Very mild to severe dementia and mortality: A 14-year follow-up - The Odense study.

Background/aims: To examine the mortality of very mildly to severely demented persons compared to nondemented persons.

Methods: Participants in a randomly drawn population-based cohort study on dementia were followed for 14 years from 1992 to 2006. Participants were examined at baseline (3,065 nondemented and 234 prevalent demented), after 2 years (2,286 nondemented and 145 incident demented) and again after 5 years (1,669 nondemented and 124 new cases of dementia).

The effect of age of onset of PD on risk of dementia.

Background: Dementia occurs in the majority of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Late onset of PD has been reported to be associated with a higher risk for dementia. However, age at onset (AAO) and age at baseline assessment are often correlated.

Serum surfactant protein D is correlated to development of dementia and augmented mortality.

Development of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), is associated with lipid dysregulation and inflammation. As the host defense lectin surfactant protein D (SP-D) has multiple effects in lipid homeostasis and inflammation, the correlation between SP-D concentrations and development of dementia was investigated. A total of 418 non-demented persons were included in the study and cognitively re-examined after 3 years, while survival was followed for 11 years.

[Diagnostic imaging in dementia evaluation].

Introduction: The aim of the study was to evaluate the changes in diagnoses and treatment by structural scanning in dementia evaluation.

Material And Methods: 336 elderly, consecutively evaluated patients from two university memory clinics (mean age 75 y, mean MMSE 21.7), were retrospectively diagnosed without and with inclusion of scan results.

[Depression and the risk of Alzheimer's disease].

A population based cohort study consisting of 3346 participants aged 65-84 years was examined at baseline (1992-94) and after two and five years. The purpose was to examine whether a history of depression increased the risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). History of depression was based on self-report and AD was diagnosed according to NINCDS-ADRDA.

Depression and the risk of Alzheimer disease.

Background: Several epidemiologic studies have examined depression as a risk factor for Alzheimer disease with conflicting results. Most studies relied on self-reported depression, but the agreement between self-reported depression and clinical diagnosis has been reported to be weak, thereby diluting the association.

Methods: A population-based cohort in Odense, Denmark, of 3346 persons age 65-84 years was examined at baseline (1992-1994) and after 2 years (1994-1996) and 5 years (1997-1999).

The rate of cognitive decline in Parkinson disease.

Objectives: To measure the rate and predictors of change on the Mini-Mental State Examination in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and to compare that change with the Mini-Mental State Examination changes of patients with Alzheimer disease and nondemented subjects.

Patients: Patients with PD were drawn from a community-based cohort in Rogaland County, Norway. Those who were without cognitive impairment at disease onset and participated in 1 or more assessments after visit 1 were included and examined after 4 years (visit 2) and 8 years (visit 3).

Ability to perform activities of daily living is the main factor affecting quality of life in patients with dementia.

Background: Dementia is a chronic illness associated with a progressive loss of cognitive and intellectual abilities, such as memory, judgment and abstract thinking. The objective of this study was to assess the health utilities of patients with dementia in Europe and identify the key factors influencing their Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQol).

Methods: This study used cross-sectional data from the Odense study; a Danish cohort of patients aged 65-84 living in Odense, Denmark.

Effect of smoking on global cognitive function in nondemented elderly.

Background: Contrary to early case-control studies that suggested smoking protects against Alzheimer disease (AD), recent prospective studies have shown that elderly who smoke may be at increased risk for dementia.

Objective: To examine prospectively the effect of smoking on cognition in nondemented elderly.

Method: In a multicenter cohort, the European Community Concerted Action Epidemiology of Dementia (EURODEM), including the Odense, Personnes Agées Quid (Paquid), Rotterdam, and Medical Research Council: Ageing in Liverpool Project-Health Aspects (MRC ALPHA) Studies, 17,610 persons aged 65 and over were screened and examined for dementia.

Cost of dementia: impact of disease progression estimated in longitudinal data.

Aims: Several studies have shown that health care costs are higher for demented than for non-demented persons and that health care costs are higher for more severe demented persons than less severe demented persons. However, most studies report on cross-sectional study designs, and thus fail to examine the influence of disease progression on changes in health care costs to individual persons. The objective of this study was, using longitudinal data, to examine changes in total health care costs with disease progression in demented persons.

Prevalence and characteristics of dementia in Parkinson disease: an 8-year prospective study.

Background: Few longitudinal studies of dementia in Parkinson disease (PD) have been reported, and the proportion of patients with PD who eventually develop dementia is unknown.

