Abstract
Cognitive decline is a common issue seen in older adults in the primary care setting. Assessment of cognitive decline in primary care includes a detailed history, physical examination, labs, imaging, and a formal cognitive assessment. Various tools are available for cognitive assessments. However, a short screening tool is more practical for cognitive evaluation. A decline in cognition should be correlated with the broader clinical picture, and a detailed cognitive assessment should be performed. This article focuses on some of the cognitive assessment tools used in clinical settings to assess cognition.
Highlights
BackgroundPrimary care is often the first medical setting where patients with cognitive symptoms present for consultation
Dementia is a condition characterized by a decline in one or more cognitive domains that are significant enough to interfere with daily life [1]
Clinical assessment of all six domains requires a considerable amount of time, which is not always available in a primary care setting
Summary
Primary care is often the first medical setting where patients with cognitive symptoms present for consultation. Physical examination, lab studies, imaging, and cognitive assessment tools form the core of assessment for dementia in primary care settings. Mini-Cog© is a short cognitive assessment test that can be performed in a primary care setting. The Mini-Mental Status Exam (MMSE) is one of the most widely used tests for cognitive assessment and one of the most frequently studied dementia screening tests [7]. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is one of the screening tools for cognitive disorders. The Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS) was developed in Australia It is a six-item tool with a maximum score of 30. A review of linguistically and culturally diverse populations outside Australia found the sensitivity and specificity mean of the tool to be 80.9% and 76.1%, respectively [14]
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