[Follow-up study of observation clinic patients with the diagnosis of amnestic syndrome or Alzheimer type senile dementia].

UNLABELLED: In two Dutch observation clinics elderly patients suspected of dementia or related illnesses are screened and diagnosed. After an average period of three months in the clinic, more than 50% of them are admitted to nursing homes with psycho-geriatric care units. These patients suffer from various types of dementia. In this study we compared the screening results and diagnoses with a number of psycho-social variables, medical variables and the follow up diagnoses of the surviving patients, two years after their admission to the nursing homes. The follow up data were obtained from questionnaires, which were filled in by the medical staff of the nursing homes. The total number of patients of which sufficient material was collected is 117. These patients were diagnosed as senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (n = 64), as amnestic syndrome (n = 20), or as amnestic syndrome suspected of Alzheimer type dementia (n = 33). Their average age was 82.5 (on admission to nursing home, range 65 to 98 years).

RESULTS: major differences between the groups were found in mortality, incontinence and psychological impairment. There was a difference between the diagnosis made by the observation clinic and by the nursing home: about 40% of the patients with amnestic syndrome (observation clinic diagnosis) developed senile dementia of the Alzheimer type, according to the nursing home physicians.