Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and human papillomavirus infections of lower genital tract of Indigenous women from Xingu Indigenous Park.

INTRODUCTION: Xingu Indigenous Park (XIP) currently protects 16 ethnic Indigenous groups and is located in the central area of Brazil. XIP is the first and the largest Indigenous land to be recognized in the country. Community access is limited and restricted for the non-Indigenous population, and the Indigenous women are constantly dealing with shortages of medical care. High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) is the most common cause of cervical cancer and is detected in 99% of cervical precancers. HPV infections may be associated with bacterial agents such as Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which are also important causative agents of sexually transmitted infections and are responsible for the most frequent bacterial infections in the world. The present study evaluated the frequency and potential impact of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and HR-HPV in the Indigenous women of XIP. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 992 cervical-vaginal samples were collected from Indigenous women, using a Cervex-Brush, and were immediately placed in a SurePath medium. All samples were submitted to the cobas® 4800 detection system for the identification of 14 different types of HR-HPV, and the multiplex Abbott RealTime CT/NG assay for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae. RESULTS: HR-HPV was detected in 18.2% of women; 6% were positive for HPV16, 5% for HPV18, and 81% for other types of HR-HPV. Co-infections of HPV16 and other types was observed in 5% of women, and 3% had co-infections of HPV18 and other types. Moreover, 1.8% of women were positive for Chlamydia trachomatis, while Neisseria gonorrhoeae was not detected. In women with HR-HPV, 33% had Chlamydia trachomatis infections, 28% were positive for HR-HPV other than HPV16 or HPV18, and 5% had co-infections of HPV16 and the other types of HPV. Younger women were found to be more susceptible to HPV infections. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a high frequency of HR-HPV and a considerable frequency of Chlamydia trachomatis in the Indigenous women of XIP. The detection of Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and/or HR-HPV does not present evidence of a potential interrelationship for a combined pathogenic action in these women.

Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment Without Dementia and Dementia in Tremembé, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cognitive impairment is insufficiently determined in developing countries. The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of cognitive impairment without dementia and dementia in community-dwelling elderly in Brazil. METHODS: This was a single-phase cross-sectional survey of the elderly (aged 60 years and above) living in the municipality of Tremembé, Brazil. Twenty percent of the households with elderly persons were randomly selected from urban and rural areas, to obtain a homogenous representation of all socioeconomic and cultural levels. RESULTS: We assessed 630 individuals [mean age, 71.3 y (±7.99); mean years of education, 4.9 (±4.54)] and found prevalence rates of 17.5% (95% confidence interval, 14.6-20.6) for dementia and 19.5% (95% confidence interval, 16.6-22.8) for cognitive impairment without dementia. These prevalence rates were influenced by age (P<0.001) and by educational level (P<0.001). There was no significant sex difference among diagnostic groups (P=0.166). The prevalence of dementia was higher in relatively younger individuals (below 70 y) when compared with other studies. Besides, dementia was associated with low socioeconomic status, stroke, previous psychiatric disorder, alcoholism, and epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dementia in this study was higher than in other studies, particularly among younger elderly.

Suggested instruments for General Practitioners in countries with low schooling to screen for cognitive impairment in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: General Practitioners (GPs) from underdeveloped countries apply cognitive impairment (CI) assessment tools translated and adapted to cultural setting from other idioms, mainly English. As schooling in elderly from underdeveloped countries tends to be relatively heterogeneous, it is necessary to establish normative and cut-off scores for these CI instruments that are based on studies conducted locally. Some CI screening instruments frequently used by Brazilian specialists in dementia were analyzed to determine which could be most useful to GPs in their working sets. METHOD: Two hundred forty-eight patients aged 65 years or older that had been assisted by GPs in a tertiary hospital in Brazil were evaluated. Based on the MMSE and/or Short-IQCODE scores, 52 probable cases were identified on the basis of clinical data, performances on the neuropsychological tests and questionnaires (Functional Assessment Questionnaire/FAQ, Category Verbal Fluency/CVF, Clock Drawing Test/CDT) and blood tests and brain CT. RESULTS: The combination of a functional questionnaire with a cognitive instrument had higher sensitivity and specificity than using the instruments alone. A FAQ cut-off of 3 in conjunction with a CDT cut-off of 6 proved optimal (93% sensitivity and 92.5% specificity). A higher specificity (93.5%) was attained using a combination of the FAQ (cut-off of 3) with the CVF (cut-off of 10). CONCLUSIONS: For low schooling elderly, the combination of the FAQ and CVF represented a very simple method of increasing the chances of correct screening. For those with higher schooling, the combination of the FAQ and CDT was more suitable.