Objective: To examine the 8-year prevalence, characteristics, and risk factors of dementia in patients with PD.

Methods: Patients were recruited from an epidemiological study of PD in the county of Rogaland, Norway, using explicit criteria for PD.

Age-related adverse drug reactions to clomipramine.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether age itself is a significant factor in predicting adverse drug reactions in depressed inpatients treated with clomipramine.

Method: The study involved 150 hospitalized, depressed patients treated with 150 mg clomipramine per day. Changes in orthostatic blood pressure during treatment as well as the patients' complaint about side-effects was examined with regard to age.

ICD-10 criteria for depression in general practice.

Background: The rate of recognition of depressive disorder in general practice is reported to be low. Current classification systems, i.e.

Differences in symptomatology and diagnostic profile in younger and elderly depressed inpatients.

Background: Depression is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in the elderly and several studies indicate that 10-15% of persons over 65 years suffer from significant depressive symptoms. Despite the high prevalence, most cases of depression in the elderly remain unrecognized and untreated, maybe because of a different pattern of symptoms across age groups. The objective of the study was to compare symptomatology and diagnostic profile between younger and elderly DSM-III and DSM-III-R major depressed inpatients and to advise an appropriate depression scale for the elderly.

Risk of dementia in Parkinson's disease: a community-based, prospective study.

Objective: To calculate the incidence of and determine possible risk factors for dementia in PD.

Background: Dementia has important clinical consequences for patients with PD and their caregivers, but the incidence is unknown.

Methods: A population-based cohort of nondemented patients with PD (n = 171) from the county of Rogaland, Norway, was assessed at baseline and 4.

CAMCOG as a screening instrument for dementia: the Odense study. Cambridge Cognitive Examination.

Objective: The Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG) score is correlated with age and sociodemographic variables. The aim of the study was to determine an individualized CAMCOG cut-off score for dementia, taking such correlates into account.

Method: From the general population 150 people aged 65-84 years were examined with CAMDEX which includes CAMCOG, and a neuropsychological test battery.

[Prevalence and incidence of dementia in Denmark. The Odense study].

Prevalence and incidence of dementia were determined for 65-84 year-old persons living in the municipality of Odense and randomly drawn from the Danish Civil Registration System (DCRS). All participants were examined with CAMCOG, the cognitive section of CAMDEX (The Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly) and the follow-up period was two years. Individualized CAMCOG cut-off scores were determined by multiple linear regression.

Cost function estimation: the choice of a model to apply to dementia.

Statistical analysis of cost data is often difficult because of highly skewed data resulting from a few patients who incur high costs relative to the majority of patients. When the objective is to predict the cost for an individual patient, the literature suggests that one should choose a regression model based on the quality of its predictions. In exploring the econometric issues, the objective of this study was to estimate a cost function in order to estimate the annual health care cost of dementia.

Education and the risk for Alzheimer's disease: sex makes a difference. EURODEM pooled analyses. EURODEM Incidence Research Group.

The hypothesis that a low educational level increases the risk for Alzheimer's disease remains controversial. The authors studied the association of years of schooling with the risk for incident dementia and Alzheimer's disease by using pooled data from four European population-based follow-up studies. Dementia cases were identified in a two-stage procedure that included a detailed diagnostic assessment of screen-positive subjects.

Gender differences in the incidence of AD and vascular dementia: The EURODEM Studies. EURODEM Incidence Research Group.

Objective: To study the difference in risk for dementing diseases between men and women.

Background: Previous studies suggest women have a higher risk for dementia than men. However, these studies include small sample sizes, particularly in the older age groups, when the incidence of dementia is highest.

Characteristics of elderly who develop Alzheimer's disease during the next two years-a neuropsychological study using CAMCOG. The Odense Study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to determine which cognitive functions first deteriorate in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and to identify persons who would become demented 2 years following an initial examination.

Participants: A total of 2452 initially non-demented persons, aged 65-84 years and randomly drawn from the population, who were examined 2 years apart.

Measures: CAMCOG, the cognitive section of CAMDEX (The Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination).

The cost of dementia in Denmark: the Odense Study.

In a population-based study of dementia, the cost of care for 245 demented elderly and 490 controls matched by age and gender was estimated. Dementia of Alzheimer's type was diagnosed according to the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria, and vascular dementia and other types of dementia were diagnosed according to the DSM-IIIR criteria. Severity of dementia was determined by the Clinical Dementia Rating scale.