The aim of this study is to appreciate the outcome of patients diagnosed with dementia in the Psychiatric Clinic of Arad, Romania.

The study was conducted on 40 patients admitted in the Clinic during January2006-July2007. They were diagnosed with Alzheimer and mixed dementia. The diagnosis was established according to ICD-10 and DSM-IV-TR operational criteria.

The patients were evaluated three times, at the admission, at discharge and after 6months of clinical evolution and treatment through psychiatric exam and psychological assessment (MMSE-Mini Mental State Evaluation and QI-Quotient of Intelligence).

The patients were treated with acetylcholinesterase inhibitors(donepezil) and NMDA(N-metil-D-aspartat)inhibitors(memantine). Some patients(n=20) were treated with occupational psychotherapy also.

The diagnosis of mixed dementia is more frequent than Alzheimer dementia(26vs.14). Almost all the patients were professionally inactive(n=34). The QIis in direct relationship with the MMSEscores at the admission and in inverse relationship with the hospitalization period. The hospitalization period is in inverse relationship with the MMSEscores. Almost all the patients present a moderate cognitive impairment, according to MMSE score (n=24). Temporal and spatial orientation, registration and recall were affected to all patients. The improvement of cognitive impairment, evaluated at discharge, was minimal. 14 patients presented no improvement at all and the others 26 recorded a 1 or 2 points improvement. After 6 months of treatment, the average of MMSE scores increased with 0,9 points versus 0,4 points after discharge. Those patients who were treated with ooccupational psychotherapy have had a favorable improvement of average MMSE scores(1,4points versus 0,3points).