Changes in Diagnosis and Evaluation Method for Dementia : A Literature Review

Jung, Han Yong; Kim, Shin Gyeom; Jun, Yong Ho

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
The purpose of the present study was to investigate what aspects of evaluation was ordered for diagnosis of dementia up to the present in Korea.
METHODS
Article review was performed via web searching. We searched the Korean Medical Database (KMbase) for title words containing 'dementia'. Only original articles were used for the analysis. According to the published year, all articles were divided into three stage (1990-1994, 1995-1999, 2000-2003). The data was collected for what instruments were used and what clinical diagnostic criteria for the diagnosis of dementia.
RESULTS
97 studies were identified through a KM base search of all Korean-language publications between 1 January 1990 and 31 December 2003. Mini-Mental State Examination was not only most commonly applied screening test for dementia in all three stage, also mainly employed as a standard test for validating other screening test. The trends that the DSM clinical diagnotic criteria was soley used were changed in later stage, and then much more studies used NINCDS-ADRDA and NINDS-AIREN criteria in conjunction with DSM diagnostic criteria. Variable instruments to assess functional impairment and behavioral problem were more widely used in three stage than before. In addition, usage of the neuroimage was significantly increased in the 3rd stage.
CONCLUSION
This results show increasing trend in study on dementia in Korea with the aid of systematic diagnosis of dementia including specific clinical diagnosis, screening test, cognitive function test, functional and behavioral assessment.