US Medical Panel Thinks Twice About Pushing Cognitive Screening For Dementia

Benefits of screening remain unproven though older adults experiencing cognitive decline are encouraged to get assessed

Doctors can help assess cognitive impairment but many people are unaware of any decline and fail to ask. Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

A leading group of medical experts last month declined to endorse cognitive screening for older adults, fueling a debate that has simmered for years.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force said it could neither recommend nor oppose cognitive screening, citing insufficient scientific evidence of the practice’s benefits and harms and calling for further studies.