Improving Diagnosis in Cognitive Disorders V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Improving Diagnosis in Cognitive Disorders
IRAS ID
257490
Contact name
Laura McWhirter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
NA, NA
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Increased media attention on dementia as a public health problem has led to more and more people seeking medical help for memory problems; however, around 30% of patients attending memory clinics to not have dementia. Some of these individuals may be in the very earliest 'pre-clinical' stage of dementia, or have other medical or medication causes of memory problems. However review of many studies of memory clinics suggests that a significant number have a functional (also called psychogenic, medically unexplained, or'non-organic') cause of symptoms. This group of individual have been rather neglected by both dementia and functional disorders researchers and there is lack of evidence regarding treatment and follow-up.
This study aims to develop a clinical tool which can be used in outpatient clinics to help clinicians to identify individuals presenting with cognitive symptoms who are most likely to have a functional (psychogenic) cognitive disorder. Such a tool would reduce mistaken diagnoses of dementia, and subsequent harm caused by inappropriate advice and treatment, and would also help to define groups of individuals with functional cognitive disorders in a way that would allow future research into potential treatments.
This study is being carried out as part of a PhD project in a Clinical Research Fellowship funded by Baillie Gifford, via the Centre for Dementia Prevention at the University of Edinburgh.Participants will be recruited from the City of Edinburgh Memory Assessment and Treatment Service, and from neurology and neuropsychiatry outpatient clinics. Following the normal process of clinical assessment after GP referral, those who take part will attend an extra research appointment. They will take part in a short interview, cognitive examination and complete questionnaires. The outcomes of this assessment will be compared with a reference standard diagnosis consisting of a panel decision on the basis of all available clinical information.
REC name
South East Scotland REC 01
REC reference
19/SS/0038
Date of REC Opinion
3 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion