Clinical Characteristics of a Nationwide Hospital-based Registry of Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Patients in Korea: A CREDOS (Clinical Research Center for Dementia of South Korea) Study

With rapid population aging, the socioeconomic burden caused by dementia care is snowballing. Although a few community-based studies of Alzheimer's disease (AD) have been performed in Korea, there has never been a nationwide hospital-based study thereof. We aimed to identify the demographics and clinical characteristics of mild-to-moderate AD patients from the Clinical Research Center for Dementia of Korea (CREDOS) registry. A total of 1,786 patients were consecutively included from September 2005 to June 2010. Each patient underwent comprehensive neurological examination, interview for caregivers, laboratory investigations, neuropsychological tests, and brain MRI. The mean age was 74.0 yr and the female percentage 67.0%. The mean period of education was 7.1 yr and the frequency of early-onset AD (< 65 yr old) was 18.8%. Among the vascular risk factors, hypertension (48.9%) and diabetes mellitus (22.3%) were the most frequent. The mean score of the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) was 19.2 and the mean sum of box scores of Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR-SB) 5.1. Based on the well-structured, nationwide, and hospital-based registry, this study provides the unique clinical characteristics of AD and emphasizes the importance of vascular factors in AD in Korea.

The Priming Effect of the Old Age People with Mild Cognitive Impairment / 신경정신의학

OBJECTIVES: In this study, the cognitive characteristics, especially priming effect, of above 50 years old age group who had less than 25 points in K-MMSE were investigated. METHODS: In this study, an implicit memory test measuring priming effect was made and adminis-tered to old age people who had less than 25 points in K-MMSE in screening session. To control the effect of age, educational level and intelligence, demographic variables were measured, and the subtests of KWIS, vocabulary and block design were administered. Descriptive statistical analysis of the two priming measures and correlational analysis between variables were done. To test the effect of cognitive functioning on priming effect multiple regression analysis was done. RESULTS: Correlational analysis revealed priming score obtained from correct identification response was positively correlated with K-MMSE and ADAS-Cog. And priming score obtained from mean reaction time was positively correlated with age and negatively correlated with vocabulary substest of KWIS. The regression analysis results indicated general cognitive functioning measured by ADAS-Cog has significant effect on priming score obtained from correct identification response, whereas age has significant effect on priming score obtained from mean reaction time. CONCLUSIONS: The results revealed that as cognitive deterioration progresses priming effect which identify primed stimulus correctly diminish, and as one grow older within age 50 to 70, priming effect which identifies primed stimulus quickly increase.