Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia among the Elderly Population of Qena Governorate, Upper Egypt: A Community-Based Study

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Khedr, Eman^{a; *} | Fawi, Gharib^b | Abbas, Mohammed Abd Allah^c | Mohammed, Talal A.^c | El-Fetoh, Noha Abo^a | Al Attar, Ghada^d | Noaman, Mostafa^a | Zaki, Ahmed F.^c

Affiliations: [a] Departments of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt and head of Departments of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt | [b] Departments of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt | [c] Departments of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt | [d] Public Health and Community Medicine, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt

Correspondence: [*] Correspondence to: Eman M. Khedr, Prof. of Neurology, Department of Neurology, Assiut University Hospital, Assiut, Egypt, and head of departments of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Aswan University, Aswan, Egypt. Tel.: +02 088 2 333355; Fax: +02 088 2333327; E-mail: emankhedr99@yahoo.com.

Abstract: Background:There are only a few reports which provide prevalence rates of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia specifically in Arabic countries. Objective:This study is aimed at estimating the prevalence of MCI and dementia among subjects aged ≥60 years using door-to-door survey in Qena Governorate/Egypt. Methods:We conducted a door-to-door survey with multistage probability random sampling. Screening of all subjects aged ≥60 years (n = 691) employed a simple questionnaire including changes in memory, behavior, and daily activity, Memory and Executive Screening test (MES) as well as the Mini-Mental State Examination. Suspected cases were referred to the hospital for full clinical examination, DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, Hachinski Ischemic Score, neuroimaging, and laboratory investigations if indicated. Results:Of the 691 participants, 12 cases had MCI, giving a crude prevalence rate (CPR) of 1.74/100 and 35 were identified as positive for dementia with a CPR of 5.07/100. The highest age-specific prevalence rates were recorded among subjects ≥85 years old (100/100). The CPRs were significantly higher in urban than rural areas (7.1 versus 3.27/100, respectively; p = 0.03), in industrial areas than non-industrial areas (13.23 versus 1.99; p = 0.00001), and in illiterate than literate participants (10.12 versus 2.25/100; p = 0.00001). Conclusion:Overall, the prevalence rate of MCI and dementia were lower in Qena/Egypt than in other countries. Advanced age, illiteracy, and living in an industrial area were found to be associated with dementia.

Keywords: Alzheimer's dementia, dementia, non-Alzheimer's dementia, prevalence, Qena/Egypt, vascular dementia

DOI: 10.3233/JAD-142655

Journal: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 117-126, 2015