Ecological evaluation of executive functions in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer disease.

Executive deficits characterize the initial phases of Alzheimer disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and are clinically correlated to neuropsychiatric symptoms and functional loss. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Behavioral Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome test (BADS) for comparing the performance between patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI) and mild AD and for detecting early signs of alterations in executive functions. BADS was performed on 60 healthy controls, 20 patients with aMCI, and 40 mild probable AD patients (20 early-onset AD patients and 20 late-onset AD patients). Significant differences in battery performance were found among groups on the BADS subtests Rule Shift Cards, Program of Action, Zoo Map, 6 Modified Elements, and 3 total scores. Early changes in executive functions were detected in both AD (irrespective of age of onset) and aMCI patients. The BADS proved useful for differentiating between these patient groups. Our results confirmed the presence of early alterations in executive functions among aMCI and mild AD patients.

A retrospective cohort study of the effectiveness and adverse events of intralesional pentavalent antimonials in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

INTRODUCTION: The standard therapy for American cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) is intravenous meglumine antimoniate (IV-MA). However, treatment interruptions due to adverse events (AEs) and non-adherence are frequent. Consequently, intralesional MA (IL-MA) was proposed. OBJECTIVE: This study examined the effectiveness of and AEs associated with IL-MA. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of 240 patients with ACL. We excluded patients with mucous lesions and disseminated leishmaniasis and those who received treatment in the previous 6 months. We considered protocol treatments as the main risk factors. IL-MA was performed using a subcutaneous injection of MA in a volume sufficient to elevate the lesion base (approximately 1 mL/cm2 of lesion area) once weekly for 1-8 weeks. IV-MA was performed via intravenous injections of MA at a dosage of 10-20 mg Sb5+/kg/day for 20 days. The primary outcome was defined as a lesion cure 3 months after treatment, and AEs were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Seventy-three patients were included. The IL-MA group consisted of 21 patients, and the IV-MA group consisted of 52 patients. The IL-MA group was older, had more comorbidities and more previous unsuccessful treatment of ACL. The antimonial dose was significantly lower in this group. The cure rate for IL-MA was 66.7%, which was lower than that in the IV-MA group (relative risk (RR) = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.50-0.92, p < 0.001), while the rate of AEs was similar. Female sex (RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.02-1.33), lesion diameter ≤1 cm (RR = 1.25, 95% CI: 1.00-1.56) and treatment with IV-MA (RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.06-1.93) were independently associated with achieving a cure. Comorbidities (RR = 1.7, 95% CI: 1.06-2.98) were independently associated with AEs. CONCLUSIONS: Patients of IL-MA group were older, had more comorbidities and more previous unsuccessful treatment of ACL. Nevertheless, IL-MA had a cure rate of 66.7%, and it was useful in this context. A prospective randomized trial is recommended.

A randomized, open-label clinical trial comparing the long-term effects of miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate for mucosal leishmaniasis.

INTRODUCTION: The treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is difficult due to the toxicity and route of administration of standard drugs. Miltefosine is an oral agent used for leishmaniasis treatment; however, no data exist regarding its use for ML in Brazil. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of miltefosine for ML treatment compared to that of pentavalent antimonial in a pilot study. METHODS: We performed a randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups. The tested intervention consisted of miltefosine 1.3-2 mg/kg/day (two capsules) for 28 days or intravenous 20 mg SbV/kg/day of meglumine antimoniate (N-MA) for 30 days. The final endpoint was defined as complete healing of the lesion four years after treatment. We also analyzed an early endpoint at 90 days after treatment. RESULTS: Forty patients were included in this study: each experimental group comprised 20 patients. Applying a multivariate model in an intention-to-treat analysis, we observed that patients treated with miltefosine had a cure probability 2.08 times greater (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-4.18) than those treated with N-MA at 90 days after treatment. At the final endpoint, we observed no differences in cure probability between miltefosine and N-MA (relative risk = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.33-1.32). With respect to adverse reactions, significant differences between groups were related to gastrointestinal effects, which were more frequent in the miltefosine group. CONCLUSIONS: Miltefosine may be an interesting alternative for treating ML because of its oral administration and cure rate after long-term follow-up.

