Education and reported onset of symptoms among individuals with Alzheimer disease.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether reported age at onset of dementia symptoms among participants with Alzheimer disease (AD) is later for those with fewer years of education and, if so, to see if education is attributed to delayed detection of symptoms.


METHODS
Case series.


METHODS
National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Minimum Data Set (N=21 880 participants) and Washington University Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (N=1449 participants).


RESULTS
Reported age at onset of dementia symptoms is slightly younger in participants with more education. Participants with fewer years of education show greater clinical severity of Alzheimer disease at first assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
Symptoms of Alzheimer disease are recognized later among those with less education.
Roe
Catherine M
CM
Division of Biostatistics, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri 63108, USA. cathyr@wubios.wustl.edu
Xiong
Chengjie
C
Grant
Elizabeth
E
Miller
J Phillip
JP
Morris
John C
JC
D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014861:Washington / Q000453:epidemiology