Functional Cognitive Disorder Presents High Frequency and Distinct Clinical Profile in Patients With Low Education

Overview

Journal Front Aging Neurosci

Specialty Geriatrics

Date 2022 Apr 18

PMID 35431909

Authors

Wyllians Vendramini Borelli

Priscylla Nunes de Senna

Wagner Scheeren Brum

Artur Francisco Schumacher-Schuh

Eduardo R Zimmer

Marcia Lorena Fagundes Chaves

Raphael Machado Castilhos

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD) is a non-degenerative, common cause of memory complaint in patients with high educational levels. FCD has been insufficiently described in individuals with low education. Here, we investigated the frequency of FCD among individuals with low education.

Methods: We analyzed retrospectively all new referrals from primary care to a tertiary memory clinic from 2014 to 2021. Final diagnosis, diagnostic work-up, clinical and cognitive testing data were compared between FCD and other diagnoses, grouped as Neurodegenerative Disorders (NDD). A regression model was used to assess the effect of education on the diagnosis. Data is shown in Mean [SD].

Results: A total of 516 individuals (70.76 [10.3] years) with low educational attainment (4.5 [3.94] years) were divided into FCD (146, 28.3%) and NDD. Compared with NDD, FCD patients showed lower age at presentation (66.2 [9.4] vs. 72.6 [10.2], < 0.001), higher Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores (22.4 [6.2] vs. 14.7 [7.8], < 0.001) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) scores (7.4 [5.4] vs. 5.3 [3.7], = 0.0001).

Discussion: Surprisingly, FCD was the most frequent diagnosis in a low educational setting. However, education was not associated with FCD. Individuals presenting FCD showed a distinct clinical profile, including younger age and higher depressive scores. Strategies to identify FCD in primary care settings may benefit both patients and healthcare systems.

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