[Dementia in patients of Hospital das Clínicas da UNICAMP].
OBJECTIVE
To report the relative frequencies of the causes of dementia in patients seen at UNICAMP Hospital.


METHODS
From 1989 to 1998, 261 dementia patients were admitted (89.7% studied retrospectively, and 10.3%, prospectively); mean age 63.5 years (+/-13.2), and education 3.6 years +/- 3.9; 25% illiterate). Diagnosis of dementia and its subtypes was based on DSM-IV criteria, CAMDEX, NINCDS-ADRDA, NINDS AIREN/ADDTC, Lund-Manchester, besides tap-test, including laboratory and neuroimaging examinations.


RESULTS
Sixty five patients (24.9%) had vascular dementia, 62 ( 23.7%) Alzheimer's, 29 (11.1%) depressive pseudodementia, 28 (10.9%) normal pressure hydrocephalus, 14(5.4%) mixed, 12 (4.6%) post-traumatic, 9 (3.4%) frontotemporal and 38 (14.5%) had diverse or unknown causes. Dementia was minimal or mild in 123 (47.1%), moderate in 95 (36.4%), and severe in 43 (16.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Frequency of vascular dementia was 24.9%, Alzheimer's 23.7%, and normal pressure hydrocephalus 10.7%, in disagreement with that found in the neurological literature (20-30%, 50%, and 1-4%, respectively), probably because we are dealing with cases admitted to a tertiary university hospital. Epidemiological studies are needed to disclose the true proportion of these dementia syndromes in the population.
Silva
David W
DW
Unidade de Neuropsicologia e Neurolinguística, Departamento de Neurologia da Faculdade de Ciências Medicas, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brasil.
Damasceno
Benito P
BP
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005162:Factitious Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies