Alterações cognitivas em pacientes idosos atendidos em ambulatório geral de clínica médica / Cognitive impairment in elderly followed by general practitioners

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

INTRODUCTION: Elderlys cognitive impairment is often overlooked by the general practitioner, according to medical literature. In Brazil, as in several other countries, older adults are routinely followed by the general practitioner. This study verified if elderly patients cognitive impairment diagnosed by specialized physicians had such impairment recognized by their general practitioners. Also, it was verified if the cognitive tests and functional scales used in the diagnosing process of cognitive impairment had good efficacy. Some of the instruments used in this diagnosing process were suggested to be used by general practitioners in their working sets. METHODS: In this transversal cut study, a list of elderly outpatients followed by general practitioners at Hospital das Clínicas (Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo) was acquired randomly. These subjects were invited by telephone to participate in a clinical study and then submitted to cognitive and functional evaluation by a geriatrician. This evaluation consisted of: Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), Short Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (Short-IQCODE), Brief Cognitive Battery, Pfeffer Functional Activities Questionnaire (Pfeffer-FAQ) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with 15 items. MMSE and/or Short-IQCODE scores were chosen to classify these individuals into suspected cognitive impairment cases or otherwise. The suspects underwent blood analysis and brain computed tomography scan. They also had neuropsychological evaluation (Dementia Rating Scale) performed by a neuropsychologist. The suspects (N=52) and a sample of non-suspects (N=53) were given different diagnosis regarding cognitive impairment through consensus between the researcher and two neurologists with experience in dementia. The general practitioners files of all the suspects and of a sample of non-suspects were checked in order to find notes on cognitive decline. Sensitivity and specificity of the instruments used in the diagnosing process of cognitive impairment (dementia and mild cognitive impairment) were calculated. Easily applicable screening methods were performed in combination and tested for their combined sensitivity and specificity. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight patients, with age and schooling median of 70 years and four years were initially submitted to screening. Fifty two patients were classified as suspects. Of these 52 suspects, 21 had dementia and 22 were classified as having mild cognitive impairment. In seven (16.27%) of these patients (dementia and mild cognitive impairment) records of the general practitioner there were notes on cognitive decline. There were no notes on cognitive decline in general practitioners records of those non-suspects that were given some type of diagnosis. Pfeffer-FAQ had the best sensitivity and specificity considering cognitive impairment (dementia and mild cognitive impairment) diagnosis. For diagnosis of cognitive impairment, Pfeffer-FAQ sensitivity was 84% and specificity, 94%. Pfeffer-FAQ combined with verbal fluency came out with a sensitivity of 88.4% and a specificity of 93.5%; with clock drawing test, 93% and 92.5% and with delayed recall item of Brief Cognitive Battery, 86.4% and 89.6%. CONCLUSION: This study concludes that cognitive decline of elderly patients is not often detected by general practitioners. This finding is similar to that observed in research carried out in other countries. Some instruments used for the diagnosis of cognitive impairment showed good efficacy and some combinations of these instruments increased their sensitivity. The tests with better performance in the diagnosing process of cognitive impairment are easy and fast to apply besides being easy to be interpreted, which make them good tools in working sets with high demand of patients and little time to attend them. Of the tests with best performances, verbal fluency seems to be the most interesting since patients do not even need a pencil to get it done nor appliers need a great amount of time to give back the result of the test

ASSUNTO(S)

demência diagnosis médicos de família dementia family practice diagnóstico

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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