Linguistic abilities in major vascular cognitive impairment: a comparative study with Alzheimer's disease.

We assessed the linguistic abilities of multi-infarct (cortical) dementia and subcortical ischemic vascular dementia (VaD) patients and compared the linguistic performance of VaD and Alzheimer's Disease (AD) patients. A total of 23 VaD patients, 20 mild AD patients, and 31 controls participated in the study. All were evaluated using the Arizona Battery for Communication Disorders of Dementia (ABCD). Neuropsychological testing was performed to ascertain that VaD and AD patients had comparable cognitive performance. Both dementia groups performed more poorly than controls in the ABCD measures, except for the comparative question subtest. Comparison between VaD and AD patients showed statistically significant differences only in the confrontation naming subtest (p < 0.05), where paraphasias and visual errors were the most prevalent. AD patients showed a trend towards more circumlocution errors than VaD patients (p = 0.0483). When compared to controls, linguistic abilities of VaD patients were impaired in all measures of linguistic expression and linguistic comprehension, except for the comparative question subtest. Linguistic differences between VaD and AD patients were observed only in the confrontation naming subtest.

Dementia pugilistica with clinical features of Alzheimer's disease.

A 61-year-old ex-boxer presented with a three-year history of progressive memory decline. During a seven-year follow-up period, there was a continuous cognitive decline, very similar to that usually observed in Alzheimer's disease. Parkinsonian, pyramidal or cerebellar signs were conspicuously absent. Neuropathological examination revealed the typical features of dementia pugilistica: cavum septi pellucidi with multiple fenestrations, numerous neurofibrillary tangles in the cerebral isocortex and hippocampus (and rare senile plaques). Immunohistochemistry disclosed a high number of tau protein deposits and scarce beta-amyloid staining. This case shows that dementia pugilistica may present with clinical features practically undistinguishable from Alzheimer's disease.

Comparison between two tests of delayed recall for the diagnosis of dementia.

UNLABELLED: Diagnosis of dementia is a challenge in populations with heterogeneous educational background. OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracies of two delayed recall tests for the diagnosis of dementia in a community with high proportion of illiterates. METHOD: The delayed recall of a word list from the CERAD battery (DR-CERAD) was compared with the delayed recall of objects presented as line drawings from the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (DR-BCSB) using ROC curves. Illiterate (23 controls and 17 patients with dementia) and literate individuals (28 controls and 17 patients with dementia) were evaluated in a community-dwelling Brazilian population. RESULTS: The DR-BCSB showed higher accuracy than the DR-CERAD in the illiterate (p=0.029), similar accuracy in the literate individuals (p=0.527), and a trend for higher accuracy in the entire population (p=0.084). CONCLUSION: the DR-BCSB could be an alternative for the diagnosis of dementia in populations with high proportion of illiterates.

Which factors are associated with global cognitive impairment in Wilson's disease?

BACKGROUND: Patients with Wilson's disease (WD) present cognitive impairment, especially in executive functions. Which other factors might be associated with global cognitive decline in these patients remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess which factors are associated with worse performance on a global cognitive test in patients with WD. METHODS: Twenty patients with WD underwent cognitive assessment with the following tests: the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Dementia Rating Scale (DRS), verbal fluency test, brief cognitive battery, clock drawing test, Frontal Assessment Battery, Stroop test, Wisconsin card sorting test, Hopper test, cubes (WAIS) and the Pfeffer questionnaire. MRI changes were quantified. Patients with poor performance on the DRS were compared to patients with normal performance. RESULTS: Nine patients had a poor performance on the DRS. This group had lower educational level (9.11±3.58× 12.82±3.06) and a greater number of changes on MRI (9.44±2.74× 6.27±2.45). The presence of hyperintensity in the globus pallidus on MRI was more frequent in this group (66.6% vs 9.0%), with OR=5.38 (95% CI 0.85-33.86). CONCLUSION: Global cognitive impairment was prevalent in this sample of patients with WD and was associated with low educational level, number of changes on MRI and MRI hyperintensity in the globus pallidus.

