The prevalence of dementia as measured by the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination

Abstract

General practice patients aged 75 years and over were screened for cognitive impairment using the Mini-Mental State Examination. Those scoring 23 or below and a sample of those scoring 24 or 25 were asessed using the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX), a structured interview schedule specifically designed to detect mild dementia. The CAMDEX includes a mental state examination, a psychiatric history, detailed cognitive testing and an informant interview. The prevalence of dementia in 2311 patients was found to be 10.5%, about half that found in most earlier studies. Possible reasons for this low rate are discussed.