Memory difficulties are not always a sign of incipient dementia: a review of the possible causes of loss of memory efficiency

Blackburn, Daniel; Wakefield, Sarah; Shanks, Michael F.; Harkness, Kirsty; Reuber, Markus; Venneri, Annalena

doi:10.1093/bmb/ldu029

Cited by 61 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 49 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…FMD diagnostic criteria were suggested by Schmidtke et al [20]; for a more extensive discussion of the nature of FMD, and the differences between FMD, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Subjective Memory Complaints, see [1]. Participating patients were screened for depression using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ9) [21].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…non-progressive memory deficits) [1] is a frequent challenge in specialist memory clinics. Recent observations in the United Kingdom (UK) suggest that up to 50% of patients referred to memory clinics are diagnosed with FMD rather than memory complaints secondary to ND [2].…”

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research shows that distinguishing ND from FMD is associated with high rates of diagnostic errors [1]. This is particularly true when diagnosis is attempted at the earliest stages of possibly progressive memory disorders.…”

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is widely recognised that reliance on tests alone increases the rate of erroneous diagnoses [1]. Although the patient's history is a key to diagnosis and to choosing an appropriate treatment strategy, the interaction between doctor and patient, central to the diagnostic process of memory problems, has received relatively little research attention.…”

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Towards diagnostic conversational profiles of patients presenting with dementia or functional memory disorders to memory clinics

Elsey

Drew

Jones

et al. 2015

Patient Education and Counseling

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

YesObjective\ud \ud This study explores whether the profile of patients’ interactional behaviour in memory clinic conversations with a doctor can contribute to the clinical differentiation between functional memory disorders (FMD) and memory problems related to neurodegenerative diseases.\ud \ud Methods\ud \ud Conversation Analysis of video recordings of neurologists’ interactions with patients attending a specialist memory clinic. “Gold standard” diagnoses were made independently of CA findings by a multi-disciplinary team based on clinical assessment, neuropsychological testing and brain imaging.\ud \ud Results\ud \ud Two discrete conversational profiles for patients with memory complaints emerged, including (i) who attends the clinic (i.e., whether or not patients are accompanied), and (ii) patients’ responses to neurologists’ questions about memory problems, such as difficulties with compound questions and providing specific and elaborated examples and frequent “I don’t know” responses.\ud \ud Conclusion\ud \ud Specific communicative difficulties are characteristic of the interaction patterns of patients with a neurodegenerative pathology. Those difficulties are manifest in memory clinic interactions with neurologists, thereby helping to differentiate patients with dementia from those with FMD.\ud \ud Practical implications\ud \ud Our findings demonstrate that conversational profiles based on patients’ contributions to memory clinic encounters have diagnostic potential to assist the screening and referral process from primary care, and the diagnostic service in secondary care

show abstract

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Towards diagnostic conversational profiles of patients presenting with dementia or functional memory disorders to memory clinics

Elsey

Drew

Jones

et al. 2015

Patient Education and Counseling

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, for these strategies to be most effective, accurate screening by General Practitioners and early distinction of progressive neurodegenerative memory problems from other causes of memory complaints is required. There is evidence that, at present, screening procedures are not working well and that the proportion of patients without dementia is increasing in memory clinics (4)(5)(6) The label 'Functional Memory Disorder' (FMD) has been proposed to describe those patients who experience subjective memory complaints and present to memory clinics but do not have an underlying neurodegenerative or psychiatric cause (7). Diagnostic criteria for FMD have been proposed by Schmidtke and colleagues (8), and include subjective memory complaints that affect functioning in everyday life, have been present for more than 6 months, and cannot be explained by a clear psychiatric cause.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinctive neuropsychological profiles differentiate patients with functional memory disorder from patients with amnestic-mild cognitive impairment

Wakefield

Blackburn

Harkness

et al. 2017

Acta Neuropsychiatr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This article has been published in a revised form in Acta Neuropsychiatrica https://doi.org/10.1017/neu.2017.21. This version is free to view and download for private research and study only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Scandinavian College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2017.eprints@whiterose.ac.uk https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/ Reuse Unless indicated otherwise, fulltext items are protected by copyright with all rights reserved. The copyright exception in section 29 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 allows the making of a single copy solely for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study within the limits of fair dealing. The publisher or other rights-holder may allow further reproduction and re-use of this version -refer to the White Rose Research Online record for this item. Where records identify the publisher as the copyright holder, users can verify any specific terms of use on the publisher's website. TakedownIf you consider content in White Rose Research Online to be in breach of UK law, please notify us by emailing eprints@whiterose.ac.uk including the URL of the record and the reason for the withdrawal request. Conclusion: Whilst subjective complaints are common within the FMD population, no objective impairment could be detected, even on a sensitive battery of tasks designed to detect subtle deficits caused by a early neurodegenerative brain disease. This study indicates that FMD patients can be successfully differentiated from patients with neurodegenerative memory decline by characterising their neuropsychological profile.

show abstract

Why didn't I know? Perspectives from adult children of elderly parents with dementia

Nogueras

Postma

Son

2016

Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose Approximately 27 million adults are living with undiagnosed dementia worldwide. The purpose of this study was to learn about the experiences of adult children of elderly parents who were ultimately diagnosed with dementia. Data sources A descriptive qualitative design was used for identifying if there were prodromal signs or symptoms that preceded the more commonly known warning signs of dementia. Twelve, 60‐min interviews were conducted over the telephone. Conclusions The overarching theme was: “Why didn't I know?” Subthemes were “We ignored it because we didn't want it to be,” “We thought it was grief,” and “They wouldn't diagnose dementia.” Normal aging changes often mask the identification of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. Healthcare providers should screen patients for dementia when cognitive concerns or changes become apparent. Implications for practice The General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition and the Mini‐Cog can be used for screening cognitive changes. Since depression may be misinterpreted as dementia, screening for depression should also be included if there is a potential for overlap. This is important in those patients who are experiencing grief, as many signs and symptoms of early grief are the same as early dementia.

show abstract

Memory difficulties are not always a sign of incipient dementia: a review of the possible causes of loss of memory efficiency

Abstract: The accurate distinction of premorbid dementia syndromes from benign non-progressive memory problems. Studies of treatment options for people with benign non-progressive memory problems and longer-term follow-up to determine which patients develop chronic problems.

Cited by 61 publications

References 49 publications

Towards diagnostic conversational profiles of patients presenting with dementia or functional memory disorders to memory clinics

Towards diagnostic conversational profiles of patients presenting with dementia or functional memory disorders to memory clinics

Distinctive neuropsychological profiles differentiate patients with functional memory disorder from patients with amnestic-mild cognitive impairment

Why didn't I know? Perspectives from adult children of elderly parents with dementia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About