Abstract
Cognitive deterioration in old age in the course of dementia can be studied by a variety of psychometric assessment scales, the recent developments of which are briefly summarized. They concern performance, fluid functions, memory performance, sensoric memory and other items that show different changes in normal and pathological aging. In dementia, progressive deterioration of crystallized functions contribute to the patient’s loss in quality of life. In demented individuals, difficulties in processing, retrieval and speed are predominant. In a series of 200 patients with Alzheimer disease and multi-infarct dementia, no significant differences with regard to various basic cognitive functions were found and, from the psychometric point of view, these two types cannot be distinguished. Diagnosis of dementia can be substantiated by the use of recently developed highly sensitive instruments that may substantiate the suspected clinical diagnosis of organic brain syndromes.
Published Version
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