A memory clinic at a geriatric hospital: A report on 577 patients assessed with the CAMDEX over 9 years

Abstract

Objective: To report 9 years' experience of an Australian memory clinic using the Cambridge Mental Disorders in the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX) assessment schedule, summarizing patient demographics, diagnoses at presentation and the utility of four instruments used in distinguishing patients with and without dementia. Methods: All patients seen at the clinic between December 1989 and September 1998 were assessed using the CAMDEX. Diagnoses were determined according to criteria of the International Classification of Diseases, tenth edition (ICD-10). Results: The mean age of 577 patients seen was 72.9 years and 60.8% were female. Over 40% fulfilled ICD-10 diagnostic criteria for dementia in A..