Epidemiology of dementia and its burden in the city of Kolkata, India.

OBJECTIVES: Increase in aging population is expected to lead to increasing prevalence of dementia in India. In this study, we aimed to determine prevalence, incidence, and mortality of dementia and its subtypes and assess dementia burden in terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALY). METHODS: A community study was conducted over 5 years (2003-2008) in Kolkata, India, on 100,802 (males 53,209) randomly selected subjects to assess prevalence and capture data on incident cases and deaths. Standard case definitions were used. The data were used to estimate years of life lost (YLL) due to premature mortality, years of life lived with disability (YLD), and DALY, based on Global Burden of Disease 2010 approach. RESULTS: During 2003-2004, there were 103 (men 55) cases of dementia. The prevalence was 1.53% (age adjusted 1.12%) at age ≥65 years. In those ≥55 years age, average annual incidence rate of dementia was 72.57 per 100,000. All-cause standardized mortality ratio in dementia cases was 4.74 (men 6.19, women 3.03). The burden of dementia in 2007-2008 revealed that overall YLL was 47.13 per 100,000 and YLD ranged from 1.87 to 16.95 per 100,000 depending on the clinical severity of dementia. The overall DALY lost per 100,000 due to dementia for the year 2007-2008 was 74.19. CONCLUSIONS: This community study revealed a low prevalence and incidence of dementia with consequent low DALY-derived burden of illness compared with many industrialized nations. YLL formed major component of DALY indicating premature mortality to be an outcome of dementia burden. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Prevalence, burden, and risk factors of migraine: A community-based study from Eastern India.

BACKGROUND: Headache is common in communities; however, epidemiological research regarding its prevalence is infrequent in India. AIM: We planned to study the prevalence of migraine, its disease burden, and the associated risk factors. SETTING AND DESIGN: This is an urban community study conducted in Kolkata with a cross-sectional and nested case-control design. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The criteria to study headache among a representative sample (aged 20-50 years) was based on the International Classification of Headache Disorders-II. Sex- and age-matched controls without headache were evaluated for putative risk factors. The disease burden was measured as disability adjusted life years (DALY). RESULTS: Screening of 2421 individuals revealed that the 1-year prevalence of migraine was 14.12%. Education, environmental exposure, travel, and oral contraceptives determine approximately 75% of the underlying risks. DALY showed maximum burden among women in the age range of between 30 and 34 years. CONCLUSION: The community-based prevalence of migraine in India is similar to that observed in other countries except Africa. The burden was maximum among women. The risk factors responsible for migraine should be addressed and institution of public health measures are warranted.

Correlates of functional outcome among stroke survivors in a developing country--a prospective community-based study from India.

Stroke survivors (SS) are rising with higher incidence of stroke in developing countries. In addition to physical impairment, other factors such as cognition, social interaction, and depression determine the functional outcome after stroke. Considering the paucity of data from developing countries, we planned to determine the change in various functional parameters among SS. This community-based prospective study was carried out in Kolkata, India among 283 SS between 2006 and 2010. Functional outcome was assessed at baseline and at 3 annual follow-up visits using validated tools. A stepwise regression analysis was performed with demographic and stroke-related covariates against various measures of functional outcome. Result showed that mean Barthel Index score at baseline was 76.4 ± 30.8. Bengali version of mental status examination and Geriatric Depression Scale scores trended down over time with a negative regression coefficient of -.2061 (standard error [SE], .0937) and -.4488 (SE, .2145). Other outcomes did not change. Female gender, depression, and cognitive dysfunction had an unfavorable impact, whereas education correlated positively. In conclusions female gender and neuropsychiatric disturbances showed poor functional outcome compared with education, which correlates with better outcome. This information will be helpful for patients in developing countries for planning stroke rehabilitation.

Depression among stroke survivors: a community-based, prospective study from Kolkata, India.

OBJECTIVE: Post-stroke depression (PSD) is a disabling entity among stroke survivors (SS). Longitudinal studies on PSD, essential to determine its prognosis, are lacking from developing countries. This prospective study was undertaken to assess the prevalence, natural history, and correlates of depression among SS in an Indian community. METHODS: From a community based stroke registry, SS were assessed annually for cognition, disability, and depression using Bengali validated scales. PSD was diagnosed if score on geriatric depression scale was greater than or equal to 21. Complex sample strategy was considered when calculating prevalence of post stroke depression. An age- and sex-matched case-control study was undertaken to determine the odds of depression in SS. RESULTS: Prevalence of PSD was 36.98% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.89%-42.06%) among 241 patients assessed at baseline. About 17% developed depression annually and a similar proportion had spontaneous improvement. Peak rate of PSD was beyond 3 months and continued up to 18 months after stroke. Compared to the non-depressed group, PSD subjects were significantly older, had higher age at first stroke, less education, lower socioeconomic status, and greater cognitive impairment and disability. Education had a protective role. Mortality in PSD was nearly twice that in non-depressed patients, though not significant statistically (hazard ratio: 1.84; 95% CI: 0.90-3.77). Compared with controls, odds ratio of PSD was 19.95 (95% CI: 10.09-39.47). CONCLUSIONS: Approximately one-third of SS develop PSD, similar to developed countries. Prevalence remains stable annually. Delayed peak of PSD suggested later realization of underlying disability. Predictors of PSD have been described and higher literacy was protective in this study.

