title: Brain health: the importance of recognizing cognitive impairment: an IAGG consensus conference.
abstract: Cognitive impairment creates significant challenges for patients, their families and friends, and clinicians who provide their health care. Early recognition allows for diagnosis and appropriate treatment, education, psychosocial support, and engagement in shared decision-making regarding life planning, health care, involvement in research, and financial matters. An IAGG-GARN consensus panel examined the importance of early recognition of impaired cognitive health. Their major conclusion was that case-finding by physicians and health professionals is an important step toward enhancing brain health for aging populations throughout the world. This conclusion is in keeping with the position of the United States' Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that reimburses for detection of cognitive impairment as part the of Medicare Annual Wellness Visit and with the international call for early detection of cognitive impairment as a patient's right. The panel agreed on the following specific findings: (1) validated screening tests are available that take 3 to 7 minutes to administer; (2) a combination of patient- and informant-based screens is the most appropriate approach for identifying early cognitive impairment; (3) early cognitive impairment may have treatable components; and (4) emerging data support a combination of medical and lifestyle interventions as a potential way to delay or reduce cognitive decline.
authors: Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Endocrinology, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO. Electronic address: morley@slu.edu.
authors: John E
authors: JE
authors: Morley
authors: Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
authors: John C
authors: JC
authors: Morris
authors: Division of Geriatric Medicine, School of Social Work, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO.
authors: Marla
authors: M
authors: Berg-Weger
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA.
authors: Soo
authors: S
authors: Borson
authors: Knight Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
authors: Brian D
authors: BD
authors: Carpenter
authors: Institute of Aging, University Hospital of Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors: Natalia
authors: N
authors: Del Campo
authors: Department of Neurology, Université Pierreet Marie Curie, Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Dubois
authors: Scientific Programs and Outreach, Alzheimer's Association, Chicago, IL.
authors: Keith
authors: K
authors: Fargo
authors: Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Geriatric Psychiatry, Greater Los Angeles VA, Sepulveda Campus, Los Angeles, CA.
authors: L Jaime
authors: LJ
authors: Fitten
authors: Division of Geriatric Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
authors: Joseph H
authors: JH
authors: Flaherty
authors: Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology and Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: Ganguli
authors: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Geriatric Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
authors: George T
authors: GT
authors: Grossberg
authors: Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO.
authors: Theodore K
authors: TK
authors: Malmstrom
authors: Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN.
authors: Ronald D
authors: RD
authors: Petersen
authors: Public Policy and Communications, Alzheimer's Association, St Louis, MO.
authors: Carroll
authors: C
authors: Rodriguez
authors: Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences and the Indiana Alzheimer Disease Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.
authors: Andrew J
authors: AJ
authors: Saykin
authors: VU University Medical Center, Alzheimer Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Philip
authors: P
authors: Scheltens
authors: Department of Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
authors: Eric G
authors: EG
authors: Tangalos
authors: Division of Geriatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
authors: Joe
authors: J
authors: Verghese
authors: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors: Gordon
authors: G
authors: Wilcock
authors: Division for Neurogeriatrics, Care Sciences and Society, Department of NVS, Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors: Bengt
authors: B
authors: Winblad
authors: Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Woo
authors: Department of Geriatrics, CHU Toulouse, Toulouse, France.
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Vellas
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003657:Decision Making; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening
keywords: Alzheimer disease; Cognitive impairment; MCI; case finding; cognitive frailty