title: Clinical classification of dementias.
abstract: The diagnosis of dementia disorders can be made in several steps. The symptomatology, severity and course of the illness must be considered. Memory disturbances must be present. Ante-mortem classification of dementias is based on known or assumed etiology. The final step is the post-mortem diagnosis. Of the primary dementias, Alzheimer-type dementia is the most important group. Accumulating data indicate that this form can be divided into subgroups. The concept of multi-infarct dementia (MID) should not be used synonymously with vascular dementia, which is a broader concept. Vascular dementias can also be divided into subgroups. Dementia is an advanced stage of a brain disorder. It seems important to identify brain disorders before they have reached the advanced level of dementia. A name for such disorders is dysmentia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Section of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Göteborg University, Mölndal Hospital, S-431 80 Mölndal, Sweden.
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Gottfries