As the population ages and the prevalence of dementia increases, so too does the need for assessment instruments that are reliable and accurate measures of the deficits associated with this insidious syndrome. Although some of the instruments currently in use (e.g., Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale–Revised) have other applications, there are numerous screening and full battery measures developed specifically to assess dementia. In the assessment literature there is ongoing interest as to the predictive value, sensitivity and specificity of these instruments. Although it is beyond the scope of this article to detail all psychometric issues relevant to the assessment of dementia, the interested reader is referred to an exhaustive review article on this topic by desRosiers. <sup>16 desRosiers G. Primary or depressive dementia: Psychometric assessment Clinical Psychology Review 1992 ;  12 : 307

Cliquez ici pour aller à la section Références</sup> This article (1) describes some of the characteristics unique to the older adult that may affect assessment outcome; (2) describes the progression of memory loss associated with dementia; (3) describes the role of neuropsychological testing; and (4) reviews the assessment measures most frequently used to evaluate the cognitive deficits characteristic of dementia, particularly dementia of the Alzheimer's type (DAT), as well as measures commonly used to assess severity, functional (daily living) skills, and associated behavioral symptoms.

Although some reference is made to other dementing illnesses such as vascular dementia, the focus is almost exclusively on the assessment of DAT. The chief goal is to provide the clinician with a practical review regarding the characteristics and application of the various assessment measures used throughout the disease process.