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Longitudinal changes in the prevalence of dementia in a Japanese rural area

  1. Yosuke WAKUTANI1,*,
  2. Masayoshi KUSUMI1,
  3. Kenji WADA1,
  4. Mika KAWASHIMA1,
  5. Kumiko ISHIZAKI1,
  6. Masatada MORI1,
  7. Nozomi MORI1,
  8. Tamami IJIRI1,
  9. Yoshiki ADACHI1,
  10. Yasushi ASHIDA3,
  11. Nobutoshi KUNO4,
  12. Katsuya URAKAMI2,
  13. Takao TAKESHIMA1,
  14. Kenji NAKASHIMA1

Article first published online: 8 NOV 2007

DOI: 10.1111/j.1479-8301.2007.00203.x

Issue

Psychogeriatrics

Psychogeriatrics

Volume 7, Issue 4, pages 150–154, December 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

WAKUTANI, Y., KUSUMI, M., WADA, K., KAWASHIMA, M., ISHIZAKI, K., MORI, M., MORI, N., IJIRI, T., ADACHI, Y., ASHIDA, Y., KUNO, N., URAKAMI, K., TAKESHIMA, T. and NAKASHIMA, K. (2007), Longitudinal changes in the prevalence of dementia in a Japanese rural area. Psychogeriatrics, 7: 150–154. doi: 10.1111/j.1479-8301.2007.00203.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences,

  2. 2

    Department of Biological Regulation, School of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago,

  3. 3

    Daisen Clinic and

  4. 4

    Daisen-guchi Clinic, Daisen-cho, Japan

*Dr Yosuke Wakutani MD, PhD, Department of Neurology, Institute of Neurological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, 36-1 Nishi-cho, Yonago 683-8504, Japan. Email: wakutani@utoronto.ca

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 8 NOV 2007
  2. Article first published online: 8 NOV 2007
  3. Received 13 July 2006; accepted 23 February 2007.

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Keywords:

  • Alzheimer's disease;
  • dementia prevalence;
  • longitudinal study;
  • rural area;
  • vascular dementia

Abstract

Background:  The increasing number of patients with dementia in Japan, together with the rapid aging of society, is currently considered to have a substantial impact on Japan's medical, economic and sociological systems. Therefore, the longitudinal estimation of changes in the prevalence of dementia based on accurate diagnostic evaluation has important implications.

Methods:  We undertook three separate epidemiological studies on long-term changes, 10 years apart (1980, 1990 and 2000), in the prevalence of dementia in an elderly population using identical methods (DSM-III and Hachinski's ischemic score) for the same rural area in Japan (Daisen-cho).

Results:  The percentage of the population that was elderly (over 65 years of age) increased steadily from 16.0% in 1980 to 21.7% in 1990 and 27.1% in 2000. The prevalence of dementia (cases/100 people aged 65 years or older, adjusted to the population structure of 1980) in 1980, 1990 and 2000 was 4.4, 4.5 and 5.9, respectively, for all types of dementia, 1.9, 2.5 and 3.6, respectively, for Alzheimer-type dementia (DAT) and 2.0, 1.7 and 2.2, respectively, for vascular dementia (VaD).

Conclusions:  These findings of an increase in the number of cases and prevalence of DAT and VaD in a Japanese rural community have important implications for interventional medicine.

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