[The prevalence of dementias in a rural area. A study in Girona].
OBJECTIVE
To know the prevalence of dementia and its subtypes in our area.


METHODS
Epidemiological study, door-to-door, double phase, in which all non-institutionalized subjects from 8 rural villages aged 70 and more were selected. The general physicians and nurses, previously trained, administered the Mini Cognitive Examination (MCE) in the first phase. All subjects to whom cannot been administered MCE due to illness or sensorial deficit, all subjects under the cut-off point and a similar number of subjects randomized among the ones over the cut-off point, get through the second phase in which a clinical psychologist and a neurological trained physician administered the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination (CAMDEX). All diagnosis were done under CAMDEX criteria.


RESULTS
A total of 1,460 subjects participated. The prevalence of dementia was 16.3% (14.4-18.2). The dementia Alzheimer type ratio was 40.76% (34.5-47), the vascular dementia was 38.24% (32.1-44.4), the mixed dementia was 11.7% (7.7-15.8) and the secondary dementia was 9.2% (5.5-12.9%). The logistic regression confirms that age and female sex are dementia risk factor.


CONCLUSIONS
In our geographical area a very high prevalence of dementia is found.
Vilalta-Franch
J
J
Unidad de Demencias, Hospital Santa Caterina, Instituto de Asistencia Sanitaria, Girona, España. jvilaltaf@intersep.org
López-Pousa
S
S
Llinàs-Reglà
J
J
D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology