Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-24T01:53:52.887Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Early onset dementia – a catchment area study of prevalence and clinical characteristics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Aideen Freyne ,
Nick Kidd  and
Brian A Lawlor
Aideen Freyne
Affiliation:
Department of Old Age Psychiatry Carew House, St Vincent's Hospital, Elm Park, Dublin 4, Ireland
Nick Kidd
Affiliation:
St James's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
Brian A Lawlor
Affiliation:
Consultant Psychiatrist, Dept of Psychiatry of the Elderly, St. Patrick's Hospital, Dublin 8, Ireland
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Objectives: To identify the number of cases, and hence the prevalence of, early onset dementia within a defined catchment area in Dublin. To identify the associated clinical characteristics of those identified, and to measure service use and carer burden.

Method: A comprehensive case finding study was carried out, and all those identified were contacted and sufferers and carers were interviewed using both standardised and semi-structured questionnaires.

Results: Twelve cases were identified, yielding a prevalence rate of 45/100,000 in the 45-64 year age group. Sufferers exhibited a high level of cognitive impairment and associated psychiatric and behavioural symptoms, and carers exhibited a high level of stress, especially those still actively caring. Service provision for this group was patchy and did not tally with their level of dependency.

Conclusions: Recommendations are made for appropriate provision of services for dementia sufferers, regardless of age.

Keywords

Early onset dementiaPrevalenceService provisionCarers
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 15 , Issue 3 , September 1998 , pp. 87 - 91
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Whalley, LJ, Carothers, AD, Collyer, S, De, May R, Frackiewicz, A. A study of familial factors in Alzheimer's disease. Br J Psychiatry 1982; 140: 249–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Newens, AJ, Forster, D, Kay, D, Kirkup, W, Bates, D, Edwardson, J. Clinically diagnosed presenile dementia of the Alzheimer type in the Northern Health Region: ascertainment, prevalence, incidence and survival. Psychol Med 1993; 23: 631–44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3.Delany, N, Rosenvinge, H. Presenile dementia: sufferers, carers and services. Int J Ger Psychiatry 1995; 10: 597–601.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Jorm, A, Korten, AE. A method of calculating increases in the number of dementia sufferers. Aust NZ J Psychiatry 1988; 22: 183–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Rocca, W, Hofman, A, Brayne, C. Frequency and distribution of Alzheimer's disease in Europe: a collaborative study of 1980-1990 prevalence findings. Annal Neurol 1991; 31: 381–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6.McGonigal, G, Thomas, B, McQuade, C, Starr, JM, ManLennan, WJ, Whalley, LJ. Epidemiology of Alzheimer's presenile dementia in Scotland 1974-1988. BMJ 1993; 306: 680–3.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7.Alzheimer's Disease Society. Younger people with dementia: a review and strategy. London: ADS, 1996.Google Scholar
8.Morris, RG, Morris, LW, Britton, PG. Factors affecting the emotional wellbeing of the carers of dementia sufferers. Br J Psychiatry 1988; 153: 147–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.O'Connor, DW, Pollirt, PA, Roth, M, Brook, CPB, Reiss, BB. Problems reported by relatives in a community study of dementia. Br J Psychiatry; 156: 835–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Goen, RF, Swanwick, GRJ, O'Boyle, , Coakley, D. Behaviour disturbance and other predictors of carer burden in Alzheimer's disease. Int J Ger Psychiatry 1997; 12: 331–6.Google Scholar
11.Baldwin, RC. Acquired cognitive impairment in the presenium. Psychiatr Bull 1994; 18: 463–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12.Sperlinger, D, Furst, M. The service experience of people with presenile dementia: a study of carers in one London Borough. Int J Ger Psychiatry 1994; 9: 49–50.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association, 1994.Google Scholar
14.Brun, A, England, B, Gustafson, L, Passant, U, Mann, DMA, Neary, D, Snowdon, JS. Clinical and neuropathological criteria for frontotemporal dementia. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1994; 57: 416–8.Google Scholar
15.Folstein, MF, Folstein, SE, McHugh, PR. Minimental state: a practial method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiat Res 1975; 12: 189–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Blesssed, G, Tomlinson, BE, Roth, M. The association between quantitative measures of dementia and of senile change in cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects. Br J Psychiatry 1968; 114: 797–811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Reisberg, B, Borenstein, J, Frannsen, E. Remedial behavioural symptomoiogy in Alzheimer's disease. Hosp Community Psychiatry 1986; 37: 1199–201.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Baumgarten, M, Becker, R, Gauthier, S. Validity and reliability of the Dementia Behaviour Disturbance Scale. J Am Geriatr Soc 1990; 38: 221–6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Katz, S, Ford, AB, Moskowitz, RW. The index of ADL: a standardised measure of biological and psychosocial functioning. JAMA 1963; 9: 94–9.Google Scholar
20.Goldberg, DP, Cooper, B, Eastwood, MR, Kedward, B, Shepherd, M. A standardised psychiatric interview suitable for use in community surveys. Brit J Prevent Soc Med 1970; 24: 18–23.Google Scholar
21.Zarit, SH, Todd, PA, Zarit, JM. The hidden victims of Alzheimer's disease. Families under stress. New York University Press, New York 1985.Google Scholar
22.Kirby, M, Lawlor, B. Dementia In: Dinan, T, ed. Understanding the biology of mental disorders. Science Press, 1997.Google Scholar
23.Ross, GW, Abbott, RD, Petrovich, H, Masaki, KH, Murdaugh, C, Trockman, C, Curb, D, White, LR. Frequency and characteristics of silent dementia among elderly Japanese-American men. JAMA 1997; 277: 800–805.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Newens, AJ, Forster, DP, Kay, DWK. Dependency and community care in presenile Alzheimer's disease. Br J Psychiatry 1995; 166: 777–782.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Wilson, KCM, Ferran, J. Services for younger sufferers with dementia. APT 1996;2:258–264.Google Scholar
26.Ferran, J, Wilson, KCM, Doran, M, Ghadali, E, Johnson, F, Cooper, P, McCracken, C. The early onset dementias: a study of clinical characteristics and service use. Int J Ger Psychiatry 1996; 11: 863–869.3.0.CO;2-7>CrossRefGoogle Scholar