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Epidemiology of Presenile Alzheimer's Disease in Scotland (1974–88)

I. Non-Random Geographical Variation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Lawrence J. Whalley ,
Brenda M. Thomas ,
Cecilia A. McQuade ,
Gerard McGonigal ,
Robert Swingler  and
Roger Black
Lawrence J. Whalley*
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Aberdeen University Medical School
Brenda M. Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Aberdeen University Medical School
Cecilia A. McQuade
Affiliation:
Department of Mental Health, Aberdeen University Medical School
Gerard McGonigal
Affiliation:
Geriatric Medicine Unit, Edinburgh University
Robert Swingler
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Dundee Royal Infirmary
Roger Black
Affiliation:
Information and Statistics Division, National Health Service in Scotland
*
Professor L. J. Whalley, Department of Mental Health, University of Aberdeen, Foresterhill, Aberdeen AB9 2ZD.
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Abstract

Background

Factors that determine geographical differences in incidence rates of ‘probable’ presenile Alzheimer's disease (AD PSD) may help to clarify the possible role of the environment in its aetiology.

Method

We have ascertained the treated incidence of AD PSD in Scotland by scrutiny of hospital casenotes and searched for cases outside hospital settings. Small area geographical analysis compared the observed distribution of cases (each allocated to one of Scotland's 898 postcode sectors) with the estimated random distribution of cases.

Results

There was non-random geographical distribution of AD PSD but not of the comparison conditions (vascular dementia (VaD), motor neurone disease, prostatic or ovarian cancers). Substantial differences between Scottish regions were probably not attributable to methodological artefact, as other techniques of case finding showed the same regional differences.

Conclusions

The observed differences in incidence of AD PSD between Scotland's regions are real and some localities have a higher incidence, mostly in central Scotland.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 167 , Issue 6 , December 1995 , pp. 728 - 731
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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Footnotes

References are listed at the end of the accompanying paper (Part II).

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