INTRODUCTION
Dementia is a syndrome caused by various diseases, featured by memory
deterioration, thinking difficulties, behavior problems and impaired
ability to perform everyday activities. The number of people actually
living with dementia worldwide is estimated around 50 million.(1) It has long been considered as a condition which
can not be prevented or cured, although recently progress has been made
towards its diagnosis, treatment and management, resulting in better
quality of life for affected patients and their carers.(2) Unlike dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
does not significantly hinder persons’ daily activities. It is
considered a level of transition into evolving dementia; therefore, its
early detection might help in selecting individuals at high risk for
developing dementia and begin interventions aimed at slowing progressive
deficits. (3)
The diagnosis of dementia and mild cognitive impairment usually involves
complete neuropsychological assessment of certain cognitive domains
(executive functioning, complex attention, language, memory and
learning, perception and motor functioning, social cognition). In cases
when neuropsychological assessment is unavailable, one or more
standardized tests are administered including the Mini-Mental State
Examination (MMSE), the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the
Mini-Cog. Interpretation of their results should consider patient’s age
and education level, and ideally his culture, linguistic group and
geographical area too. (4)
Recent studies have identified significant gaps in dementia´s
epidemiology, especially regarding its incidence in low- and
middle-income countries. Precise assessments of prevalence and incidence
of dementia, as well as MCI, are of utmost importance for planning
necessary health and social services required by an aging population.(5)
The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of mild cognitive
impairment and dementia by applying three different tests for their
early diagnosis among older Albanian patients and to find correlates
with socio-demographic and medical factors.