title: [Early case finding of dementia: not advisable].
abstract: In a recent review of 6 cross-sectional studies, the specificity of the diagnosis 'dementia' was found to be high, but the sensitivity of mild dementia was low. The authors wrote that the problem of low sensitivity ought to be solved. However, there appears to be no problem as there is no effective intervention to prevent the worsening of dementia, and selective case finding in early stages carries the risk of false positive diagnoses.
authors.affiliation: Academisch Medisch Centrum, afd. Huisartsgeneeskunde, Divisie Klinische methoden & Public Health, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. h.g.grundmeijer@amc.uva.nl
authors.forename: Hans G L M
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Grundmeijer
mesh_terms: D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000523:psychology; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity