The early diagnosis of subjectively perceived or externally anamnestically observed cognitive impairments is essential
for proving neurodegenerative diseases or excluding treatable causes such as internal, neurological or psychiatric
disorders. Only in this way is early treatment made possible. As part of the project 3.1 of the National Dementia Strategy
2014–2019 («Development and expansion of regional and networked centres of competence for diagnostics»), the association
Swiss Memory Clinics (SMC) set itself the goal of developing quality standards for dementia clarification and improving
the community-based care in this field. In these recommendations, general guidelines of diagnostics and individual
examination possibilities are presented, and standards for the related processes are suggested. Individual areas such as
anamnesis, clinical examination, laboratory examination, neuropsychological testing and neuroradiological procedures are
discussed in detail as part of standard diagnostics, and supplementary examination methods for differential diagnosis
considerations are portrayed. The most important goals of the SMC recommendations for the diagnosis of dementia are to
give all those affected access to high-quality diagnostics, if possible, to improve early diagnosis of dementia and to offer
the basic service providers and the employees of Memory Clinics a useful instrument for the clarification.