Evidence from the history and mental status examination that indicates major impairment in learning and memory as well as at least one of the following:
a. Impairment in handling complex tasks (eg, balancing a checkbook)
b. Impairment in reasoning ability (eg, unable to cope with unexpected events)
c. Impaired spatial ability and orientation (getting lost in familiar places)
d. Impaired language (word finding)
The cognitive symptoms must significantly interfere with the individual's work performance, usual social activities, or relationships with other people. There must be a significant decline from a previous level of functioning. The disturbances are of insidious onset and are progressive. The disturbances are not due to delirium; a major psychiatric diagnosis; systemic disease or another brain disease.
Patients with dementia may also have difficulty with
a. Learning and retaining new information (eg, trouble remembering events)
b. Behavior
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