An Approach to Assessing Dementia: Investigations suitable for use in the family physician's office.

Early tell-tale signs of dementia may not be manifest or recognized as significant by the patient or the physician. Often a spouse, relative, or someone close to the patient recognizes changes over time. While it might be argued that little is lost if the cause is irreversible, a small but significant number of cases have reversible causes and suffering can be alleviated. The recommendations of the Canadian Consensus Conference on the …