Results of the Clock Drawing Test in elderly people with and without dementia followed up at a Homeopathy service in Rio Branco, Acre

Abstract

Advances in health have made it possible to increase life expectancy and have influenced the prevalence of diseases that affect the elderly. Among these, there are dementia syndromes, such as Alzheimer's disease, which deteriorate the quality of life of the elderly and individuals around them. Linked to the patient's clinic, there are cognitive tests that aid in diagnosis, including the Clock Drawing Test (CDT). The main objective of the study is to evaluate the use of CDT in elderly people with and without dementia, before and after homeopathic treatment, in the city of Rio Branco, Acre. It consists of a longitudinal observational study of the cohort type, carried out with elderly people being followed up for cognitive or motor complaints at the Hospital do Idoso of Fundação Hospitalar do Acre, with application of the CDT between August 2019 and May 2021. In conclusion, the test has a great influence of schooling in the population study and hinders its use as a diagnostic tool for dementia, besides also having its results confused by income and age.