Clinical tests of memory in dementia, depression, and healthy aging.

In Study 1, 20 elderly adults (mean age 72.7 yrs) with primary degenerative dementia or major depression were compared to 10 healthy aged controls on 3 tests of learning and memory: the Benton Visual Retention Test; a paired-associate learning test; and the object–memory evaluation (OME) developed by P. A. Fuld (1981). The sharpest distinction in performance among the groups was observed on the OME, and discriminant equations based on this test correctly classified at least 90% of the Ss. Study 2 applied the classification rules derived in the 1st investigation to an unselected series of 25 63–86 yr old geropsychiatry inpatients referred for neuropsychological evaluation. There was agreement between memory test classification and general categories of clinical discharge diagnosis (organic vs functional) for 21 of the Ss and with status at follow-up approximately 18 mo later. Predictive value computations suggested that the OME is more accurate in confirming true dementia than in detecting dementia syndromes associated with functional disorders. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)