Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gvvz8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T06:53:38.213Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Clinicopathological Studies of the Dementias from an Epidemiological Viewpoint

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Carol Brayne*
Affiliation:
Department of Community Medicine, University of Cambridge
*
Institute of Public Health, Forrie Site, Robinson Way, Cambridge CB2 2SR

Abstract

Studies which examine patients with and without dementia during life and then examine brain tissue after death are extremely difficult to conduct. There are now several such studies published, representing a major contribution to the understanding of the pathologies of the dementias. These studies were not designed to represent population samples and, from an epidemiological viewpoint, they are flawed because none are population-based and none represent the full range of function observed during life. It is therefore important to examine the available studies for their contributions and biases.

Type
Annotation
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1993 

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

American Psychiatric Association (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd edn, revised) (DSM–III-R). Washington, DC: APA.Google Scholar
Alafuzoff, I., Iqbal, K., Friden, H., et al (1987) Histopathological criteria for progressive dementia disorders: clinical–pathological correlation and classification by multivariate data analysis. Acta Neuropathologica, 74, 209225.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Beardsall, L., Barkley, C. & O'Sullivan, A. (1992) The response of elderly community residents to requests for brain donation: an interim report. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 7, 199202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blessed, G., Tomlinson, B.C. & Roth, M. (1968) The association between quantitative measures and degenerative changes in the cerebral gray matter of elderly patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 797811.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boller, F., Lopez, O.L. & Moossy, J. (1989) Diagnosis of dementia: clinicopathologic correlations. Neurology, 39, 7679.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brayne, C. (1990) A study of dementia in a rural population. MD Thesis: University of London.Google Scholar
Brayne, C. & Calloway, P. (1990) The case identification of dementia in the community: a comparison of methods. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 5, 309316.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brayne, C., Huppert, F., Paykel, E., et al (1992) The Cambridge project for later life: design and preliminary results. In European Studies on the Incidence of Dementing Diseases, vol. II (eds Launer, L. J., Brayne, C., Dartigues, J–F., et al). Neuroepidemiology Supplement 1, pp. 7175.Google Scholar
Brown, P., Goldfarb, L.G. & Gadjusek, D.C. (1991) The new biology of spongiform encephalopathy: infectious amyloidoses with a genetic twist. Lancet, 337, 10191022.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burns, A., Luthert, P., Levy, R., et al (1990) Accuracy of clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 301, 1026.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burns, A., Levy, R. & Jacoby, R. (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byrne, E.J. (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Byrne, E.J., Smith, C.W. & Arie, T. (1991) The diagnosis of dementia – I clinical and pathological criteria: a review of the literature. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 6, 199208.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chadwick, C. (1992) The MRC multicentre study of cognitive function and ageing. In European Studies on the Incidence of Dementing Diseases, vol. II (eds Launer, L. J., Brayne, C., Dartigues, J–F., et al ). Neuroepidemiology Supplement 1, 3743.Google Scholar
Cohen, J. (1960) A coefficient of agreement for nominal scales. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 20, 3746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Collinge, J., Owen, F., Poulter, M., et al (1990) Prion dementia without characteristic pathology. Lancet, 79.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crystal, H., Dickson, D., Fuld, P., et al (1988) Clinico–pathological studies in dementia: nondemented subjects with pathologically confirmed Alzheimer's disease. Neurology, 38, 16821687.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
del Ser, T., Bermejo, F., Portera, A., et al (1990) Vascular dementia. A clinicopathological study. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 96, 117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Duyckaerts, C., Delaere, P., Hauw, J.J., et al (1990) Rating of the lesions in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type: concordance between laboratories. A European multi–centre study under the auspices of EURAGE. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 97, 295323.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Esiri, M. (1992) Dementia and normal ageing: neuropathology. In Dementia and Normal Ageing (eds Huppert, F., Brayne, C. & O'Connor, D.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Fazekas, F., Chawluk, J.B., Alavi, A., et al (1987) MR signal abnormalities at 1.5T in Alzheimer's dementia and normal aging. American Journal of Radiology, 149, 351356.Google Scholar
Fox, J.H., Penn, R., Clasen, R., et al (1985) Pathological diagnosis in clinically typical Alzheimer's disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 313, 14191420.Google ScholarPubMed
Hodges, J. (1992) Pick's disease. In Dementia (eds Burns, A. & Levy, R.). London: Chapman and Hall (in press).Google ScholarPubMed
