Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neurodegenerative Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 September 2020) | Viewed by 13438

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Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Pediatrics, Radiology, and Public Health, University of Zaragoza, C/Domingo Miral s/n, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: epidemiology; biostatistics; aging; mental health; dementia; anxiety; depression
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Special Issue Information

Dementia, of which Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common late-life form, has devastating effects on patients, families and society in general. Dementia prevalence rates increase in parallel to population age. In 2018, around 50 million people suffered from dementia, and in 2050 this number is estimated to be three times higher. With no current treatment, there is an urgent public health priority for the development of efficient prevention strategies that reduce the risk and delay the onset of dementia. The implementation of risk reduction programs requires knowing the risk factors and the true extent of their effects. Therefore, identifying potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia that may inform preventive strategies has become a research focus. This Special Issue is devoted to advancing the understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias from an epidemiological perspective. Additionally, this Special Issue is intended to explore potential new therapies for dementia, considering preventive programs delivered early in life. I invite authors and research groups to participate in this Special Issue. The manuscripts may take any format (original article, systematic review, state-of-the-art review) that may contribute to the further understanding phenomenology in the area of dementia prevention.

Dr. J. Santabarbara
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Dementia
  • Alzheimer’s disease
  • Epidemiology
  • risk factors
  • protective factors

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 752 KiB  
Article
Anxiety and Risk of Vascular Dementia in an Elderly Community Sample: The Role of Sex
by Javier Santabárbara, Beatriz Villagrasa, Raúl Lopez-Anton, Concepción De la Cámara, Patricia Gracia-García and Antonio Lobo
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(5), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10050265 - 30 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2563
Abstract
Background: To assess the association between anxiety and risk of vascular dementia (VaD), as well as potential sex differences, in a community-based cohort. Methods: A random sample of 4057 dementia-free community participants aged 55 or older, from the longitudinal, community-based Zaragoza Dementia and [...] Read more.
Background: To assess the association between anxiety and risk of vascular dementia (VaD), as well as potential sex differences, in a community-based cohort. Methods: A random sample of 4057 dementia-free community participants aged 55 or older, from the longitudinal, community-based Zaragoza Dementia and Depression Project (ZARADEMP) study were followed for 4.5 years. Geriatric Mental State B (GMS)-Automated Geriatric Examination for Computer Assisted Taxonomy (AGECAT) was used for the assessment and diagnosis of anxiety, and a panel of research psychiatrists diagnosed the incident cases of VaD according to DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of mental disordes). Multivariate survival analysis with competing risk regression model was performed. Results: In men, the incidence rate of VaD was significantly higher among anxiety subjects compared with non-anxiety subjects (incidence rate ratio (IRR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 3.24 (1.13–9.35); p = 0.029), and no difference was observed in women (IRR (95%CI): 0.68 (0.19–2.23); p = 0.168). In the multivariate model, for men, cases of anxiety had 2.6-fold higher risk of VaD (subdistribution hazard ratio (SHR): 2.61; 95%CI: 0.88–7.74) when all potential confounding factors were controlled, with no statistical significance (p = 0.084), but a clinically relevant effect (Cohen’s d: 0.74). No association was found in women. Conclusions: In men, but not in women, risk of VaD was higher among individuals with anxiety, with a clinically relevant effect. Potential anxiety-related preventive interventions for VaD might be tailored to men and women separately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias)
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20 pages, 944 KiB  
Article
Trajectories of Immediate and Delayed Verbal Memory in the Spanish General Population of Middle-aged and Older Adults
by Ivet Bayes-Marin, Daniel Fernández, Elvira Lara, Natalia Martín-María, Marta Miret, Darío Moreno-Agostino, José Luis Ayuso-Mateos, Albert Sanchez-Niubo, Josep Maria Haro and Beatriz Olaya
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(4), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10040249 - 22 Apr 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3032
Abstract
(1) Cognitive decline differs among individuals and cognition function domains. We sought to identify distinct groups of immediate and delayed verbal memory in two age subsamples (50–64, 65+ years), and to analyze associated factors. (2) Latent class mixed models were used to identify [...] Read more.
(1) Cognitive decline differs among individuals and cognition function domains. We sought to identify distinct groups of immediate and delayed verbal memory in two age subsamples (50–64, 65+ years), and to analyze associated factors. (2) Latent class mixed models were used to identify verbal memory trajectories in a sample of Spanish community-dwelling individuals over 8 years’ follow up. Chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to assess differences among trajectories. (3) Different trajectories were identified. In the case of immediate verbal memory, these were: very low/decline (6.3%), low/stable (38.2%), medium/slow decline (43.4%), and high/slow decline (12.2%) in the middle-aged group, and low/decline (20.4%), medium/slow decline (60.4%), and high/slow decline (19.2%) in the older subsample. In delayed verbal memory, more distinct patterns were found: very low/decline (12.4%), low/stable (51.4%), medium/accelerated decline (24.7%), and high/slow increase (11.4%) in the younger group, and low/slow decline (34.4%), medium/decline (52.7%), and high/slow decline (12.9%) in the older group. (4) Overall, low initial performance and decline were associated with older age, lower education, and higher diabetes/stroke prevalence. Differences found suggests heterogeneity in cognitive ageing. The high prevalence of cardiovascular diseases in those with worse cognition suggests that early interventions to prevent those conditions should be targeted in midlife to delay cognitive decline. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias)
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Review

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13 pages, 2071 KiB  
Review
Cholesterol and Alzheimer’s Disease Risk: A Meta-Meta-Analysis
by Olalla Sáiz-Vazquez, Alicia Puente-Martínez, Silvia Ubillos-Landa, Joaquín Pacheco-Bonrostro and Javier Santabárbara
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(6), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060386 - 18 Jun 2020
Cited by 64 | Viewed by 7218
Abstract
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common subtype of dementia. In the last ten years, the relationship between cholesterol and AD has been investigated. Evidence suggests that cholesterol is associated with AD and represents promising targets for intervention. However, the causality of [...] Read more.
Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common subtype of dementia. In the last ten years, the relationship between cholesterol and AD has been investigated. Evidence suggests that cholesterol is associated with AD and represents promising targets for intervention. However, the causality of these associations is unclear. Therefore, we sought to conduct a meta-meta-analysis to determine the effect of cholesterol on the development AD. Then, we assessed the effect of serum levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), on AD risk. Methods: A systematic search of meta-analyses was conducted. Scopus, Web of Science, Science direct, PubMed and Google academic system databases were reviewed. Results: We found 100 primary studies and five meta-analyses to analyze the relationships between cholesterol and AD. The total effect of cholesterol on risk of AD was significant and heterogeneous. Subgroup analysis shows that LDL-C levels influence the development of AD. However, non-significant effects of HDL-C, TC and TG levels on AD were found. Conclusions: These results strengthen the evidence that LDL-C cholesterol levels increase risk for AD. More initiatives to investigate the relationship between cholesterol and AD are needed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias)
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