Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1995 Nov;59(5):507–510. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.59.5.507

A community based study of the incidence of dementia in subjects aged 85 years and over.

J Gussekloo 1, T J Heeren 1, G J Izaks 1, G J Ligthart 1, H G Rooijmans 1
PMCID: PMC1073713  PMID: 8530935

Abstract

The aim was to investigate the incidence rate of dementia for community residents aged 85 years and over. It was a two wave community study of 224 subjects (community residents including those residing in a nursing home) older than 85 years, restudied 4.1 years after a community prevalence study. A two stage method was used, comprising the mini mental state examination followed in a stratified sample by the geriatric mental state schedule (A3)/AGECAT. Incidence rates were based on person-years at risk. The overall incidence of dementia was 6.9 (95% confidence interval (95% CI) 4.8-9.1) per 100 person-years at risk. The incidence was significantly higher for women than for men; respectively 8.9 (95% CI 5.9-11.9) v 2.7 (95% CI 0.5-4.9) per 100 person-years at risk. In the fastest growing age group seven out of 100 persons develop dementia each year. Women, who constitute two thirds of the oldest old, seem to have a higher risk. Further research is needed into the risk factors for dementia in this age group.

Full text

PDF
507

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Copeland J. R., Dewey M. E., Griffiths-Jones H. M. A computerized psychiatric diagnostic system and case nomenclature for elderly subjects: GMS and AGECAT. Psychol Med. 1986 Feb;16(1):89–99. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700057779. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Folstein M. F., Folstein S. E., McHugh P. R. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975 Nov;12(3):189–198. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Heeren T. J., van Hemert A. M., Lagaay A. M., Rooymans H. G. The general population prevalence of non-organic psychiatric disorders in subjects aged 85 years and over. Psychol Med. 1992 Aug;22(3):733–738. doi: 10.1017/s0033291700038174. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Heeren T. J., van Hemert A. M., Rooymans H. G. A community-based study of survival in dementia. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1992 Jun;85(6):415–418. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1992.tb03203.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hofman A., Rocca W. A., Brayne C., Breteler M. M., Clarke M., Cooper B., Copeland J. R., Dartigues J. F., da Silva Droux A., Hagnell O. The prevalence of dementia in Europe: a collaborative study of 1980-1990 findings. Eurodem Prevalence Research Group. Int J Epidemiol. 1991 Sep;20(3):736–748. doi: 10.1093/ije/20.3.736. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hughes C. P., Berg L., Danziger W. L., Coben L. A., Martin R. L. A new clinical scale for the staging of dementia. Br J Psychiatry. 1982 Jun;140:566–572. doi: 10.1192/bjp.140.6.566. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Jorm A. F., Korten A. E., Henderson A. S. The prevalence of dementia: a quantitative integration of the literature. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1987 Nov;76(5):465–479. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1987.tb02906.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Nyman A. K. Nonregressive schizophrenia--a long-term comparative follow-up investigation. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1989 Jan;79(1):59–73. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1989.tb09235.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. O'Connor D. W., Pollitt P. A., Hyde J. B., Fellows J. L., Miller N. D., Brook C. P., Reiss B. B. The reliability and validity of the Mini-Mental State in a British community survey. J Psychiatr Res. 1989;23(1):87–96. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(89)90021-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Paykel E. S., Brayne C., Huppert F. A., Gill C., Barkley C., Gehlhaar E., Beardsall L., Girling D. M., Pollitt P., O'Connor D. Incidence of dementia in a population older than 75 years in the United Kingdom. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1994 Apr;51(4):325–332. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1994.03950040069009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Skoog I., Nilsson L., Palmertz B., Andreasson L. A., Svanborg A. A population-based study of dementia in 85-year-olds. N Engl J Med. 1993 Jan 21;328(3):153–158. doi: 10.1056/NEJM199301213280301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Tombaugh T. N., McIntyre N. J. The mini-mental state examination: a comprehensive review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1992 Sep;40(9):922–935. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.1992.tb01992.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES