Disability in a memory clinic: Frequency and associations with low cognitive performance

• Published in: The European journal of psychiatry Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 50 - 58
• Main Authors: Gracia-García, P., López-Antón, R., Santabárbara, J., de la Cámara, C., Saz, P., Larraga, L., Gonzalez-Torecillas, J.L., Fernandez-Braso, A.M., Quintanilla, M.Á.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier España, S.L.U 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Cognition; Disability; Memory clinic; Disability; Cognition; Memory clinic
• ISSN: 0213-6163; 2340-4469
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpsy.2017.04.002

To document the frequency of disability in a Psychiatry Memory Clinic (MC); to test the conjecture that there is an association between low cognitive performance and disability, even when controlling by dementia and clinically significant depression. A sample of 158 individuals referred to a Psychiatry MC were assessed with a full clinical protocol. Instruments used: Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE); Semantic verbal fluency; the Clock Drawing test; Katz Index; Lawton and Brody Scale. DSM-IV criteria were used for diagnosing depression and dementia. The statistical analysis included logistic regression models. The frequency of disability was 71.6%. MMSE score was significantly associated with moderate-severe disability on instrumental activities of daily living (ADL's) (OR 0.83; 95%CI 0.72–0.96) and with social ADL's (OR 0.87; 95%CI 0.79–0.95)). Orientation, attention and language MMSE subscores were the cognitive domains most significantly associated with disability. Disability in patients referred to a Psychiatry MC with a heterogeneous clinical population is associated with low cognitive performance. The probability of having moderate-severe disability is related to the degree of impairment on MMSE global scores.