A Genetic Epidemiological Study of Dementia and Cognitive Function

Abstract

The epidemic of dementia is one of the greatest challenges for health care systems in the Western world. Dementia is a chronic and progressive syndrome of deterioration of cognitive ability, beyond what might be expected from normal ageing,1 and is seen in different underlying neurodegenerative diseases. The most common type of dementia among the aging population is Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), characterized by an insidious but progressive impairment, often most of short-­‐term memory, language , and visuospatial functions. Some patients also develop behavioural and personality changes. Estimates of lifetime incidence for dementia are up to one in three women and one in six men.2-­‐4 These estimates may vary depending on selection of cohorts , and overestimation has recently been suggested in the United Kingdom.5 Despite such possible overestimation, AD still remains one of the most common diseases in later life, and its increase in prevalence over the last two decades has a major impact on health care facilities.