29th April 2024

Dementia Mimics

A number of conditions can mimic dementia. The most commonly encountered in the inpatient hospital environment is delirium, however depression and mild cognitive impairment can also be confused for dementia. It is important to have an understanding of the distinctions and how they would apply to clinical practice. Mild cognitive impairment is cognitive decline beyond what would be expected for someone’s age and can be seen as a pre-dementia state. Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, pellagra, Korsakoff’s syndrome and normal pressure hydrocephalus are other conditions which may be confused with, or overlap dementia.