HEAD INJURY AND THE RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: A CASE CONTROL STUDY

✍ Scribed by EMAD SALIB; VALERIE HILLIER

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 89 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0885-6230
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(199703)12:3<363::aid-gps515>3.0.co;2-f

✦ Synopsis

Objectives. The objective of this study is to examine the association between Alzheimer's disease and head injury in elderly patients referred to an EMI unit.

Method. An unmatched case control study comparing 198 cases of Alzheimer's disease (NINCDS±ADRDA diagnostic criteria) to selected controls (164 other dementias and 176 non-dementing group) with respect to history of head trauma, with or without loss of consciousness, prior to the onset of dementia.

Setting. EMI unit in Warrington serving an elderly population of 28 000. The subjects included all patients referred to and seen by the ®rst author during a 2-year study period 1991±1993.

Main outcome measure. Relative risk (odds ratio) of Alzheimer's disease.

Results. For having history of head injury, the odds ratio was 1.52 (0.98±2.35), signi®cant only in male patients (OR 2.1 p 0X05). For dementias other than Alzheimer's disease, the odds ratio of head injury was 2.36 and 2.46 for all dementias combined ( p 0X05).

Conclusion. The study con®rms a positive association between reported head injury and Alzheimer's disease as well as non-Alzheimer type dementia. Head trauma did not appear to be a speci®c risk for Alzheimer's disease as previously claimed. The association was modi®ed by sex being only signi®cant in male patients. (# 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.