Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Mar;99(2):311-35.
doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2014.11.006. Epub 2014 Dec 23.

Evaluation and management of the elderly patient presenting with cognitive complaints

Kerry L Hildreth  1 , Skotti Church  2
Affiliations
Review

Evaluation and management of the elderly patient presenting with cognitive complaints

Kerry L Hildreth et al. Med Clin North Am. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

Cognitive complaints are common in the geriatric population. Older adults should routinely be asked about any concerns about their memory or thinking, and any cognitive complaint from the patient or an informant should be evaluated rather than be attributed to aging. Several screening instruments are available to document objective impairments and guide further evaluation. Management goals for patients with cognitive impairment are focused on maintaining function and independence, providing caregiver support, and advance care planning. There are currently no treatments to effectively prevent or treat dementia. Increasing appreciation of the heterogeneity of Alzheimer disease may lead to novel treatment approaches.

Keywords: Alzheimer disease; Cognitive impairment; Dementia; Elderly.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Frequency and timing of behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer disease. (From Ballard CG, Gauthier S, Cummings JL, et al. Management of agitation and aggression associated with Alzheimer disease. Nat Rev Neurol 2009;5(5):246; with permission.)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Algorithm for the evaluation of cognitive complaints in elderly adults.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lin JS, O’Connor E, Rossom RC, et al. Screening for cognitive impairment in older adults: a systematic review for the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(9):601–612. - PubMed
    1. Cordell CB, Borson S, Boustani M, et al. Alzheimer’s Association recommendations for operationalizing the detection of cognitive impairment during the Medicare annual wellness visit in a primary care setting. Alzheimers Dement. 2013;9(2):141–150. - PubMed
    1. Reisberg B, Gauthier S. Current evidence for subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) as the pre-mild cognitive impairment (MCI) stage of subsequently manifest Alzheimer’s disease. Int Psychogeriatr. 2008;20(1):1–16. - PubMed
    1. Reisberg B, Shulman MB, Torossian C, et al. Outcome over seven years of healthy adults with and without subjective cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement. 2010;6(1):11–24. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Petersen RC. Mild cognitive impairment as a diagnostic entity. J Intern Med. 2004;256(3):183–194. - PubMed