Dementia screening: Assessment and correlation of cognitive and functional impairments among the elderly in the ambulatory clinics of a tertiary hospital

ABSTRACT

DESIGN: Descriptive-cross-sectional with correlational analysis using ANOVA. SETTING: Outpatient Department (OPD) of Santo Tomas University Hospital (STUH) Clinical Division. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred one out of 105 patients 60 years old and above consulting at the OPD using total enumeration by using computed sample size with the Epi Info 6 Program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Demographic and Medical Profile of respondents, results of the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) for cognitive dysfunction, and Daily Activities and Social Independence Test (DAST) for functional dependence and correlation between MMSE and DAST and test of association between the two and the demographic profile by ANOVA. RESULTS: A total of 47 out of 101 (46.5 percent) scored 23 and below suggesting possible dementia. With scores adjusted to educational attainment, the prevalence of dementia was estimated to be 21.7 percent. The MMSE score had a strong indirect correlation with the total score of Daily Activities and Social Independence test (4=0.79, p0.05). These scores were likewise correlated with the educational attainment and age but no associations noted with regards to sex and civil status. CONCLUSIONS: The Occurrence of dementia was noted as age advanced, and was inversely related to the level of educational attainment. There is also an expected impairment among those who scored positive for dementia screening.