Difference between Subjective and Objective Estimates of Dementia in the Community Elderly.
- Author:
Jong Han PARK
1
;
Mi Ryung HONG
;
Byung Won JANG
;
Yong Chan BYUN
Author Information
1. Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea. jpak@cu.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Aged;
Dementia;
Diagnosis;
Epidemiology
- MeSH:
Aged*;
Dementia*;
Diagnosis;
Early Diagnosis;
Epidemiology;
Hand;
Humans;
Korea;
Long-Term Care
- From:Journal of Korean Geriatric Psychiatry
2005;9(2):108-111
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of how much the presence of dementia is underdiagnosed or misdiagnosed in the elderly population by themselves. METHOD: The number of self-professed dementia cases was compared to the estimated number of cases with cognitive impairment based on the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSEK) employed in a nationwide survey "Need assessment of the long-term care in the elderly" in three representative areas of Korea. The would-be dementia cases were analyzed. RESULTS: Only eighteen (0.7%) of 2,638 reported the presence of dementia while 414 (15.7%) were diagnosed as having questionable cognitive impairment and 385 (14.6%) as having definite cognitive impairment on the MMSEK. On the other hand, some of the self-professed "dementia" cases were not impaired on the MMSEK. CONCLUSION: The public should be educated on clinical manifestations of dementia for its early diagnosis and appropriate treatment because they are mostly without understanding about dementia.
