title: Capacity to vote in persons with dementia and the elderly.
abstract: The capacity to vote in patients with mental illness is increasingly questioned. The objective of this study is to evaluate this capacity in a group of subjects with dementia (Alzheimer's disease) and other elderly subjects without dementia. With a sample of 68 subjects with dementia and 25 controls living in a senior residence, a transversal study was carried out over 4 months. Subjects were evaluated with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Competence Assessment Tool for voting (CAT-V). The results were more positive for the Doe criteria (as part of the CAT-V), and a correlation was found with the MMSE in subjects with dementia and, to a lesser degree, in the controls. We conclude that the capacity to vote is related to cognitive deterioration and, within that, is more related to understanding and appreciation.
authors.affiliation: MHC Arganda, Juan de la Cierva 20, Arganda del Rey, 28500 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis Javier
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Irastorza
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corujo
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bañuelos