Summary
The paper reviews the main studies using the AGECAT computerised diagnostic system for the diagnosis of dementia in community studies of prevalence and incidence. It is suggested that variations in reported rates may be due to the use of unstandardised methods, and the paper reviews the oldest established standardised interview: the Geriatric Mental State. The AGECAT system is outlined, and the studies of its diagnostic validity indicated. Arguments are presented against the inclusion of cognitive tests in such instruments, and for the critical evaluation of the concepts of mild dementia. The use of AGECAT in the US/UK Diagnostic Project, and in the Liverpool study of Continuing Health in the Community is described. In addition, preliminary information is given on the Liverpool ALPHA study, the MRC UK multi-centre study, studies organised by the Pan American Health Organisation (Argentina, Chile, Cuba), the Eurodem concerted action (based in Rotterdam) and the WHO multi-site studies. Individual studies in Spain and Portugal are also discussed.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Black SE, Blessed G, Edwardson JA, Kay DWK (1990) Prevalence rates of dementia in a ageing population: are low rates due to the use of insensitive instruments? Age Ageing 19:84–90
Brayne C, Calloway P (1989) An epidemiological study of dementia in a rural population of elderly women. Br J Psychiatry 155: 147–152
Clarke M, Lowry R, Clarke S (1986) Cognitive impairment in the elderly—a community survey. Age Ageing 15:2782–2784
Copeland JRM, Kelleher MJ, Kellett JM, Gourlay AJ, Gurland BJ, Fleiss JL, Sharpe L (1976) A semi-structured clinical interview for the assessment of diagnosis and mental state in the elderly. The Geriatric Mental State 1. Development and reliability. Psychol Med 6:439–449
Copeland JRM, Dewey ME, Griffiths-Jones HM (1986) Computerised psychiatric diagnostic system and case nomenclature for elderly subjects: GMS and AGECAT. Psychol Med 16:89–99
Copeland JRM, Gurland BJ, Dewey ME, Kelleher MJ, Smith AMR, Davidson IA (1987a) Is there more dementia, depression and neurosis in New York? A comparative community study of the elderly in New York and London using the computer diagnosis, AGECAT. Br J Psychiatry 151:466–473
Copeland JRM, Dewey ME, Wood N, Searle R, Davidson IA, McWilliam C (1987b) The range of mental illness amongst the elderly in the community: prevalence in Liverpool. Br J Psychiatry 150:815–823
Copeland JRM, Dewey ME, Henderson AS, Kay DWK, Neal CD, Harrison MAM, McWilliam C, Forshaw D, Shiwach R (1988) The Geriatric Mental State (GMS) used in the community. Replication studies of the computerised diagnosis AGECAT. Psychol Med 18:219–223
Copeland JRM, Dewey ME, Griffiths-Jones HM (1990) Dementia and depression in elderly persons: AGECAT compared with DSM-III and pervasive illness. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 5:47–51
Davidson IA, Dewey ME, Copeland JRM (1988) The relationship between mortality and mental disorder: evidence from the Liverpool Longitudinal Study. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 3:95–98
Dewey ME, Copeland JRM (1986) Computerised psychiatric diagnosis in the elderly: AGECAT. J Microcomput Appl 9:135–140
Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR (1975) Mini-mental state: a practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatry Res 12:189–198
Gottfries C-G, Brane G, Gullberg B, Steen G (1982) A new rating scale for dementia syndromes. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 1:311–330
Gurland BJ, Copeland JRM, Kelleher MJ, Kuriansky J, Sharpe L, Dean L (1983) The mind and mood of ageing: the mental health problems of the community elderly in New York and London. Haworth Press New York, Croom Helm London
Henderson AS (1986) The epidemiology of Alzheimer's disese. Br Med Bull 42:3–10
Henderson AS, Duncan-Jones P, Finlay-Jones RA (1983) The reliability of the Geriatric Mental State examination. Acta Psychiatr Scand 87:1–9
Hooijer C, Jonker C, Dewey ME, Van Tilburg E, Copeland JRM (in press) A standardised interview for the elderly (GMS). Five issues of reliability using a Dutch language version. Int J Ger Psychiatry
Lindsay J, Briggs K, Murphy E (1989) The Guy's/Age Concern Survey. Prevalence rates of cognitive impairment, depression and anxiety in an urban elderly community. Br J Psychiatry 155:317–329
Livingston G, Hawkins A, Graham N, Blizard R, Mann AH (1990) The Gospel Oak Study: prevalence rates of dementia depression and activity limitation among elderly residents in Inner London. Psychol Med 20:137–146
Lobo A, Saz P, Dia J-L, Perez-Echeverria MAJ, Ventura T (1990) The Liverpool-Zaragoza Study: background and preliminary data of case-finding method for a population study on dementias. In: Dewey ME, Copeland JRM, Hofman A (eds) Case finding for dementia in epidemiological studies. Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool, pp 101–111
McKhann G, Drachman D, Folstein M, Katzman R, Price D, Stadlan EM (1984) Clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease: report of the NINCDS-ADRDA Work Group under the auspices of Department of Health and Human Services Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology 34:939–944
Morgan K, Dalloso HM, Arie T, Bryne EJ, Jones R, Waite J (1987) Mental health and psychological well-being among the old and very old living at home. Br J Psychiatry 150:808–814
O'Conner DW, Pollitt PA, Hyde JB, Fellows JL, Miller ND, Brook CPB, Reiss BB, Roth M (1989) The prevalence of dementia as measured by the Cambridge Mental Disorders of the Elderly examination. Acta Psychiatr Scand 79:190–198
Roth M, Tym E, Mounjoy CQ, Huppert FA, Hendrie H, Verma S, Goddard R (1986) Camdex: a standardised instrument for the diagnosis of mental disorder of the elderly with special reference to the early detection of dementia. Br J Psychiatry 149:698–709
Saunders PA, Glover GR (1990) Field use of portable computers in epidemiological surveys: computerised administration of the GMS-HAS-AGECAT package. In: Dewey ME, Copeland JRM, Hofmann A (eds) Case-finding for dementia in epidemiological studies. Institute of Human Ageing, Liverpool, pp 89–94
Spitzer RL, Endicott J, Fleiss JL, Cohen J (1970) Psychiatric Status Schedule: a technique for evaluating psychopathology and impairment in role functioning. Arch Gen Psychiatry 23: 41–55
Wing JK, Cooper JE, Sartorius N (1974) The description and classification of psychiatric symptoms: an instruction manual for the P.S.E. and Catego System. Cambridge University Press, London
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Copeland, J.R.M., Dewey, M.E. & Saunders, P. The epidemiology of dementia: GMS-AGECAT studies of prevalence and incidence, including studies in progress. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Nuerosci 240, 212–217 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02189529
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02189529