[Brief cognitive evaluation and diagnosis of dementia, depression, and psychosis in the elderly].
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.
Reys
Bruno Netto dos
BN
Centro para Doença de Alzheimer, Instituto de Psiquiatria, UFRJ.
Bezerra
Ana Beatriz
AB
Vilela
Ana Lucia de Sousa
AL
Keusen
Alexandre Lins
AL
Marinho
Valeska
V
Paula
Estevão de
Ed
Laks
Jerson
J
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