Table 4.
A summary of the case ascertainment methods, diagnostic criteria used, and other methodological details of the eight studies
| Location | Diagnostic approach to FTLDs | Method of ascertainment | Age range | Focus | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prevalence | |||||
| Zuid-Holland (Rosso et al. 2003) | 1994 Lund–Manchester Criteria for bvFTD, supplemented by imaging and genotyping | All neurologists and physicians in nursing homes received yearly postal inquiries about suspected FTD cases | All ages | bvFTD only | A positive family history in 43% |
| Cambridgeshire, UK (Ratnavalli et al. 2002) | 1998 Consensus criteria | Review of case records of three specialist clinic databases and in-patient admissions to University Hospital, Cambridge. All suspected cases were then seen by study team and underwent imaging | < age 65 | All degenerative dementias | Strong male predominance (14:3) |
| London, UK (Harvey et al. 2003) | 1994 Lund–Manchester Criteria | Clinicians in catchment area were polled and contacted; hospital and clinic records reviewed; half of all cases identified by passive method were examined in person by authors | < age 65 | All dementias | AD prevalence higher than FTD >50 years old |
| Brescia, Italy (Borroni et al. 2010) | 1998 Consensus criteria or McKhann criteria | Cases identified through a network of Neurology and Geriatric specialty centers. All cases alive on prevalence day based on contact with each center | All ages | FTLD only | bvFTD=80% of cases; + family history in 35%; prevalence higher in >65 year olds |
| Ibaraki, Japan (Ikejima et al. 2009) | 1994 Lund–Manchester criteria | Cases identified by a two-step postal survey to 2,475 institutions that provided medical care in the prefecture. | < age 65 | All dementias | Very high rate of vascular dementia |
| Incidence | |||||
| Rochester MN (Knopman et al. 2004) | 1998 Consensus criteria | Passive identification through review of medical records | All Ages | All dementias | |
| Cambridgeshire, UK (Mercy et al. 2008) | 1998 Consensus criteria | Same as described above for Cambridgeshire, UK | < age 65 | All dementias | bvFTD=75%; ratio of AD/FTLD=1.6:1 |
| Girona, Spain (Garre-Olmo et al. 2010) | 1994 Lund–Manchester criteria | Registry of all cases of dementia diagnosed in the seven hospitals of the region. All diagnoses are made by specialists in neurology or geriatrics | All ages | All dementias | bvFTD/semantic dementia=13:1; AD/FTLD = 5.7:1.3 |