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Table 1 Characteristics, scoring and prevalence of dementia/AD in studies carried out in Italy

From: A systematic review of the quality of studies on dementia prevalence in Italy

First author and year of publication

Year of survey

Area of investigation

Type of dementia(s)

Age

(years)

Sample size

Score

Design Score

Response proportion

Score

Diagnostic assessment Score

Total score

Prevalence of dementia

Diagnostic criteria tools

Rocca, 1990 [9]

1987

Appignano (Macerata)

D (AD+MID+MD)

>59

778

Score: 1

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 1

96 %

Score: 3

AMT + MMSE+

Blessed-Roth+CE+IN

Score: 3

8

6.2 %

(2.6 % AD)

NINCDS-ADRDA HIS

ILSA, 1997 [10]

1992–1993

8

municipalities

Any type

65–84

5632/5462

(total/eligible)

Score: 2

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 1

84-64 %a

Score: 3

IN + CE

(MMSE/ADL/IADL)

Score: 3

9

7.2 % F

5.3 % M

DSM-III-R

NINCDS-ADRDA

ICD-10

Prencipe, 1996 [11]

1992–1993

Aquila

Province

D

(AD+VaD+ODD)

>64

1147

Score: 1

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 1

84.4 %

Score: 3

MMSE/MSQ + CE + IN + disability assessment

Score: 4

9

8.0 %

(5.2 % AD)

NINCDS-ADRDA

NINDS-AIREN

HIS

De Ronchi, 1998 [12]

1991

Granarolo (Ravenna)

AD + VaD + M

D

≥61

557

(481 completers)

Score: 1

Two-phase design with no negative

Score: 0

86.4 %

Score: 3

MMSE/GDS + CE + IN + ADL

Score: 2

6

11.1 %

DSM III R

Benedetti, 2002 [13]

1996

Buttapietra

(Verona)

AD + VaD

>74

238

Score: 0.5

One-phase design

Score: 2

93.3 %

Score: 3

MMSE + CE + IN + ADL

Score: 3

8.5

15.8 %

(6.7 % AD)

HIS

NINCDS-ADRDA

DSM-III-R

Ferini-Strambi, 1997 [14]

1991

Vescovato

(Cremona)

AD + VaD + MD + SeD

>59

856

(673 responders)

Score: 1

Two-phase design with no negative

Score: 0

79 %

Score: 2

AMT + CE

Score: 2

5

9.8 %

(5.2 % AD)

NINCDS-ADRDA

NINDS-AIREN

D’Alessandro, 1996 [15]

1992

Troina (Enna)

D (VaD)

>74

365

Score: 0.5

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 1

95 %

Score: 3

MMSE + CE + CDR

Score: 3

7.5

21.9 %

DSM-III-R

HIS

Azzimondi, 1998 [16]

1992–1994

2 Sicilian Communities

(data on S. Agata Militello)

D (VaD)

>74

408

Score: 1

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 1

93 %

Score: 3

MMSE + CE + CDR

Score: 3

8

28.4 %

DSM-III-RHIS

Cristina, 2001 [17]

1992–1993

Pavia Province

D

>65

(40 % 65–69 and all >70)

2442

Score: 1.5

Two-phase design with negative sample

Score: 1

68 %

Score: 2

MMSE + IN + CE

Score: 3

7.5

11.8 %

DSM-III-R

Tognoni, 2005 [18]

2000

Pisa Province

(Vecchiano)

VaD + AD+ LBD + MCI

>65

2366

Score: 1.5

Two-phase design with indirect sample

of negative screen

68 %

Score: 2

MMSE/CDR/CAMDEX + C E+ IN + ADL

Score: 3

7.5

6.2 % (4.2 % AD)

NINCDS-ADRDA

HIS

LBD

MCADRC DSM-IV

Lucca, 2011 [19]

2002–2010

Monzino (Varese)

D (AD)

≥80

(80–100)

2316

Score: 1.5

One-phase design

Score: 2

88 %

Registered

Score: 3

MMSE/BIMC/CDR + CE + IN+

disability assessment

Score: 4

10.5

32 %

DSM-IV

Ravaglia,1999 [20]

1994–1995

Bologna + Ravenna

provinces

AD + VaD

≥100

154

Score: 0.5

One-phase design

Score: 2

65 %

Score: 2

MMSE + CE + IN+

disability assessment

Score: 3

7.5

61.9 %

(48.9 % AD)

DSM-IV

NINCDS-ADRDA

ICD 10

Spada, 2009 [21]

2005–2006

San Teodoro

(Enna)

AD + VaD + Others

60–85

374

Score: 0.5

Two-phase design with no negative screen sample

Score: 0

74.9 %

Score: 2

MMSE + CE + IN+

disability assessment

Score: 3

5.5

7.1 %

(4.1 % AD)

DSM IV

NINCDS-ADRDA

NINDS-AIREN

Ravaglia, 2002 [22]

1999–2000

Conselice (Ravenna)

AD + VaD

65–97

1353

Score: 1

Two-phase design with negative screen

sample

Score: 1

75 %

Score: 2

MMSE + CE + IN+

disability Assessment

Score: 3

7

5.9 %

(3.0 % AD)

DSM-IV

NINCDS-ADRDA

NINDS-AIREN

Ferrucci, 2000 [24]

1998

Greve in

Chianti + Bagno a Ripoli (Florence)

D and AD

>65–90+

1260

Score: 1

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 1

91.6 %b

Score: 3

MMSE + CE + IN+

disability assessment

Score: 3

8

7.1 % (3.6 % AD)d

DSM-III-R

NINCDS-ADRDA

Di Bari, 1999 [25]

1995

Dicomano (Florence)

D and AD

>65–90+

864

Score: 1

Two-phase design with negative screen

Score: 0

91.2 %b

Score: 3

MMSEc + MODA + CE + BADL

Score: 3

7

9.0 %

(5.2 % AD)d

Unknown

  1. General: F females, M males, NA not available
  2. Type of dementia and other diseases: AD Alzheimer Disease, D Dementia, LBD Lewy Body Dementia, MCI Mild Cognitive Impairment, MD Mixed Dementia, MID Multi-Infarct Dementia, ODD Other Dementing Diseases, SeD Secondary Dementia, VaD Vascular Dementia
  3. Area of investigation: SAM community of Sant’Agata Militello
  4. Diagnostic assessment score: ADL Activities of Daily Living, AMT Abbreviated Mental Test, BADL Bristol Activities of Daily Living, BIMC Blessed Information Memory Concentration, CAMDEX Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly Examination, CDR Clinical Dementia Rating, CE Clinical Examination, GDS Global Deterioration Scale, IADL Instrumental Activities of Daily Living, IN Interview, MDS Minimum Data Set, MMSE Mini-Mental State Examination, MODA Milan Overall Dementia Assessment, MSQ Mental Status Questionnaire
  5. Diagnostic criteria tools: DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, HIS Hachinski Ischemic Score, ICD International Classification of Diseases, MCADRC Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, NINCDS-ADRDA National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke-Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association, NINDS-AIREN National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-Association Internationale pour la Recherche et l’Enseignment en Neurosciences, RPM Raven Progressive Matrix
  6. aResponse rates for personal interview and clinical evaluation, respectively
  7. bCalculated on those who were traceable
  8. cMMSE and adjustment tests when score falls between 22 and 25
  9. dEstimated from Table 2 in the pooled analysis [23]