Potentially reversible cognitive impairment in patients presenting to a memory disorders clinic.

This paper aims to describe a memory disorders clinic (MDC) for the assessment of patients presenting with early cognitive impairment, to examine the predictive utility of laboratory tests conducted on patients with early memory complaints, and, to investigate the potential reversibility of cognitive impairment in 80 consecutive patients presenting to an MDC. Abnormal laboratory results did not significantly correlate with diagnosis at presentation, with presence or absence of cognitive impairment at presentation or at one year follow up, or with cognitive outcome. Thorough assessment of a person presenting with memory impairment is mandatory. We suggest that a routine battery of laboratory investigations be replaced with selected investigations based on clinical indicators only. The term 'reversible dementia' is a misnomer, and we recommend instead the use of 'potentially reversible cognitive impairment'. We argue that the term 'dementia' should only be used to describe cognitive impairment in cases of irreversible degenerative brain disease. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.