ASSESSMENT OF DEMENTIA
American Psychological Association
Table of Contents
Why Practitioners Need Information
- Dementia is a global and often progressive loss of mental ability. Assessment of dementia should include tests of attention/concentration, short- and long-term memory and delayed recall, reasoning ability, language, executive functions (e.g., planning, organizing, sequencing, abstracting), and visual-motor skills. Determination of the degree of impairment in these areas can be crucial for disposition planning.
- No single accepted battery of tests exists. The Mattis Dementia Rating Scale and CogniStat (formerly known as Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination; both tests are listed in the Geropsychology Assessment Resource Guide) are easily administered, well-validated tests of general cognitive functioning that can be useful in the assessment of dementia. Findings of cognitive deficits may need to be followed up with referral to neuropsychology/neurology colleagues to determine etiology and appropriate treatment.
