Abstract
Diagnosing mild cognitive impairment and dementia syndrome has been of increasing importance in recent years in association with population ageing. When determining the degree of cognitive impairment regardless of its aetiology, the diagnostic criteria describing the syndrome of mild cognitive impairment and the dementia syndrome are applicable.
Screening methods still play a role in practical diagnosis. They can be used to assess the patient's cognitive status with a certain degree of probability.
This article aims at presenting the principles of a clinical screening test for cognition and the utility of selected most widely spread screening methods in the Czech Republic. It deals with the principles of cognitive testing interview and the issue of subjective cognitive complaints.
The Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment are considered to be the most commonly used and available screening methods in the Czech Republic. Attention is also paid to the clinical use of the still widely used Clock Drawing Test and other short cognitive tests.