title: [Brief cognitive evaluation and diagnosis of dementia, depression, and psychosis in the elderly].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the cognitive performance of the elderly with psychosis, depression and dementia in a mental health outpatient unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) were applied to 86 patients above 60 years of age referred for evaluation due to memory complaints. Patients were diagnosed according to DSM IV criteria. Socio-demographic data were expressed as means (standard deviation); MMSE and CAMCOG score of patients with psychosis, dementia and mood disorders were compared using Student's T test and ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total sample (age: 70.87 (sd=6.61); male=32; female=54; illiterate=41, educated=45; 17 (19.7%) had dementia, 11 (12.8%) psychosis and 58 (67.4%) mood disorders. The MMSE of the total sample was 21.07 (sd=6.61) and the CAMCOG = 61.50 (sd=19.78). MMSE/CAMCOG of each diagnosis: Dementia: 16.76 (sd=6.25)/48(sd=20.49); Psychosis: 20.9 (sd=5.87)/60.09 (sd=13.54); mood disorders: 22.36 (sd=5.49)/66.03 (sd=18.88). The MMSE and CAMCOG scores of patients with dementia were significantly lower than those of patients with mood disorders (ANOVA p < 0.01). The score of patients with psychosis was not different from scores of those with dementia and mood disorders (p >0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A brief cognitive evaluation permits a differentiation between dementia and depression but not between psychosis and depression in elderly patients of a psychiatric outpatient unit, who had complained of memory impairment. These data may be useful to develop an easy and low cost protocol to attend the population of public health services.
authors.affiliation: Centro para Doença de Alzheimer, Instituto de Psiquiatria, UFRJ.
authors.forename: Bruno Netto dos
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Reys
authors.forename: Ana Beatriz
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Bezerra
authors.forename: Ana Lucia de Sousa
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Vilela
authors.forename: Alexandre Lins
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Keusen
authors.forename: Valeska
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Marinho
authors.forename: Estevão de
authors.initials: Ed
authors.lastname: Paula
authors.forename: Jerson
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Laks
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors