Too Few Americans Receive Clinical Cognitive Evaluations
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AlexRaths/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A new study shows that only about 50 percent of Americans who later developed dementia were subject to a timely mental assessment.
According to the study, published in the journal Neurology, looked at 300 older Americans and found that about half had received a clinical cognitive evaluation. The test, performed by either a neurologist, a psychiatrist or a family doctor, is supposed to diagnose cognitive impairment or dementia.
Researchers say that while there is no cure for dementia, treatment can lead to improved quality of life for both the patient and their loved ones. Early evaluation can also lead to more time at a more mild stage of the disease.
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