Holland, C.A. & Rabbitt, P. (1991) The course and causes of cognitive change with advancing age. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 1, 8196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Homer, A., Honavar, M., Lantos, P., et al (1988) Diagnosing dementia: do we get it right? British Medical Journal, 297, 894896.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Houx, P.J., Vreeling, F.W. & Jolles, J. (1991) Rigorous health screening reduces age effect on memory scanning task. Brain and Cognition, 15, 246260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jellinger, K., Danielczyk, W., Fishcher, P., et al (1990) Clinicopathological analysis of dementia disorders in the elderly. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 95, 239258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Joachim, C.L., Morris, J.H. & Selkoe, D.J. (1988) Clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease: autopsy results in 150 cases. Annals of Neurology, 24, 5056.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Katzman, R., Brown, T., Fuld, P., et al (1983) Validation of a short orientation–memory-concentration test of cognitive impairment. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140, 734739.Google Scholar
Katzman, R., Brown, T., Fuld, P., et al (1986) Significance of neurotransmitter abnormalities in Alzheimer's disease. Research in Public Association Research Nervous and Mental Disorders, 64, 279286.Google ScholarPubMed
Katzman, R., Terry, R., de Teresa, R., et al (1988) Clinical, pathological and neurochemical changes in dementia: a subgroup with preserved mental status and numerous neocortical plaques. Annals of Neurology, 23, 138144.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, E.W., Henderson, A.S., Scott, R., et al (1985) Dementia and depression among the elderly living in the Hobart community: the effect of the diagnostic criteria on the prevalence rates. Psychological Medicine, 15, 771788.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kellett, J.M., Gilleard, C., Homer, A., et al (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 47.Google Scholar
Khachaturian, Z.S. (1985) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Archives of Neurology, 42, 10971105.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kretzschmer, H.A., Honold, G., Seitelberg, F., et al (1991) Prion protein mutation in family first reported by Gerstmann, Straeussler and Scheinker. Lancet, 337, 1160.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kukull, W.A., Larson, E.B., Reifler, B.V., et al (1990) Interrater reliability of Alzheimer's disease diagnosis. Neurology, 40, 257260.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lindley, R.I. & Dennis, M.S. (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Larson, E.B., Reifler, B.V., Sumi, S.M., et al (1986) Diagnostic tests in the evaluation of dementia: A prospective study of 200 elderly outpatients. Archives of Internal Medicine, 146, 19171922.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lennox, G., Lowe, J., Byrne, E.J., et al (1989) Diffuse lewy body disease. Lancet, i, 323324.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, A., Hemsley, D., Bergmann, K., et al (1987) Comparison of the sensitivity of three instruments for the detection of cognitive decline in the elderly living at home. British Journal of Psychiatry, 150, 808814.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mann, D.M., Yates, P.O., Marcyniuk, B., et al (1987) Loss of neurones from cortical and subcortical areas in Down's syndrome patients at middle age. Quantitative comparisons with younger Down's patients and patients with Alzheimer's disease. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 80, 7989.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Manning, F.C. (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 4748.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, E.M., Wilson, R.S., Penn, R.D., et al (1987) Cortical biopsy results in Alzheimer's disease: correlation with cognitive deficits. Neurology, 37, 12011204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McKhann, G., Drachman, D., Folstein, M., et al (1984) Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS–ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology, 34, 939944.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Merskey, H., Blume, W.T., Colhoun, E.H., et al (1985) Correlative studies in Alzheimer's disease. Progress in Neuropsychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry, 9, 509514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meyer, J.S., McClintie, K.L., Rogers, R.L., et al (1988) Aetiological considerations and risk factors for multi–infarct dementia. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 51, 14891497.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miller, F.B., Hicks, S.P., D'Amato, C.J., et al (1984) A descriptive study of neuritic plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in an autopsy population. American Journal of Epidemiology, 3, 331341.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mirra, S.S., Heyman, A., McKeel, D., et al (1991) The Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD). Part II Standardisation of the neuropathic assessment of Alzheimer's disease. Neurology, 41, 479486.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Molsa, P.K., Paljarvi, L., Rinne, J.O., et al (1985) Validity of clinical diagnosis in dementia: a prospective clinicopathological study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 48, 10851090.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molsa, P.K., Sako, E., Paljarvi, L., et al (1987) Alzheimer's disease: neuropathological correlates of cognitive and motor disorders. Acta Neurological Scandinavica, 75, 376384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, J.C., Mohs, R.C., Rogers, H., et al (1988a) Consortium to establish a registry for Alzheimer's disease (CERAD). Clinical and neuropsychological assessment for Alzheimer's disease. Psychopharmacology Bulletin, 24, 641652.Google ScholarPubMed
