In a retrospective case review of 336 outpatients who underwent
neuropsychiatric evaluations, patients were sorted into five groups: 1)
atypical psychiatric; 2) atypical neurological; 3) prior
psychiatric/new-onset neurological; 4) prior neurological/new-onset
psychiatric; 5) dementia versus pseudodementia. Cluster analysis of 19
presenting complaints differentiated among groups. Post-consultation
changes in preconsultation diagnosis occurred frequently overall, with more
new case finding for psychiatric than for neurological disorders. For
example, mood disorder diagnoses increased from 7.7% to 16.1%. Overall,
dementia was the most common postconsultation diagnosis (32.8%). The
authors conclude that suspicion for dementia should be high in
neuropsychiatric referrals and that mood disorders may be especially common
in neuropsychiatric patients.Abstract Teaser