title: "Brain Screen": A self-referral, screening program for strokes, falls and dementia risk factors.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Falls, strokes and dementia can be predicted and their occurrence can be delayed or even prevented by treatment of risk factors. The value of screening self-referred adults is unknown.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether a screening program of self-referred adults provides new and valuable medical information on risk factors for falls, stroke and dementia.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 514 self-referred people (59% women, mean age 68+/-8 years (range 44-89) and 14+/-3 years of education) in our "Brain Screen" program. Participants completed detailed questionnaires and underwent a neurological examination, computerized gait analysis, carotid Duplex, serum lipid and homocysteine levels, a computerized neuropsychological battery (NeuroTrax) and the Mini-Mental State Exam. Information that was detected by "Brain Screen" was compared with the self-reported data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Unknown vascular risk factors detected by ""Brain Screen" included: high cholesterol in 44%, homocysteine > 10 micromol/L in 20%, >1 mm carotid intima-media thickness in 13%, and carotid narrowing (> 30%) in 2.2%. Unknown risk factors for falls were detected in 66% of the subjects who never fell. Of the 205 subjects (44%) who complained of memory decline, 28% had objective memory disturbances compared with their age group. Mild cognitive impairment (amnestic MCI) was clinically diagnosed in 17% of the population and dementia in 5%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening self-referred adults for falls, strokes and dementia risk factors detected significant unknown risk factors that can be treated in more than one-third of the participants. A national "Brain Screen" program can have significant impact on the health of the aging population.
authors.affiliation: Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, 6 Weizman Street, Tel-Aviv 64239, Israel. ngiladi@tasmc.health.gov.il
authors.forename: Nir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Giladi
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mordechovich
authors.forename: Leor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gruendlinger
authors.forename: Herzel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shabtai
authors.forename: Doron
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Merims
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naor
authors.forename: Rositsa
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baltadzhieva
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hausdorff
authors.forename: Alexander Y
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Gur
authors.forename: Natan M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Bornstein
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000378:metabolism; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006710:Homocysteine; D002784:Cholesterol