| الوصف: |
Changes in mood and/or cognition are common complaints in the elderly population. This chapter uses case studies to illustrate insights to make clinical assessment more efficient. These include assessing for cognitive impairment when depression is present and vice versa, being mindful of assuming that patients reporting cognitive difficulties are “worried well,” avoiding overreaction to very mild symptoms, assessing the four key cortical cognitive domains (amnesia, aphasia, apraxia, agnosia), assessing for subcortical dysfunction, assessing Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs), and understanding that depression in the elderly often presents with atypical symptoms. Brief cognitive instruments which can improve assessment include the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and the Mini Cog. Brief depression instruments include the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDSS), and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD). |
