Is Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration a Rare Disorder? Evidence from a Preliminary Study in Brescia County, Italy

Issue title: Similarities and Differences Between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

Guest editors: Mark A. Lovell

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Borroni, Barbara^{a; *} | Alberici, Antonella^a | Grassi, Mario^b | Turla, Marinella^c | Zanetti, Orazio^d | Bianchetti, Angelo^e | Volta, Giorgio Dalla^f | Rozzini, Renzo^g | Gilberti, Nicola^a | Bellelli, Giuseppe^h | Padovani, Alessandro^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Neurology, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy | [b] Department of Health Science, Section of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy | [c] Neurology Unit, Vallecamonica Hospital, Esine, Brescia, Italy | [d] IRCCS Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy | [e] Geriatric Unit, S. Anna Hospital, Brescia, Italy | [f] Neurology Unit, “Città di Brescia” Hospital, Brescia, Italy | [g] Geriatric Unit, Poliambulanza Hospital, Brescia, Italy | [h] Rehabilitation and Geriatric Unit, “Ancelle della Carità” Hospital, Cremona, Italy | Sanders-Brown Center on Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Chemistry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Barbara Borroni, M.D., Clinica Neurologica, Università degli Studi di Brescia, Pza Spedali Civili, 1 - 25100 Brescia, Italy. Tel.: +39 0303995632; Fax: +39 0303995027; E-mail: bborroni@inwind.it.

Abstract: Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration (FTLD) has always been considered a rare disorder, but only a few epidemiologic studies are available. The aim of the present work was to ascertain all FTLD patients in a Northern Italy area from January 2001 to December 2008, and to estimate the disease prevalence. On the census day, 213 FTD patients were still alive, resulting in an overall prevalence of 17.6 per 100,000 inhabitants. The prevalence of FTLD in patients aged 45–65 years was 22 per 100,000 inhabitants (95% CI=17–27). The prevalence of FTLD was the highest in patients aged 66–75 (78 per 100,000 inhabitants, 95% CI=56–100), and it was still high over 75 years (54 per 100,000 inhabitants, 95% CI=36–69). FTLD is a more common form of dementia than previously recognized. Our results claimed that FTLD is not only an early-onset disorder, but it is frequent in advanced age as well.

Keywords: Epidemiology, Frontotemporal Dementia, Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration, prevalence, rare disease

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-2010-1208

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 111-116, 2010