Prevalence of potentially reversible dementias in a dementia outpatient clinic of a tertiary university-affiliated hospital in Brazil.

The importance of investigating the etiology for dementia lies in the possibility of treating potentially reversible dementias. The aims of this retrospective study are to determine the prevalence of potentially reversible dementias among 454 outpatients seen at the Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Hospital das Clínicas, São Paulo University School of Medicine-Brazil, between the years of 1991 and 2001, and observe their evolution in follow-up. Among the initial 454 patients, 275 fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for dementia.