Towards evidence-based dementia screening in Australia

Barendregt, Jan J

doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2011.tb03019.x

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To the Editor: In their editorial, Terpening, Hodges and Cordato argue for routine screening for dementia in Australia.1 Most of the editorial is devoted to discussing which test should be used, and the authors contend that the most-used test — the mini-mental state examination — has such poor test characteristics that it would be a very poor basis for routine screening.

School of Population Health, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.

Correspondence: j.barendregt@sph.uq.edu.au

1. Terpening Z, Hodges JR, Cordato NJ. Towards evidence-based dementia screening in Australia [editorial]. Med J Aust 2011; 194: 60-61. <MJA full text>
2. Wilson JMG, Jungner G. Principles and practice of screening for disease. Public Health Papers, No. 34. Geneva: World Health Organization, 1968.
3. Naismith SL, Glozier N, Burke D, et al. Early intervention for cognitive decline: is there a role for multiple medical or behavioural interventions? Early Interv Psychiatry 2009; 3: 19-27.

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