Dementia – Major Neurocognitive Disorder (Dementia)
- A note on terminology: ”Major neurocognitive disorder” in DSMV replaced the previous terminology of “dementia”; both terms are considered acceptable and interchangeable by most.
- Limitations to the term “dementia”, as discussed in this article by Sachdev et al., include that it has gained a negative connotation over time and is typically associated only with older adults, whereas major neurocognitive disorder can encompass younger people who have acquired impairments after, for example, a traumatic brain injury
- Other changes to the DSMV, from DSMIV, include that memory impairment is not required for the diagnosis
- Diagnosis of major neurocognitive disorder in the DSM-V:
- Evidence from history or clinical assessment of an acquired and significant impairment in at least one cognitive domain: learning and memory, language, executive function, perceptual-motor function, complex attention, social cognition
- Deficit must interfere with independence in everyday activities
- Disturbances must not occur exclusively during course of delirium
- Disturbances are not better accounted for by another mental disorder (such as depression, schizophrenia, etc.)