Assessment of dementia in the primary care setting.

The aging population of the developed world has led to a significant increase in the number of people suffering from dementia. Most of these patients are cared for in the community by primary care physicians and paramedical staff. However, the comprehensive assessment of cognitive changes in an elderly patient is time-consuming and requires skills that are often lacking in the primary care setting. This may lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary delays in therapeutic intervention. In this review, the primary care physician is provided with a structured approach to the assessment of cognitive decline.