title: Dementing disorders in north Italy: prevalence study in Vescovato, Cremona Province.
abstract: We investigated the prevalence of dementia in 673 subjects over 59 years of age in Vescovato, a small town of North Italy, using a two-phase survey. During phase I all subjects were administered the Hodkinson abbreviated mental test and the subjects with a score < or = 7 underwent further examination to ascertain the diagnosis of dementia. The prevalence ratio of dementia of all types was 9.8% (7.6-12.0, 95% CI) above age 59. In our population Alzheimer's disease (AD) was the most frequent type of dementia (prevalence ratio = 5.2%), followed by vascular dementia (2.7%). Our study confirms that AD prevalence estimate rises exponentially with age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, State University, Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ferini-Strambi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcone
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garancini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Danelon
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zamboni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Massussi
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tedesi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Smirne
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence