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Purpose@#Appendectomy is one of the most common surgeries in children. Although various radiological examinations are performed, they do not always reveal a definitive diagnosis of appendicitis. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course of equivocal appendicitis, identify the factors associated with appendectomy, and suggest appropriate management for these patients. @*Methods@#Patients younger than 19 years who visited Seoul National University Bundang Hospital with a differential diagnosis of appendicitis from January 2013 to December 2017 were included. All participants conducted ‘appendiceal CT’ with a scoring scale of 1–5. The higher the score, the higher the likelihood of a radiologic diagnosis of appendicitis. We defined the appendicitis CT score of 2–4 as equivocal appendicitis (n = 143). Medical records were reviewed retrospectively for demographics, further examination as abdominal ultrasonography, and appendectomy status (yes or no). The mean follow-up period was 15.6 ± 71 days. @*Results@#Equivocal appendicitis accounted for 16.7%. Additional ultrasonography test was performed in 24.5% (35 of 143). In total, 34 patients (23.8%) underwent appendectomy. Among the patients with appendiceal CT scores 2, 3, and 4, 4.9%, 50.0%, and 87.5% underwent appendectomy, respectively. Higher WBC count, higher appendicitis CT score, and readmission were significantly associated with appendectomy in patients with equivocal appendicitis. @*Conclusion@#Higher appendicitis CT score and WBC level were positively associated with appendectomy. Careful observation can be a treatment option in appendicitis CT score 2 or 3 groups. Appendectomy is the first-line treatment for patients with appendicitis score 4. Additional ultrasonography test is advisable to determine treatment modality for equivocal appendicitis.
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Background@#Texture analysis may capture subtle changes in the gray matter more sensitively than volumetric analysis. We aimed to investigate the patterns of neurodegeneration in semantic variant primary progressive aphasia (svPPA) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) by comparing the temporal gray matter texture and volume between cognitively normal controls and older adults with svPPA and AD. @*Methods@#We enrolled all participants from three university hospitals in Korea. We obtained T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and compared the gray matter texture and volume of regions of interest (ROIs) between the groups using analysis of variance with Bonferroni posthoc comparisons. We also developed models for classifying svPPA, AD and control groups using logistic regression analyses, and validated the models using receiver operator characteristics analysis. @*Results@#Compared to the AD group, the svPPA group showed lower volumes in five ROIs (bilateral temporal poles, and the left inferior, middle, and superior temporal cortices) and higher texture in these five ROIs and two additional ROIs (right inferior temporal and left entorhinal cortices). The performances of both texture- and volume-based models were good and comparable in classifying svPPA from normal cognition (mean area under the curve [AUC] = 0.914 for texture; mean AUC = 0.894 for volume). However, only the texture-based model achieved a good level of performance in classifying svPPA and AD (mean AUC = 0.775 for texture; mean AUC = 0.658 for volume). @*Conclusion@#Texture may be a useful neuroimaging marker for early detection of svPPA in older adults and its differentiation from AD.
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Background@#/Aim: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is associated with poor prognosis, largely due to late detection. Highly accurate biomarkers are urgently needed to detect early-stage HCC. Our study aims to explore the diagnostic performance of serum exosomal microRNA (miR)-720 in HCC. @*Methods@#Exosomal miRNA was measured via quantitative real-time PCR. A correlation analysis of exosomal miR-720 and tumor or clinico-demographic data of patients with HCC was performed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic capacity of serum exosomal miR-720 for HCC, in comparison with α-fetoprotein (AFP) and prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II). @*Results@#MiR-720 was chosen as a potential HCC marker via miR microarray based on significant differential expression between tumor and non-tumor samples. Serum exosomal miR-720 was significantly upregulated in patients with HCC (n=114) versus other liver diseases (control, n=30), with a higher area under the ROC curve (AUC=0.931) than the other markers. Particularly, serum exosomal miR-720 showed superior performance in diagnosing small HCC (< 5 cm; AUC=0.930) compared with AFP (AUC=0.802) or PIVKA-II (AUC=0.718). Exosomal miR-720 levels showed marginal correlation with tumor size. The proportion of elevated miR-720 also increased with intrahepatic tumor stage progression. Unlike AFP or PIVKA-II showing a significant correlation with aminotransferase levels, the exosomal miR-720 level was not affected by aminotransferase levels. @*Conclusions@#Serum exosomal miR-720 is an excellent biomarker for the diagnosis of HCC, with better performance than AFP or PIVKA-II. Its diagnostic utility is maintained even in small HCC and is unaffected by aminotransferase levels.
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Background/Aims@#Sarcopenia is an independent prognostic factor of liver cirrhosis (LC). However, the association between LC-related systemic inflammation and sarcopenia is unclear. @*Methods@#Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with thioacetamide (TAA) or saline as a control. Rifaximin was administered to TAA-induced LC rats. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure inflammatory mediators in rat serum. RT-PCR was performed to measure the molecular expression in tissues. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemistry were performed to investigate tissue pathology. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α levels, liver stiffness (LS), and the L3 skeletal muscle index (L3SMI) were measured in 60 patients with chronic liver disease. @*Results@#LC and sarcopenia were successfully induced by TAA. Serum TNF-α levels were increased in LC rats and correlated with myostatin expression, muscle weight, and myofiber diameter. The expression of intestinal occludin and zona occludens-1 was reduced in LC rats and associated with serum TNF-α levels and sarcopenia. In patients with LS ≥7 kPa or sarcopenia, serum TNF-α levels were significantly increased, which was also confirmed when we raised the LS cutoff to 10 kPa. The L3SMI was inversely correlated with serum TNF-α levels in patients with LS ≥7 kPa. TNF-α was reduced by rifaximin, which might have resulted in reduced expression of muscular MuRF1 and myostatin and improvements in myofiber diameters within muscle tissues. @*Conclusions@#These results suggest that serum TNF-α is associated with LC-related sarcopenia. Rifaximin might be effective in reducing serum TNF-α levels and improving sarcopenia in LC, but these results need to be validated in future studies.
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The omphalomesenteric duct is an embryologic connection between the midgut and yolk sac, which typically disappears at 5th to 7th week of gestation. Failure of the obliteration process can lead to omphalomesenteric duct remnants. We report a case of a neonate with a patent omphalomesenteric duct fistula opening to the umbilicus presenting with meconium sprouting from the umbilical stump. Segmental resection of the ileum and end to end anastomosis were conducted. The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day without any complications, and no abnormalities were observed at the outpatient clinic follow-up up to 5 months after surgery. Here we describe the case and a review of the literature.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although recent advances in immune checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy have initiated a new era for advanced HCC treatment, the majority of HCC patients receiving immune checkpoint blockades do not derive clinical benefit. Thus, there remains an urgent need for novel immunotherapeutic strategies with improved therapeutic efficacy. Here we review recent studies of immune checkpoint blockade in HCC, providing the necessary basis for the rational design of immunotherapy.
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The omphalomesenteric duct is an embryologic connection between the midgut and yolk sac, which typically disappears at 5th to 7th week of gestation. Failure of the obliteration process can lead to omphalomesenteric duct remnants. We report a case of a neonate with a patent omphalomesenteric duct fistula opening to the umbilicus presenting with meconium sprouting from the umbilical stump. Segmental resection of the ileum and end to end anastomosis were conducted. The patient was discharged on the 8th postoperative day without any complications, and no abnormalities were observed at the outpatient clinic follow-up up to 5 months after surgery. Here we describe the case and a review of the literature.
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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer, and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Although recent advances in immune checkpoint inhibitor-based immunotherapy have initiated a new era for advanced HCC treatment, the majority of HCC patients receiving immune checkpoint blockades do not derive clinical benefit. Thus, there remains an urgent need for novel immunotherapeutic strategies with improved therapeutic efficacy. Here we review recent studies of immune checkpoint blockade in HCC, providing the necessary basis for the rational design of immunotherapy.
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Objective@#We investigated the frequency of depressive disorders in the elderly with normal cognition (NC), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia patients living in the community to find out the association between cognitive disorders and depressive disorders in the community dwelling elderly. @*Methods@#6,262 baseline study subjects from November 2010 through October 2012 were enrolled based on the Korean longitudinal study on cognitive aging and dementia which is the first nationwide multi-center population based prospective cohort study in Korea. Diagnosis of MCI, dementia, major depressive disorder (MDD), minor depressive disorder (mDD) and subsyndromal depression (SSD) was made by psychiatrists with expertise in dementia based on the appropriate diagnostic criteria. @*Results@#4,303 NC, 1,737 MCI, 222 dementia were enrolled. The frequency of MDD, mDD, SSD were highest in dementia and lowest in NC and showed significant difference among three groups. The odds ratio also increased significantly in MCI and dementia compared with NC showing highest odds ratio in dementia. @*Conclusion@#Our findings propose that MCI and dementia in the community dwelling elderly were significantly associated with various types of depressive disorders showing highest association tendency in dementia.
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Background@#and Purpose Both hypertension and hypotension increase cerebral white matter hyperintensities. However, the effects of hypotension in individuals with treated hypertension are unknown. We analyzed the association of low blood pressure with the location and amount of white matter hyperintensities between elderly individuals with controlled hypertension and those without hypertension. @*Methods@#We enrolled 505 community-dwelling, cognitively normal elderly individuals from the participants of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia. We measured blood pressure three times in a sitting position using a mercury sphygmomanometer and defined low systolic and diastolic blood pressure as ≤110 and ≤60 mm Hg, respectively. We segmented and quantified the periventricular and deep white matter hyperintensities from 3.0 Tesla fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance images. @*Results@#Low systolic blood pressure was independently associated with larger volume of periventricular white matter hyperintensity (P=0.049). The interaction between low systolic blood pressure and hypertension was observed on the volume of periventricular white matter hyperintensity (P=0.005). Low systolic blood pressure was associated with the volume of periventricular white matter hyperintensity in individuals with controlled hypertension (F1,248=6.750, P=0.010), but not in those without hypertension (P=0.380). Low diastolic blood pressure was not associated with the volumes of white matter hyperintensities regardless of presence of controlled hypertension. @*Conclusions@#Low systolic blood pressure seems to be associated with larger volume of periventricular white matter hyperintensity in the individuals with a historyof hypertension but not in those without hypertension.
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Objective@#Cardiovascular diseases are representative risk factors for the onset of cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to confirm the relationship between diastolic blood pressure and cognitive function in elderly people in Korea. @*Methods@#Data from subjects who were enrolled in the prospective Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia were used in this study. Data from 701 subjects whose diastolic blood pressure range did not change (≤79 mm Hg or ≥80 mm Hg) over 2 years were analyzed. To analyze the differences in cognitive function between the groups at the 2-year follow-up, an analysis of covariance was performed with covariates, which were significantly different between the two groups, and the baseline cognitive function. @*Results@#Significant differences were observed between the two groups, and the mean scores on the constructional praxis (η2=0.010) and word list recall tests (η2=0.018) in the diastolic blood pressure ≥80 mm Hg group were higher than those in the diastolic blood pressure ≤79 mm Hg group at the 2-year follow-up. @*Conclusion@#These results indicate that maintaining a DBP below 79 mm Hg presents a greater risk of cognitive decline in Korean elderly people.
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Objective@#This study estimated the incidence of driving-related adverse events and examined the association of cognitive function with the risk of future driving-related adverse events in the elderly Korean male population. @*Methods@#We analyzed 1,172 male drivers aged 60 years or older in the Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia (KLOSCAD). Using the data from Korean National Police Agency, we classified the participants into three groups: safe driving (drove for 2 years after baseline without a traffic accident or repeated violations), driving cessation (stopped driving), and risky driving (one or more traffic accidents or repeated violations). We estimated the incidences of driving cessation and risky driving, and examined the effect of cognitive function on their risks. @*Results@#The incidence of driving cessation and risky driving in the Korean male drivers aged 60 years or older was 19.3 and 69.9 per 1,000 person-years respectively and increased in the late 80s. Drivers with better baseline Word List Memory Test scores showed less risky driving (OR=0.94, p=0.039). @*Conclusion@#Driving-related adverse events increased in late 80s, and better memory function was protective against these events.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is a multisystemic disorder characterized by various non-motor symptoms (NMS) in addition to motor dysfunction. NMS include sleep, ocular, olfactory, throat, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, or musculoskeletal disorders. A range of NMS, particularly hyposmia, sleep disturbances, constipation, and depression, can even appear prior to the motor symptoms of PD. Because NMS can affect multiple organs and result in major disabilities, the recognition and multidisciplinary and collaborative management of NMS by physicians is essential for patients with PD. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to provide an overview of the organs that are affected by NMS in PD together with a brief review of pathophysiology and treatment options.
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Background@#Fifty to sixty percent of patients with anorectal malformation (ARM) have at least one associated anomaly (AA). We determined the incidence of AA with the subtypes of ARM classified in accordance with the Krickenbeck classification and analyzed differences in the incidence rates of major and minor AAs according to organ system. @*Methods@#From January 1999 to May 2017, we retrospectively analyzed congenital anomalies in patients who underwent an anoplasty for ARM at our institution. The AAs were divided into nine organ systems. To analyze the difference in the incidence of AAs, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) using cases of perineal fistula as the base group. @*Results@#Of the 460 patients, 256 (55.7%) were male, 299 (65%) had at least one anomaly, and 274 (59.6%) had major AAs. According to organ system, AAs were most common in the genitourinary (28%), cardiovascular (25%), and spinal/vertebral systems (22.6%). Major AA was most common in the cardiovascular (23%) and spinal/vertebral and genitourinary systems (19.3%). According to ARM subtype, AAs were common in the order of cloaca (93.9%), rectovaginal fistula (85.7%), and recto-bladder neck fistula (85%). For the incidence of AAs, cloaca (OR, 15.7) and recto-bladder neck fistula (OR, 5.74) showed significantly higher ORs. In the analysis of major AAs, the cloaca (OR, 19.77) showed the highest OR, followed by no fistula (OR, 4.78) and recto-bladder neck fistula (OR, 3.83). @*Conclusion@#A considerable number of patients with ARM had AAs. Our data are useful for predicting AAs in patients with ARM.
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Background@#Fifty to sixty percent of patients with anorectal malformation (ARM) have at least one associated anomaly (AA). We determined the incidence of AA with the subtypes of ARM classified in accordance with the Krickenbeck classification and analyzed differences in the incidence rates of major and minor AAs according to organ system. @*Methods@#From January 1999 to May 2017, we retrospectively analyzed congenital anomalies in patients who underwent an anoplasty for ARM at our institution. The AAs were divided into nine organ systems. To analyze the difference in the incidence of AAs, we calculated odds ratios (ORs) using cases of perineal fistula as the base group. @*Results@#Of the 460 patients, 256 (55.7%) were male, 299 (65%) had at least one anomaly, and 274 (59.6%) had major AAs. According to organ system, AAs were most common in the genitourinary (28%), cardiovascular (25%), and spinal/vertebral systems (22.6%). Major AA was most common in the cardiovascular (23%) and spinal/vertebral and genitourinary systems (19.3%). According to ARM subtype, AAs were common in the order of cloaca (93.9%), rectovaginal fistula (85.7%), and recto-bladder neck fistula (85%). For the incidence of AAs, cloaca (OR, 15.7) and recto-bladder neck fistula (OR, 5.74) showed significantly higher ORs. In the analysis of major AAs, the cloaca (OR, 19.77) showed the highest OR, followed by no fistula (OR, 4.78) and recto-bladder neck fistula (OR, 3.83). @*Conclusion@#A considerable number of patients with ARM had AAs. Our data are useful for predicting AAs in patients with ARM.
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OBJECTIVES@#Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients show decreased semantic memory-processing ability including that for naming objects. We examined event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with the semantic processing of MCI patients and compared their ERPs to those of cognitively normal elderly subjects.@*METHODS@#A total of 25 MCI patients and 23 age-matched cognitively normal elderly controls (CN) participated in an object-word matching task that consisted of responding to whether a word stimulus matched the picture stimulus preceding it. There were three types of object-name pairs: 1) matched pair, 2) related but mismatched pair, and 3) unrelated mismatched pair. We compared the mean amplitude of ERPs to examine the mismatch effects between matched and mismatched pairs (N400M) and the category effect between inner category and outer category mismatched words (N400C) in CN and MCI patients.@*RESULTS@#Compared to the CN subjects, the MCI patients showed a distinct N400M response to mismatch conditions, but the observed range was limited in the centroparietal area. While CN individuals showed a significantly larger N400C amplitude for unrelated mismatch pairs than those for related mismatch pairs, MCI patients exhibited no significant difference between those pair types.@*CONCLUSION@#The MCI showed a lack of the category effects in ERP responses, which may reflect latent behavioral impairments.
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OBJECTIVE: Declines in naming ability and semantic memory are well-known features of early Alzheimer's disease (AD). We developed a new screening algorithm for AD using two brief language tests : the Categorical Fluency Test (CFT) and 15-item Boston Naming Test (BNT15). METHODS: We administered the CFT, BNT15, and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to 150 AD patients with a Clinical Dementia Rating of 0.5 or 1 and to their age- and gender-matched cognitively normal controls. We developed a composite score for screening AD (LANGuage Composite score, LANG-C) that comprised demographic characteristics, BNT15 subindices, and CFT subindices. We compared the diagnostic accuracies of the LANG-C and MMSE using receiver operating curve analysis. RESULTS: The LANG-C was calculated using the logit of test scores weighted by their coefficients from forward stepwise logistic regression models : logit (case)=12.608−0.107×age+1.111×gender+0.089×education−0.314×HS(1st)−0.362×HS(2nd)+0.455×perseveration+1.329×HFCR(2nd)−0.489×MFCR(1st)−0.565×LFCR(3rd). The area under the curve of the LANG-C for diagnosing AD was good (0.894, 95% confidence interval=0.853–0.926 ; sensitivity=0.787, specificity=0.840), although it was smaller than that of the MMSE. CONCLUSION: The LANG-C, which is easy to automate using PC or smart devices and to deliver widely via internet, can be a good alternative for screening AD to MMSE.
