Practical application of brief cognitive tests.

INTRODUCTION: Brief cognitive tests (BCT) may help detect cognitive impairment (CI) in the clinical setting. Several BCT have been developed and/or validated in our country, but we lack specific recommendations for use. DEVELOPMENT: Review of studies on the diagnostic accuracy of BCT for CI, using studies conducted in Spain with BCT which take less than 20 min. We provide recommendations of use based on expert consensus and established on the basis of BCT characteristics and study results. CONCLUSION: The Fototest, the Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) are the preferred options in primary care; other BCT (Clock Drawing Test [CDT], test of verbal fluency [TVF]) may also be administered in cases of negative results with persistent suspected CI or concern (stepwise approach). In the specialised care setting, a systematic assessment of the different cognitive domains should be conducted using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the MMSE, the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment, the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination, or by means of a stepwise or combined approach involving more simple tests (CDT, TVF, Fototest, MIS, Memory Alteration Test, Eurotest). Associating an informant questionnaire (IQ) with the BCT is superior to the BCT alone for the detection of CI. The choice of instruments will depend on the patient's characteristics, the clinician's experience, and available time. The BCT and IQ must reinforce - but never substitute - clinical judgment, patient-doctor communication, and inter-professional dialogue.

[Profile and burden of care in caregivers of patients with dementia included in the ALOIS program]. / Perfil y sobrecarga de los cuidadores de pacientes con demencia incluidos en el programa ALOIS.

AIM: To study the profile and burden of care in carers of patients with dementia who participated in the ALOIS program. A second objective was to evaluate caregiver satisfaction with the intervention, and changes in caregiver burden after participation in the program. DESIGN: Descriptive study of a specific intervention with no control group. SETTING: Primary care centers. PARTICIPANTS: Principal caregivers of patients with dementia. INTERVENTIONS: Group education sessions led by multidisciplinary teams comprising physicians, nurses and social workers. MEASURES: Caregiver profile; mean caregiver burden before and 3 months after the intervention (Caregiver Burden Interview, Zarit); caregivers' evaluation of the program. RESULTS: Participants N=245. Profile (N=173): women (83%), mean age 54.6 years (range, 26-83 years), married (82.5%), no formal education or primary school only (70.2%), housewife (54.3%), patient's daughter (58.5%). More than 60% of the caregivers received informal help, and fewer than 5% received formal help. 72.5% of the caregivers were considered overburdened at the start of the intervention, and the burden was greater in older caregivers. No differences were detected in caregiver relation to the patient, marital status or employment status of the caregiver. Participants rated the program very highly, emphasizing the opportunity to share their experiences with other caregivers and to obtain knowledge and skills that helped them provide better care. Pre- and postintervention burden of care was compared in 68 participants (54.76+/-15.16 points vs 53.02+/-12.55), and no statistically significant difference was found. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of care was high among caregivers, and increased as caregivers aged. Caregivers considered participation in the program to be highly useful. Care for caregivers should form part of care provided for patients with dementia.