Recommendations for the neuropsychological assessment supporting the diagnosis of dementia in the Luxembourgish context (NP-DiaDem).

Abstract

The diagnosis of neurocognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairments and dementia is a challenging endeavour. On behalf of the neuropsychologists of the Luxembourgish Society of Psychology (SLP), the authors develop a common framework for the neuropsychological diagnosis of dementia in the Luxembourgish context (NP-DiaDem) and promote the role of the neuropsychologist in this process. The paper's aim is threefold: (I) highlighting the role of the neuropsychological evaluation to support the medical diagnosis of neurodegenerative cognitive disorders; (II) providing recommendations for the neuropsychological assessment, based on recently published international guidelines; and (III) providing a new diagnostic process, facilitating the differentiation between mild and more severe states of cognitive decline. An important heterogeneity in the evaluation of cognitive performances and assessments instruments exists, partly due to the multicultural and multilingual context of the population living in Luxembourg. Prior applying the present recommendations, a note on the specific Luxembourgish context is provided as it influences directly the diagnostic process. The absence of validated and culturally adapted assessment tools for the Luxembourgish context is a serious problem in the diagnosis of cognitive deficits of either origin. The taskforce therefore strongly recommends and supports the development of a large database of cognitive performance data and hence population-specific norms for some of the most basic diagnostic tools.