PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article describes a comprehensive approach to the mental status examination and diagnostic workup of patients suspected of having an emerging neurodegenerative dementia. Key strategies for obtaining a history and bedside examination techniques are highlighted. RECENT FINDINGS: Classic descriptions of behavioral neurology syndromes were largely based on clinicopathologic correlations of strategic lesions in stroke patients. While still very important, advances in neuroimaging have expanded our armamentarium of cognitive evaluations to include assessments of findings in nonstroke anatomic distributions of disease. These efforts support comprehensive assessments of large-scale cerebral networks in cognitive neurology. SUMMARY: A thorough and focused mental status examination is essential for the evaluation of patients with cognitive symptoms. Selective use of laboratory testing and neuroimaging can aid in the diagnosis of dementia by excluding non-neurodegenerative etiologies. Neurodegenerative disease-specific tests are in development and will enhance diagnosis and efforts for disease-modifying therapy development.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article describes a comprehensive approach to the mental status examination and diagnostic workup of patients suspected of having an emerging neurodegenerative dementia. Key strategies for obtaining a history and bedside examination techniques are highlighted. RECENT FINDINGS: Classic descriptions of behavioral neurology syndromes were largely based on clinicopathologic correlations of strategic lesions in strokepatients. While still very important, advances in neuroimaging have expanded our armamentarium of cognitive evaluations to include assessments of findings in nonstroke anatomic distributions of disease. These efforts support comprehensive assessments of large-scale cerebral networks in cognitive neurology. SUMMARY: A thorough and focused mental status examination is essential for the evaluation of patients with cognitive symptoms. Selective use of laboratory testing and neuroimaging can aid in the diagnosis of dementia by excluding non-neurodegenerative etiologies. Neurodegenerative disease-specific tests are in development and will enhance diagnosis and efforts for disease-modifying therapy development.
Authors: Leslie M Shaw; Hugo Vanderstichele; Malgorzata Knapik-Czajka; Christopher M Clark; Paul S Aisen; Ronald C Petersen; Kaj Blennow; Holly Soares; Adam Simon; Piotr Lewczuk; Robert Dean; Eric Siemers; William Potter; Virginia M-Y Lee; John Q Trojanowski Journal: Ann Neurol Date: 2009-04 Impact factor: 10.422
Authors: Robert J Spencer; Carrington R Wendell; Paul P Giggey; Stephen L Seliger; Leslie I Katzel; Shari R Waldstein Journal: J Clin Exp Neuropsychol Date: 2013-01-28 Impact factor: 2.475
Authors: Michael J Strong; Gloria M Grace; Morris Freedman; Cathy Lomen-Hoerth; Susan Woolley; Laura H Goldstein; Jennifer Murphy; Christen Shoesmith; Jeffery Rosenfeld; P Nigel Leigh; Lucie Bruijn; Paul Ince; Denise Figlewicz Journal: Amyotroph Lateral Scler Date: 2009-06