Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring (Jan 2024)

Incidence of young‐onset dementia in Italy: The Brescia register study

  • Barbara Borroni,
  • Ilenia Libri,
  • Matteo Rota,
  • Giuliano Binetti,
  • Luisa Benussi,
  • Roberta Ghidoni,
  • Maria Sofia Cotelli,
  • Silvia Fostinelli,
  • Fabio Guerini,
  • Stefano Boffelli,
  • Eugenio Magni,
  • Marta Pengo,
  • Michele Gennuso,
  • Marta Bianchi,
  • Beatrice Cossu,
  • Vincenzo Palomba,
  • Andrea Crucitti,
  • Angelo Bianchetti,
  • Giancarlo Logroscino,
  • Alessandro Padovani

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/dad2.12544
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 1
pp. n/a – n/a

Abstract

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Abstract INTRODUCTION The goal of the present work was to assess the incidence of dementia with onset before the age of 65 years (i.e., young‐onset dementia [YOD]) and define the frequencies of young‐onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in the general population. METHODS The study was conducted from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019 in Brescia province (population: 1,268,455). During the study period, all new YOD cases (incident YOD) were counted, and all patients’ records reviewed. The incidence was standardized to the Italian general population in 2019. RESULTS A total of 29 YOD patients were diagnosed. The age‐sex standardized incidence rate was 4.58 (95% confidence interval, 3.07–6.58) per 100,000 person‐years. No difference in incidence rate between YOD due to AD or FTLD (P = 0.83) and between sexes (P = 0.81) was observed. YOD incidence increased with age, reaching its peak after 60 years. DISCUSSION Presenting neurodegenerative YOD phenotypes encompasses both AD and FTLD. Improved knowledge on YOD epidemiology is essential to adequately plan and organize health services.

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