Descripción de los resultados de las pruebas neuropsicológicas en el diagnóstico diferencial de los pacientes con Alzheimer

Abstract

Introduction: cognitive impairment in dementia is one of the dimensions that needs to be evaluated effectively in patients who go to specialized services. For decades, the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Monterreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) have been the most widely used instruments; however, the complexity of the diagnosis process has given rise to new tests such as the frontal assessment battery (FAB). Objective: to describe the results of neuropsychological tests applied to patients with dementia. Method: design: a descriptive, cross-sectional study of 19 patients with various types of dementia, who completed psychological screening tests. e context was that of bioethics, especially with a vision towards the dignity and autonomy of the patients. Results: the scores show moderate cognitive deterioration and the presence of a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease; additionally, the FAB shows cut-off points for the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Conclusions: despite the fact that each instrument shows cut-off points that are more sensitive to each type of dementia, both tests show similarities in terms of the scoring curve for each evaluation criterion. It is important for patients with cognitive impairment to have access to tests that allow an adequate differential diagnosis to be performed, since not only the intervention and treatment will depend on this but also the care that they will receive during the course of the disease.