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Should we refer for a dementia assessment? A checklist to help know when to be concerned about dementia in adults with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities
- Authors:
- WHITWHAM Sarah, MCBRIEN Judith, BROOM Wendy
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 39(1), March 2011, pp.17-21.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The genetic risk in the Down syndrome population for the early onset of Alzheimer’s disease is well known. This research developed a screening checklist to help carers and professionals know when to make a referral for a dementia assessment. A checklist was completed for all new referrals to a dementia service for people with intellectual disabilities. The obtained scores were compared to the diagnostic outcome of a comprehensive dementia assessment. Participants included 159 individuals with learning disability, of which 146 had Downs. After 12 months of collecting data, 39 had a diagnosis of dementia. Findings indicated that a higher score on the checklist correlates significantly with a subsequent diagnosis of dementia. Overall, the checklist appeared to be a useful tool to prompt referrals for a full dementia assessment. The authors concluded that, by helping the referrer to identify dementia, it may reduce the number of late or non-referrals.