Dementia DDx

Dementia – Differential Diagnosis

Common causes

• Mild cognitive impairment
• Alzheimer disease
• Vascular Dementia
• Alcohol (Wernicke Korsakoff)
• Vitamin B12 deficiency

Must Not Miss

• CVA
• Hypoglycaemia
• Brain tumour
• Delirium
• Head injury

Easily missed

• Depression/ Anxiety
• Hydrocephalus
• Parkinson’s disease
• Thyroid disorders
• Transient global amnesia
• Wilson’s Disease
• Huntington’s disease

Red flags

• Acute confusion/agitation
• Progressive neurological deficit
• Hypoxia (Dyspnoea, Cyanosis)
• Chest pain, Collapse
• Recurrent falls
• Hallucinations
• Risk to self or others

Investigations to consider

• FBC, CRP/ESR
• U+Es, LFTs, Bone profile, Serum glucose,
• B12 + Folate
• Urinalysis/culture
• ECG
• CXR
• CT/MRI scan