Abstract
By reviewing the clinical files of 1,058 consecutive newly admitted outpatients of a Brussels-based memory clinic between 2005 and 2012, this study aims to document the demographic and clinical characteristics of European and non-European first generation immigrants. They accounted for 18.6 % of the patients, of which 8.6 % came from outside Europe (mostly from Morocco, Turkey and the Democratic Republic of Congo). Immigrants with AD tended to be younger, and there was a higher proportion of males among non-European ethnic minorities. There was a higher proportion of Parkinson-related cognitive disorders and Lewy Body disease among European immigrants, whereas non-Europeans had more often a psychiatric diagnosis. Even after correction for education, non-European immigrants had lower MMSE scores, and they did report longer delays between first symptoms and diagnosis, although this last difference was not statistically significant. These results suggest that non-European immigrants with cognitive problems consult later.
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Segers, K., Benoit, F., Colson, C. et al. Pioneers in migration, pioneering in dementia: first generation immigrants in a European metropolitan memory clinic. Acta Neurol Belg 113, 435–440 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-013-0245-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13760-013-0245-z