Recommendations of Swiss Memory Clinics for the Diagnosis of Dementia / Die Empfehlungen der Swiss Memory Clinics für die Diagnostik der Demenzerkrankungen.

The early diagnosis of subjectively perceived or externally anamnestically observed cognitive impairments is essential for proving neurodegenerative diseases or excluding treatable causes such as internal, neurological or psychiatric disorders. Only in this way is early treatment made possible. As part of the project 3.1 of the National Dementia Strategy 2014­2019 («Development and expansion of regional and networked centres of competence for diagnostics¼), the association Swiss Memory Clinics (SMC) set itself the goal of developing quality standards for dementia clarification and improving the community-based care in this field. In these recommendations, general guidelines of diagnostics and individual examination possibilities are presented, and standards for the related processes are suggested. Individual areas such as anamnesis, clinical examination, laboratory examination, neuropsychological testing and neuroradiological procedures are discussed in detail as part of standard diagnostics, and supplementary examination methods for differential diagnosis considerations are portrayed. The most important goals of the SMC recommendations for the diagnosis of dementia are to give all those affected access to high-quality diagnostics, if possible, to improve early diagnosis of dementia and to offer the basic service providers and the employees of Memory Clinics a useful instrument for the clarification.

[Recommendations of Swiss Memory Clinics for the Diagnosis of Dementia]. / Recommandations de Swiss Memory Clinics pour le diagnostic des démences.

Recommendations of Swiss Memory Clinics for the Diagnosis of Dementia Abstract. The early diagnosis of subjectively perceived or externally anamnestically observed cognitive impairments is essential for proving neurodegenerative diseases or excluding treatable causes such as internal, neurological or psychiatric disorders. Only in this way is early treatment made possible. As part of the project 3.1 of the National Dementia Strategy 2014-2019 ('Development and expansion of regional and networked centres of competence for diagnostics'), the association Swiss Memory Clinics (SMC) set itself the goal of developing quality standards for dementia clarification and improving the community-based care in this field. In these recommendations, general guidelines of diagnostics and individual examination possibilities are presented, and standards for the related processes are suggested. Individual areas such as anamnesis, clinical examination, laboratory examination, neuropsychological testing and neuroradiological procedures are discussed in detail as part of standard diagnostics, and supplementary examination methods for differential diagnosis considerations are portrayed. The most important goals of the SMC recommendations for the diagnosis of dementia are to give all those affected access to high-quality diagnostics, if possible, to improve early diagnosis of dementia and to offer the basic service providers and the employees of Memory Clinics a useful instrument for the clarification.

Résumé. Le diagnostic précoce des atteintes cognitives, ressenties subjectivement ou rapportées par un tiers, est essentiel pour détecter des maladies neurodégénératives ou exclure des causes traitables telles que des pathologies de médecine interne, neurologiques ou psychiatriques. C'est la seule façon de garantir un traitement anticipé. Dans le cadre du projet 3.1 de la stratégie nationale en matière de démences 2014­2019 («Mise en place et extension d'un réseau de centres de compétences régionaux pour le diagnostic¼), l'association Swiss Memory Clinics (SMC) s'est fixé pour objectif d'améliorer les normes de qualité en matière de diagnostic des démences et de soins de proximité dans ce domaine. Ces recommandations contiennent des directives d'ordre général sur le diagnostic et les différentes possibilités d'examens, et proposent des normes pour les procédures à appliquer. Elles expliquent en détail les différents éléments du diagnostic standard, tels que l'anamnèse, l'examen clinique, l'analyse de laboratoire, les tests neuropsychologiques et les procédures neuroradiologiques, et présentent des examens complémentaires pouvant alimenter les réflexions sur le diagnostic différentiel. Les principaux objectifs des recommandations SMC pour le diagnostic des démences sont les suivants: assurer l'accès à un diagnostic de haute qualité à un maximum de personnes atteintes, améliorer le diagnostic précoce de la démence, ainsi que proposer aux médecins de premier recours et aux collaborateurs de Memory Clinics un outil d'investigations diagnostiques utile.