AbstractWhile in most western countries the early diagnosis and community management of dementing disorders in the elderly is very much the responsibility of the general practitioner, a number of studies suggest general practitioners to be poorly prepared for such a task. In a postal questionnaire of 301 general practitioners in the Montpellier region of France, wide variations were found in clinical practice. Of particular concern was failure to use standardized instruments in the diagnosis of cognitive deficits and the high prescription rate of inappropriate laboratory and neurological examinations. The results of the study suggest areas in which general practice procedures may be altered to reduce false positive diagnoses.