Subject(s)
Humans , Alzheimer Disease , Dementia , Internet , Language Tests , Logistic Models , Mass Screening , Memory , SemanticsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: We investigated the impact of depressed mood (dysphoria) and loss of interest or pleasure (anhedonia)on the risk of dementia in cognitively-normal elderly individuals. METHODS: This study included 2,685 cognitively-normal elderly individuals who completed the baseline and 4-year follow-up assessments of the Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia. We ascertained the presence of dysphoria and anhedonia using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inventory. We defined subjective cognitive decline as the presence of subjective cognitive complaints without objective cognitive impairments. We analyzed the association of dysphoria and anhedonia with the risk of cognitive disorders using multinomial logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, education, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale score, Apolipoprotein E genotype, and neuropsychological test performance. RESULTS: During the 4-year follow-up period, anhedonia was associated with an approximately twofold higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (OR=2.09, 95% CI=1.20–3.64, p=0.008) and fivefold higher risk of dementia (OR=5.07, 95% CI=1.44–17.92, p=0.012) but was not associated with the risk of subjective cognitive decline. In contrast, dysphoria was associated with an approximately twofold higher risk of subjective cognitive decline (OR=2.06, 95% CI=1.33–3.19, p=0.001) and 1.7-fold higher risk of mild cognitive impairment (OR=1.75, 95% CI=1.00–3.05, p=0.048) but was not associated with the risk of dementia. CONCLUSION: Anhedonia, but not dysphoria, is a risk factor of dementia in cognitively-normal elderly individuals.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Anhedonia , Apolipoproteins , Cognition Disorders , Cognitive Aging , Cohort Studies , Dementia , Depression , Education , Follow-Up Studies , Genotype , Logistic Models , Longitudinal Studies , Cognitive Dysfunction , Neuropsychological Tests , Pleasure , Prospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the association between normal-but-low folate levels and cognitive function in the elderly population using a prospective cohort study. METHODS: We analyzed 3,910 participants whose serum folate levels were within the normal reference range (1.5–16.9 ng/mL) at baseline evaluation in the population-based prospective cohort study named the “Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia.” The association between baseline folate quartile categories and baseline cognitive disorders [mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia] was examined using binary logistic regression analysis adjusting for confounding variables. The risks of incident MCI and dementia associated with the decline of serum folate level during a 4-year follow-up period were examined using multinomial logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The lowest quartile group of serum folate (≥1.5, ≤5.9 ng/mL) showed a higher risk of cognitive disorders than did the highest quartile group at baseline evaluation (odds ratio 1.314, p=0.012). Over the 4 years of follow-up, the risk of incident dementia was 2.364 times higher among subjects whose serum folate levels declined from the 2nd–4th quartile group to the 1st quartile than among those for whom it did not (p=0.031). CONCLUSION: Normal-but-low serum folate levels were associated with the risk of cognitive disorders in the elderly population, and a decline to normal-but-low serum folate levels was associated with incident dementia. Maintaining serum folate concentration above 5.9 ng/mL may be beneficial for cognitive status.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Cognition , Cognition Disorders , Cognitive Aging , Cohort Studies , Dementia , Folic Acid , Follow-Up Studies , Logistic Models , Longitudinal Studies , Prospective Studies , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Due to an unprecedented rate of population aging, South Korea is facing a dementia epidemic. For this reason, the Korean Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging and Dementia (KLOSCAD) was launched in 2009 with support from the Korean Health Industry Development Institute to investigate the epidemiology, biopsychosocial risk factors, and outcomes of dementia and dementia-related conditions. METHODS: The KLOSCAD is the first nationwide multi-center population-based prospective cohort study. In October 2010, 12,694 individuals were randomly sampled from residents aged 60 years or older who lived in 13 districts across South Korea. In the baseline assessment, which was conducted from November 2010 through October 2012, 6,818 (53.7%) individuals participated. Follow-up assessments have been conducted every two years, with the first follow-up assessment conducted between November 2012 and October 2014, and the second between November 2014 and October 2016. The third is now in progress, and will span from November 2016 to October 2018. Diagnosis of cognitive disorders, neuropsychological battery, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, activities of daily living, physical and neurologic examination and laboratory tests, life styles, quality of life, and identification of death were evaluated in each assessment. RESULTS: The cumulative drop-out rate at the second follow-up assessment was 38.7%. Dementia and mild cognitive impairment were 5.0% and 27.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The KLOSCAD may provide strong scientific evidence for advancing the fight against dementia both in Korea and globally.