A synopsis of the practice parameters on dementia from the american academy of neurology on the diagnosis of dementia.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to review the current practice guidelines as developed by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) for the diagnosis of dementia.

DATA SOURCES: The data sources were the Report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology paper, which was published in the May 2001 issue of the journal Neurology.

STUDY SELECTION: The studies used in this paper are those reviewed by the AAN Practice Parameter Committee, which reviewed the literature for evidence-based human studies pertaining to the diagnosis of dementia. Studies on Alzheimer's disease (AD) included had to have more than 25 subjects. Each article was classified based on the quality of evidence. After review of the evidence, the committee drafted recommendations and placed the evidence into Practice Standards, Guidelines, or Options.

DATA SYNTHESIS: The main results of this review were the guidelines for diagnosing dementia of various forms. To diagnose dementia, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition, Revised (DSM-IIIR) should be used. For AD, the NINCDS-ADRDA (National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer s Disease and Related Disorders Association) criteria should be used. The Modified Hachinski Ischemic Score criteria can be used in the diagnosis of vascular dementia. The Consortium for DLB (Dementia with Lewy Bodies) criteria may be of use in clinical practice. Neuroimaging with a noncontrast CT or MRI scan in the routine initial evaluation of persons with dementia is appropriate; other methods of neuroimaging are not recommended at this time. Genetic testing and use of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) genotyping is not recommended at this time. Depression, B12 deficiency, and hypothyroidism should be screened for and treated in patients with dementia. Unless the patient lives in an area in the United States with a high rate of syphilis, screening for tertiary syphilis is not warranted.

CONCLUSION: The guidelines and their clinical applications are pertinent and important knowledge for consultant pharmacists. This practice parameter will need to be updated every few years to include new studies and information that becomes available.