An observational study of younger patients (<65 years) referred to early memory diagnosis and support service

<p>Jessie Zhang, Rahul Tomar and Tim M Gale</p>

An observational study of younger patients (<65 years) referred to early memory diagnosis and support service

Jessie Zhang, Rahul Tomar and Tim M Gale

Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, UK

: J Aging Geriatr Med

Abstract

Introduction: There has been a recent national campaign to increase public awareness of dementia. As awareness has increased, the number of referrals to EMDASS (Early Memory Diagnosis and Support Service) in Hertfordshire UK has also increased, including in those under 65 years old. This audit retrospectively reviews the <65 year old patients referred to EMDASS from April 2017 to March 2018.

Aims: The primary aim was to determine the percentage of <65s referred who are diagnosed with dementia and to correlate diagnosis with ACE-III (Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-III) test scores.

Methods: There were 270 patients <65 years old who were referred to EMDASS between 01/04/17 to 31/03/18. PARIS (electronic psychiatric notes system) was used to collect the patient data. An unpaired t-test was used to calculate the correlation between ACE scores and dementia diagnosis.

Results: Dementia was diagnosed in 20% (n=53) of the cohort. The most common type of dementia diagnosed was Alzheimer’s Dementia. ACE scores were found to be statistically significantly worse in the dementia group than the MCI (mild cognitive impairment) group (p<0.0001), which was in turn statistically significantly worse than the no illness group (p<0.0005).

Discussion: In under 65s there is a proportionately lower number of dementia diagnoses in comparison to over 65s. The breakdown of dementia subtypes corresponds with national data on dementia in all ages. The ACE score plays an important part in the diagnosis of dementia by clinical decision makers.