Clinical profile and course of cognitively normal patients evaluated in memory disorders clinics

The authors investigated 499 patients that were found to be cognitively normal at the Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers of California between 1988 and 1999. Patients reported high rates of depression (39%) and family history of dementia (51%). Thirty-six percent returned for follow-up, and of those, 65% received a diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment. Patients evaluated at memory clinics who are considered cognitively normal may merit periodic re-evaluation.