Work

Age‐stratified longitudinal study of Alzheimer's and vascular dementia patients

Year: 2020

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Similar symptoms, comorbidities and suboptimal diagnostic tests make the distinction between different types of dementia difficult, although this is essential for improved work-up and treatment optimization. METHODS: We calculated temporal disease trajectories of earlier multi-morbidities in Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia and vascular dementia (VaD) patients using the Danish National Patient Registry covering all hospital encounters in Denmark (1994 to 2016). Subsequently, we reduced the comorbidity space dimensionality using a non-linear technique, uniform manifold approximation and projection. RESULTS: We found 49,112 and 24,101 patients that were diagnosed with AD or VaD, respectively. Temporal disease trajectories showed very similar disease patterns before the dementia diagnosis. Stratifying patients by age and reducing the comorbidity space to two dimensions, showed better discrimination between AD and VaD patients in early-onset dementia. DISCUSSION: Similar age-associated comorbidities, the phenomenon of mixed dementia, and misdiagnosis create great challenges in discriminating between classical subtypes of dementia.

Source: Alzheimer s & Dementia

DOI: 10.1002/alz.12091

Authors: Isabella Friis Jørgensen, Alejandro Aguayo‐Orozco, Mette Lademann, Søren Brunak

Institutions: University of Copenhagen, Novo Nordisk Foundation

Language: English

Topic: Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research

Subfield: Psychiatry and Mental health

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,000