Screening for Organic Mental Syndromes in the Medically III

  1. JOHN W. JACOBS, M.D.;
  2. MICHAEL R. BERNHARD, B.A.;
  3. ANDREA DELGADO, M.D.; and
  4. JAMES J. STRAIN, M.D.
  1. Bronx, New York

    Abstract

    A brief mental status questionnaire adapted specifically to diagnose diffuse organic mental syndromes on busy medical wards is developed and tested for reliability and validity. When the 30-item questionnaire was given to 17 medical patients diagnosed by consultation psychiatrists as having a diffuse organic mental syndrome, all scored 20 or less. With hospitalized psychiatric patients the questionnaire was able to differentiate between the "functional psychoses" and diffuse organic brain syndromes. When administered to 69 consecutive medical admissions, fully one third showed marked cognitive limitations. A sample of normals suggested that results may be contaminated by severe cultural or educational variances. We discuss the role of cognitive deficiencies in medical patients, and suggestions are made regarding the broad usefulness of this questionnaire to a medical service.

    Article and Author Information

    • ▸From the Division of Liaison Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center; Bronx, New York.

    • ▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to John W. Jacobs, M.D.; Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Hospital and Medical Center, 111 East 210th St.; Bronx, NY 10467.

      • Received June 22, 1976.
      • Accepted October 15, 1976.
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    1. Ann Intern Med January 1, 1977 vol. 86 no. 1 40-46
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