title: Pavia memory project: study design and first results.
abstract: This paper describes the design and first results of the cross-sectional phase of a study on memory impairment in elderly subjects (Pavia Memory Project). The target population consisted of the 1,046 subjects born in 1925 and currently living in Pavia. Four hundred and thirty-six subjects (plus 287 interviewed at home) participated in the first stage, which consisted of a semi-structured anamnestic interview. The 400 interviewed subjects with none of the exclusion criteria participated in the second stage, which consisted of a memory test battery, a standardized neurological examination and screening procedures for depression (GDS) and dementia (MMSE). On the basis of the memory scores, three groups were defined: memory impairment (MI: 8.8%), mild memory impairment (MMI: 39.8%); normal (N: 51.3%). There were more failures on the visuo-spatial memory tests. Depression was equally distributed in the N and MI groups (about 15%), but was more frequent in the MMI group (27%). Abnormal neurological signs were largely independent of memory performance. Two cohorts (of MI and N subjects) underwent neuropsychological and instrumental (CT-scan, EEG, ERPs, eye movements) assessment, which will be regularly repeated in the longitudinal phase.
authors.affiliation: Istituto Neurologico C. Mondino, Pavia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cosi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Citterio
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Ratti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Romani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors