Objective-To estimate the prevalence of dementia and its subtypes in the general population and examine the relation of the disease to education.Design-Population based cross sectional study. Setting-Ommoord, a suburb ofRotterdam. Subjects-7528 participants of the Rotterdam study aged 55-106 years.Results-474 cases of dementia were detected, giving an overall prevalence of 6*3%. Prevalence ranged from 04/o (5/1181 subjects) at age 55-59 years to 43/2% (19/44) at 95 years and over. Alzheimer's disease was the main subdiagnosis (339 cases; 72%); it was also the main cause of the pronounced increase in dementia with age. The relative proportion of vascular dementia (76 cases; 16%), Parkinson's disease dementia (30; 6%), and other dementias (24; 50/.) decreased with age. A substantially higher prevalence of dementia was found in subjects with a low level of education. The association with education was not due to confounding by cardiovascular disease.Conclusions-The prevalence of dementia increases exponentially with age. About one third of the population aged 85 and over has dementia.

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IntroductionThis study aims to assess patients' and caregivers' views on and experiences with (1) decisions about diagnostic testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and (2) receiving test results.MethodsWe conducted separate focus groups with patients from three hospitals who underwent diagnostic testing for AD (N = 11) and their caregivers (N = 11). Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using MaxQDA.ResultsPatients and caregivers preferred and perceived active involvement in decision making, but the decision to initiate diagnostic testing seems to be made before the clinician-patient encounter. Patients and caregivers indicate that decisions are driven by a strong need to explain the patient's symptoms. They missed information on why different diagnostic tests were used, what the results of these tests were, and to what extent these results were (ab)normal.DiscussionThe decision-making process around diagnostic testing for AD and the information provision before and after diagnostic testing could be improved.

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