경북 영일군 죽장면 노인들에서 세 단계 접근법을 이용한 Alzheimer형 치매 유병율의 재평가

A New Estimate of Prevalence of Dementia of the Alzheimer Type among the Eldrely by Three-Phase Approach in Jookjang-Myun, Youngil County, Kyungjook Province

Prevalence of dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) was studied among the elderly in Jookjang- Myun, Youngil County, Kyungpook Province. Method was 3-phase approach : screenig to select the elderly with possible cognitive dysfunction using the Korean version of the minimental state examination, clinical assessments and etiological classification by one or two psychiatrists, and follow-up after one and half years of the subjects diagnosed as having questionable or mild dementia at the second phase. Of 691 subjects who completed the 3-phase assessments, 61(8.8%) were diagnosed as having DAT, and 72(10.4%) as having either DAT or the mixed type of DAT and multi-infarct dementia( MIXED). 4.3%of males and 13.4% of females had DAT alone. 5.2% of males and 15.7% of females had either DAT alone or MIXED . Prevalence of DAT increases with age in both male and female. However, there was sharp increase after age 80 in male and after age 75 in female. The authors suggest that there may be a critical age for the development of DAT and that the age may be younger in females than in males.