and neuropsychology were changed but the modus of assignment to the clinic remained unchanged at different times. Expected changes in the diagnostic spectrum can be attributed to the changed diagnostics. Consistent with reports from the literature regarding the consequences of such changes, the associated costs have to be taken into consideration as well.


METHODS
The clinical final diagnoses of 174 patients referred in 2000/2001 for the diagnostics and differential diagnostics of dementia ("current population") were compared with those of 169 patients who visited the same outpatient clinic in 1998/1999 ("former population"). The diagnostic spectra of the two populations were compared. The diagnoses were differentiated in "no dementia" (XD), "neurodegenerative dementia" (ND), "vascular dementia" (VD), and "dementia of the mixed type" (MIXD). For all patients, the same clinical diagnostic criteria (ICD-10) and laboratory tests were implemented. Only the neuroradiological and neuropsychological methods changed from 1998/1999 to 2000/2001: The current population was examined with MRI instead of CT and underwent an expanded neuropsychological test battery with additional power and speed tests.


RESULTS
The diagnoses of the two populations differed significantly in their frequency distribution. A dementia was excluded in 51.1% of the "current" patients vs 19.5% of the "former" patients. The frequencies of the dementia diagnoses were significantly different for the diagnoses ND (29.9 vs 47.9%) and MIXD (1.1 vs 7.7%), but not for VD (13.2 vs 12.4%). Beside other independent modalities, the improvement of imaging with MRI is discussed as recording atrophy size and vascular lesions better than CT. The improvement of the neuropsychological test battery containing additional speed tests is discussed as being able to differentiate even minimal cognitive disturbances.


CONCLUSIONS
Using optimized imaging and neuropsychological methods, the diagnostic spectrum of an outpatient memory clinic changed. The clinical diagnosis was improved by the more sensitive, extended clinical diagnostics. Through optimized differential diagnostic allocation and the exclusion of dementia, expenses can be reduced by early and indication-related medication and by the resulting delay of institutionalized care.
Hentschel
F
F
Abteilung Neuroradiologie, Zentralinstitut für seelische Gesundheit, Fakultät für klinische Medizin Mannheim der Universität Heidelberg, 68159 Mannheim 15. hentsche@zi-mannheim.de
Damian
M
M
Kreis
M
M
Krumm
B
B
D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009485:Neuroradiography / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity