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Chapter 1 - Dementia

The Clinical and Diagnostic Context

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 July 2023

Nick Brindle
Affiliation:
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Michael Kennedy
Affiliation:
Switalskis Solicitors
Christian Walsh
Affiliation:
Leeds Beckett University
Ben Alderson
Affiliation:
Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
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Summary

The purpose of this chapter is to give a brief overview of some of the clinical features of dementia. A level of knowledge is assumed and there are other texts that comprehensively examine general aspects of dementia diagnosis, neurobiology, current interventions, etc. We will provide an overview of the range of cognitive systems and how impairments in these systems relate to the clinical presentation. While decision-making capacity and cognitive abilities are related, they are not the same thing. The first refers to the patient’s ability to make a particular decision (at a particular point in time) and the latter encompasses a broad range of processes, including a person’s memory, problem-solving, language, attention and visuospatial abilities. Understanding different cognitive domains and how they interact is necessary for accurate clinical assessment and in determining disease severity. Also, in relation to legal considerations, characterising specific deficits may also help to explain why decision-making capacity is impaired or, just as importantly, in identifying how to apply measures to support an individual’s decision-making.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Dementia
  • Nick Brindle, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Michael Kennedy, Switalskis Solicitors, Christian Walsh, Leeds Beckett University, Ben Alderson, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
  • Book: A Clinician's Brief Guide to Dementia and the Law
  • Online publication: 20 July 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781911623250.002
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  • Dementia
  • Nick Brindle, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Michael Kennedy, Switalskis Solicitors, Christian Walsh, Leeds Beckett University, Ben Alderson, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
  • Book: A Clinician's Brief Guide to Dementia and the Law
  • Online publication: 20 July 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781911623250.002
Available formats
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Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Dementia
  • Nick Brindle, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Michael Kennedy, Switalskis Solicitors, Christian Walsh, Leeds Beckett University, Ben Alderson, Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
  • Book: A Clinician's Brief Guide to Dementia and the Law
  • Online publication: 20 July 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781911623250.002
Available formats
×