Cognitive dysfunction in stroke survivors: a community-based prospective study from Kolkata, India.

The frequency of cognitive dysfunction among community stroke survivors (SS) is not known in India. This prospective study investigated the prevalence of poststroke mild cognitive impairment (psMCI) and poststroke dementia (psDem), the annual progression rate to dementia, and pertinent risk factors in a sample population of SS in Kolkata, India between September 2006 and July 2010. From a community-based stroke registry, 281 SS were assessed at baseline year after excluding attrition due to various causes. Validated cognitive tools were applied by trained field workers under supervision of a neuropsychologist. The assessment was repeated annually for consecutive three years. The mean follow-up period was 1.89 years (range, 1-3 years). The period prevalence rate of psDem was 13.88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.91%-18.90%) at baseline, and the average annual progression rate to dementia was 3.53% (95% CI, 2.09%-5.58%). Compared with subjects without dementia, those with psDem were significantly older at first-ever stroke and more likely to have cortical atrophy. The period prevalence rate of psMCI was 6.05% (95% CI, 1.45%-13.64%) at baseline, and 10.6% (95% CI, 4.57%-20.88%) of these subjects converted to psDem annually. Survival analysis of psDem patients showed a greater risk of death in psDem SS as compared to nondemented SS (hazard ratio, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.72-6.15). Our data suggest that the overall prevalence of psDem is higher than that of psMCI, possibly related to nonexclusion of prestroke dementia, but that the average annual progression rate of SS to psDem and that of psMCI to psDem are comparable. Older age at first-ever stroke and cortical atrophy are associated with increased risk for dementia among SS.

Early Marked Behavioral Symptoms in Bilateral Posterior Cerebral Artery Stroke: A Disguised Presentation.

Clinical signs and symptoms of posterior cerebral artery (PCA) stroke are varied and can be challenging to diagnose at early stage. A case of bilateral PCA infarct presenting with marked behavioral symptoms and minimal neurological symptoms is presented here. A 34 years old female had presented with marked behavioral symptoms, blurring of vision and tingling sensation in left half of body. Though the latter complaints resolved following day, her behavioral complaints persisted. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) of brain revealed acute non-hemorrhagic infarct in bilateral PCA territory. Psychotropics were beneficial for her behavioral symptoms. Isolated behavioral symptoms in PCA stroke led to speculate anatomical substrate for those symptoms. We discussed possible anatomical substrates for behavioral symptoms. Our case adds to the existing literature on a range of disguising presentations in PCA stroke and also emphasizes those distinctions between 'neurological' or 'psychological' or 'psychiatric' disorders are often sketchy.

Nonmotor Manifestations of Wilson's Disease.

Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal genetic disorder characterized by excessive copper deposition initially in liver (hepatic variant) followed by brain (neuropsychiatric variant) and other organs such as cornea and kidney due to defect in biliary copper excretion. Predominant presentations of neuropsychiatric variant are extrapyramidal motor dysfunctions such as dystonias, Parkinsonism, choreoathetosis, tremor, and ataxias. Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) can appear before clinical disease expression and during ongoing disease process. NMS may cause confusion and delay in clinical diagnosis. In the early stage, presence of asymptomatic or symptomatic evidence of acute or chronic liver disease with or without KF ring in young subjects against the background of family history of liver disease may be indicative of underlying WD. In WD, common NMS are personality disorders, mood changes, psychosis, cognitive abnormalities, sleep disorders, and autonomic disturbances besides few systemic dysfunctions. Cognitive changes can be diagnosed by neuropsychological assessment, MRI, and SPECT study of brain. Nonmotor manifestations can be managed by metal chelator, antipsychotic agents, mood stabilizers, rarely electroconvulsive therapy, and occasional hepatic transplantation.

Visual manifestations in Alzheimer's disease: a clinic-based study from India.

INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by amnesia, though non-memory-cognitive domains like visual are also affected. We planned to study frequency of visual dysfunctions in AD and their relationship with dementia severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in the Cognitive clinic of Department of Neurology, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata, between January 2007 and December 2010. 55 patients of AD were evaluated by neurological and neuropsychological assessments and by special tests for visual dysfunctions. RESULTS: Common visual dysfunctions were visuo-constructional (87.3%), visuo-perceptual (63.6%), object agnosia(47.3%), prosopagnosia (45.5%), visual hallucination (27.3%) and simultanagnosia (12.7%). Symptoms of ventral visual pathway dysfunction were more common than that of dorsal pathway. MMSE score and number of visual manifestations had a good correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Visual dysfunctions are common in AD, elicitation of which helps us to understand the cause of disability so that appropriate steps can be taken.