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Cognitive Assessment for Clinicians
by John R. Hodges, 242 pp, $59, ISBN 0-19-262395-8, Oxford, England, Oxford University Press, 1994.
Alan M. Adelman, MD, Reviewer
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Hershey
Arch Fam Med. 1995;4(3):276-277.
Abstract
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Cognitive Assessment for Clinicians is an easy-to-read, introductory guide to cognitive evaluation. Written by a physician for physicians, the book is clinically oriented. Any physician who deals with the elderly knows that cognitive problems due to delirium, dementia, and stroke are common and can present diagnostic challenges. This book can help physicians diagnose these problems.
I found four chapters particularly helpful. The first chapter gives an interesting overview of memory and attention disorders, including their pathophysiology. There is also a concise review of delirium and dementia. Another text would be needed for an in-depth discussion of both topics. The third and fourth chapters review history taking and tips on physical examination pertinent to cognitive function and the "how to" of testing cognitive functions at the bedside. A step-by-step approach is given along with the appropriate method to test each cognitive function. The author often injects his own rich clinical experience
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