Morris, J.C., McKeel, D.W., Fulling, K., et al (1988b) Validation of clinical diagnostic criteria for Alzheimer's disease. Annals of Neurology, 24, 1722.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Morris, J.C., McKeel, D.W., Storandt, M., et al (1991) Very mild Alzheimer's disease: informant–based clinical, psychometric and pathologic distinction from normal aging. Neurology, 41, 469478.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mortimer, J. (1992) Risk factors for dementia. In Dementia and Normal Ageing (eds Huppert, F., Brayne, C. & O'Connor, D.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Neary, D., Snowden, J.S., Mann, D.M., et al (1986) Alzheimer's disease: a correlative study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 49, 229237.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newton, R.D. (1948) The identity of Alzheimer's disease and senile dementia and their relationship to senility. Journal of Mental Science, 94, 225249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Osuntokun, B.O., Ogunniyi, L. I. G, Lekwaumwa, T.A., et al (1991) Epidemiology of dementia in Nigerian Africans. In Advances in Neurology (ed. Chopra, J. S.). Amsterdam: Elsevier.Google Scholar
Perl, D.P. & Pendlebury, W.W. (1984) Aluminium accumulation in neurofibrillary tangle (NFT) bearing intraneuronal X–ray spectrometry studies of unstained tissue sections. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, 43, 349.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perry, E.K., Tomlinson, B.E., Blessed, G., et al (1978) Correlation of cholinergic abnormalities with senile plaques and mental test scores in senile dementia. British Medical Journal, ii, 14571459.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perry, E.K., Curtis, M., Dick, D.J., et al (1985) Cholinergic correlates of cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: comparisons with Alzheimer's disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 48, 413421.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pollitt, P. (1992) Carers and dementia. In Dementia and Normal Ageing (eds Huppert, F., Brayne, C. & O'Connor, D.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Risse, S.C., Raskind, M.A., Nochlin, D., et al (1989) Neuropathological findings in patients with clinical diagnoses of probable Alzheimer's disease. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 168172.Google Scholar
Rose, G. (1989) The mental health of populations. In The Scope of Epidemiological Psychiatry (eds Williams, P., Wilkinson, G. & Rawnsley, K.). London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Roth, M., Tomlinson, B.E. & Blessed, G. (1966) Correlation between scores for dementia and counts of “senile plaques” in cerebral grey matter of elderly subjects. Nature, 209, 109110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roth, M., Huppert, F., Tym, E., et al (1988) CAMDEX. The Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Sulkava, R., Haltia, M., Paetau, A., et al (1983) Accuracy of clinical diagnosis in primary degenerative dementia: a correlation with neuropathological findings. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 46, 913.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sumpter, P.Q., Mann, D.M., Davies, C.A., et al (1986) A quantitative study of the ultrastructure of pyramidal neurons of the cerebral cortex in Alzheimer's disease in relationship to the degree of dementia. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, 12, 321329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Svanborg, A. (1988) The health of the elderly population: results from longitudinal studies with age–cohort comparisons. In Research and the Ageing Population. Chichester: Wiley. (Ciba Foundation Symposium 134, 316.)Google Scholar
Tierney, M.C., Fisher, R.H., Lewis, A.J., et al (1988) The NINCDS–ADRDA Work Group criteria for the clinical diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease: a clinico-pathological study of 57 cases. Neurology, 38, 359364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Todorov, A.B., Go, R.C., Constantinidis, J., et al (1975) Specificity of the clinical diagnosis of dementia. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 26, 8198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tomlinson, B.E., Blessed, G. & Roth, M. (1968) Observations on the brains of demented old people. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 7, 331356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tozer, R. (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 48.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
van Duijn, C.M., Hendriks, L., Cruts, M., et al (1991) Amyloid precursor protein gene mutation in early onset Alzheimer's disease. Lancet, 337, 978.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wade, J.P.H., Mirsen, T.R., Hachinski, V.C., et al (1987) The clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Archives of Neurology, 44, 2429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wald, N., Parkes, C. & Smith, A.D. (1991) Diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. British Medical Journal, 302, 292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Whalley, L.J. (1987) In Current Approaches. Alzheimer's Disease (eds Malkin, J. C. & Rossor, M. N.). Duphar Laboratories.Google Scholar
Wilcock, G.K. & Esiri, M.M. (1982) Plaques, tangles and dementia. A quantitative study. Journal of Neurological Sciences, 56, 343356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilcock, G.K., Hope, R.A., Brooks, D.N., et al (1989) Recommended minimum data to be collected in research studies in Alzheimer's disease. The MRC (UK) Alzheimer's Disease Workshop Steering Committee. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 52, 693700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wisniewski, H.M., Rabe, A., Silverman, W., et al (1988) Neuropathological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: a survey of current practices. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders, 2, 396414.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
World Health Organization (1992) The ICD–10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Geneva: WHO.Google Scholar
Zubenko, G.S. (1990) Progression of illness in the differential diagnosis of primary dementia. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 435438.Google ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.