How Are Cognitive Skills Currently Tested?
Cognition can be tested informally during a medical consultation by asking questions concerning recent events and autobiographical details. A more formal assessment using a short cognitive test may detect other problems and gives the patient a score. NICE guidelines recommend the use of a short cognitive test in the diagnosis of dementia. Formal neuropsychological testing is important in the assessment of patients with complex problems or very subtle deficits but is not available for most patients with dementia in the UK.