Reliability of clinical criteria for the diagnosis of dementia. A longitudinal multicenter study
F. Forette, J. F. Henry, J. M. Orgogozo, J. F. Dartigues, J. J. Pere, L. Hugonot, L. Israel, Y. Loria, F. Goulley, A. Lallemand and al. et
Hopital Broca, Paris, France.
The reliability of the clinical diagnosis of dementia was estimated by
comparing the diagnosis made at 1-year intervals on 55 consecutive subjects
with suspected cognitive impairment seen at three different centers by
neurologists and gerontologists. The diagnosis was based on history and
clinical examination, the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders (revised ed 3), the Modified Ischemic Score, and a
computed tomographic scan. Fifty-two of 55 subjects were given the same
diagnosis a year later indicating a reliability of 95%. The study shows
that a diagnosis of dementia established by simple clinical criteria
comparable to the NINCDS/ADRDA criteria affords sufficient reliability to
allow the comparability of groups at different centers for purposes of
research, including research on the evaluation of the efficacy of
pharmacologic treatment.
