Abstract

Introduction

In recent years, more attention has been given to the early diagnostic evaluation of patients with dementia. The availability of symptomatic treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors for Alzheimer’s disease has contributed to this changed attitude towards dementia, not only among physicians but also in the general population. Although Alzheimer’s disease cannot be cured, some diseases that were previously regarded as hopelessly progressive dementing disorders, with little attention given to them by specialists, have now turned into a group of brain disorders that may be modulated by pharmaceutical treatment and professional support. What we are experiencing is probably only the beginning of a new era, which may bring more efficient and complex treatment possibilities to the field of dementia.

Early diagnostic evaluation of dementia is essential for planning treatment and support. As for any other neurological disorder, the aetiological diagnosis is the key to specific treatment, if available, and to specific