News Release

Diagnosing dementia in the developing world

NB. Please note that if you are outside North America, the embargo time for LANCET press material is 0001 h UK Time 14 March 2003.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

The Lancet_DELETED

Authors of a study in this week's issue of THE LANCET describe a potential model for diagnosing dementia in developing countries.

Estimates suggest that three-quarters of the world's population aged over 60 years will live in developing countries by 2025. Methods of diagnosing dementia in less-developed settings is therefore important, especially as conventional dementia tests rely on 'Western' norms such as relative high educational status.

Martin Prince and the 10/66 dementia study group propose the use of a field-tested algorithm for dementia diagnosis in most of the developing world. They report that the algorithm-derived from currently recognised diagnostic criteria and screening methods-predicted 94% of dementia cases in their study of around 3000 people from 25 centres in less-developed countries.

The investigators comment that their algorithm is "a sound basis for culturally and educationally sensitive dementia diagnosis in clinical and population-based research, supported by translations of its constituent measures into most languages used in the developing world".

In an accompanying Commentary (p 888), Raj Kalaria from the Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, concludes: "Investigation of cross-cultural populations has much potential in validating risk factors for dementing conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular dementia, and the rarer dementias. Furthermore, protective factors implicated in diet, environment, physical activity, and medicinal products or herbal remedies may benefit the developed world. Rural communities in developing countries still have difficulties in accessing tertiary health-care and memory impairment may be accepted as part of 'normal ageing', but awareness provides an impetus for improving treatment and care of dementia patients worldwide. Such efforts would also help change the views of policy makers towards care of the increasing numbers of elderly people in developing countries."

###

Contact: Dr Martin Prince, Section of Epidemiology, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, LONDON SE5 8AF, UK;
T) 44-207-848-0136;
F) 44-207-277-0283;
E) m.prince@iop.kcl.ac.uk

Professor Raj N Kalaria, Institute for Ageing and Health, Wolfson Unit, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE, UK;
E) r.n.kalaria@ncl.ac.uk


Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.