Cognitive impairments in clinical practice and analyzing the work of a memory room in Yaroslavl (an outpatient reception)

Abstract

The early diagnosis and treatment of cognitive impairments (CIs) are presently one of the most relevant and sociomedical problems. Since 2012, a memory room that performs an outpatient reception of patients complaining of diminished memory has been working at the Department of Neurology and Medical Genetics with Course of Neurosurgery, Yaroslavl State Medical Academy. The main goals of this subdivision are to make a diagnosis and differential diagnosis of CI, to manage patients with higher brain dysfunctions, to improve quality of life, and to elaborate rehabilitation programs. Objective: to assess the first results of work of a memory room and to study CIs in patients complaining of diminished memory at the time of their asking for medical advice. Patients and methods. The two-year data obtained in examining the work of the memory room were analyzed. In January 2012 to January 2014, a total of 250 patients (31% men and 69% women) (mean age 52.4 years (18 to 87 years)) visited the memory room. CIs were rated using the Schulte test, studying short-term visual memory, its volume, and accuracy by mnestic tests and numbers memory tests recording the number of errors; the hospital anxiety and depression Scale and SF-36 questionnaire to estimate quality of life were applied. The efficiency of vinpocetine therapy was investigated in 20 patients (13 women and 7 men) aged 45 to 59 years (mean age 56.3±1.7 years) with moderate CIs of vascular genesis. Results and discussion. Varying degrees of CIs were identified in 96% of the patients during their first visit to the room. The findings could estimate the approximate incidence and prevalence of CIs in the patients during different pathological processes. There was a preponderance of patients with dementia, the main cause of which was Alzheimer's disease among those who were seeking for medical advice for complaints of amnestic disorders. Vascular processes are a cause of the majority of non-dementia CIs. There are preliminary data on the association between CIs and other neuropsychiatric disorders.