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HEAD INJURY AND THE RISK OF ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE: A CASE CONTROL STUDY
Author(s) -
SALIB EMAD,
HILLIER VALERIE
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1166(199703)12:3<363::aid-gps515>3.0.co;2-f
Subject(s) - odds ratio , dementia , head injury , medicine , disease , alzheimer's disease , head trauma , case control study , central nervous system disease , degenerative disease , population , pediatrics , psychiatry , surgery , environmental health
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 28000. The subjects included all patients referred to and seen by the first 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), significant only in male patients (OR 2.1 p <0.05). For dementias other than Alzheimer's disease, the odds ratio of head injury was 2.36 and 2.46 for all dementias combined ( p <0.05). Conclusion . The study confirms 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 specific risk for Alzheimer's disease as previously claimed. The association was modified by sex being only significant in male patients. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.