Cognitive characterization of a pilot study group

Abstract

Dementia is associated with progressive memory decline and deficits in other cognitive functions that interfere with activities of daily living. This pilot study aimed to perform a cognitive evaluation of individuals aged 50 years or older using the Clinical Dementia Rate, Mini Mental State Examination, Clock Drawing Test, Geriatric Depression Scale, Basic Activities of Daily Living and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. The study was conducted at a primary health care center in Portugal and included 56 participants with a mean age of 70.4±8.1 years. Results showed that the Clinical Dementia Rate was the cognitive test that detected the greatest number of cognitive alterations, followed by the Clock Drawing Test and the Mini Mental State Examination, while the Geriatric Depression Scale proved to be an important tool for assessing depression.