EMBASAMENTO: Pacientes com doença de Wilson (DW) apresentam comprometimento cognitivo, principalmente de funções executivas. Existem dúvidas sobre quais outros fatores poderiam estar associados ao declínio cognitivo global nesses pacientes. OBJETIVO: Avaliar quais fatores estão associados ao pior desempenho em teste cognitivo global em pacientes com DW. MÉTODOS: Vinte pacientes com DW em tratamento regular foram submetidos à avaliação cognitiva com os seguintes testes: Mini-Exame do Estado Mental, escala de demência de Mattis (DRS), fluência verbal, bateria cognitiva breve, desenho do relógio, bacteria de avaliação frontal, Stroop, teste de seleção de cartões de Wisconsin, Hopper, Cubos e ao questionário de Pfeffer. As alterações em RM foram quantificadas. Pacientes com desempenho alterado na DRS foram comparados aos pacientes com desempenho normal. RESULTADOS: Nove pacientes apresentavam desempenho alterado na DRS. Eles apresentavam menor nivel educacional (9,11±3,58 × 12,82±3,06 anos, respectivamente) e maior quantidade de alterações na RM (9,44±2,74 × 6,27±2,45). A presença de hipersinal no globo pálido na RM foi mais frequente nesse grupo (66,6% × 9,0%), com OR=5,38 (IC 95% 0,85-33,86). CONCLUSÃO: Alterações cognitivas globais foram frequentes nesta amostra de pacientes com DW e se associaram à baixa escolaridade, quantidade de alterações em RM e a hipersinal no globo pálido à RM.

Differences in prefrontal cortex activation and deactivation during strategic episodic verbal memory encoding in mild cognitive impairment.

In this study we examined differences in fMRI activation and deactivation patterns during episodic verbal memory encoding between individuals with MCI (n = 18) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 17). Participants were scanned in two different sessions during the application of self-initiated or directed instructions to apply semantic strategies at encoding of word lists. MCI participants showed reduced free recall scores when using self-initiated encoding strategies that were increased to baseline controls' level after directed instructions were provided. During directed strategic encoding, greater recruitment of frontoparietal regions was observed in both MCI and control groups; group differences between sessions were observed in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and the right superior frontal gyrus. This study provides evidence suggesting that differences of activity in these regions may be related to encoding deficits in MCI, possibly mediating executive functions during task performance.

Contribution to the evaluation of language disturbances in subcortical lesions: a pilot study.

Subcortical structures are in a strategic functional position within the cognitive networks and their lesion can interfere with a great number of functions. In this study, we describe fourteen subjects with exclusively subcortical vascular lesions (eight in the basal ganglia and six in the thalamus) and the interrelation between their language alterations and other cognitive abilities, as attention, memory and frontal executive functions. All patients were evaluated through the following batteries: Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, Boston Naming Test, Token Test, Benton Visual Retention Test, Trail Making, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and a frontal scripts task. All patients underwent MRI and twelve underwent SPECT. Results show that these patients present impairment in several cognitive domains, especially attention and executive functions. These alterations affect language abilities, and this fact must be considered in the rehabilitation efforts.

Thalamus and language: interface with attention, memory and executive functions.

Subcortical structures are in a strategic functional position within the cognitive networks. Their lesion can interfere with a great number of functions. We studied six patients with thalamic vascular lesions (three left sided, two right sided and one bilateral), to characterize their repercussion in the communicative abilities and the interface between language alterations and other cognitive abilities, as attention, memory and frontal executive. All patients were evaluated through a functional interview (discourse analysis), and the following batteries: Boston Diagnostic Aphasia Examination, Boston Naming Test, Token Test, Benton Visual Retention Test, Trail Making, Wisconsin Card Sorting and frontal scripts. All patients performed MRI and five underwent SPECT. Results show that these patients present impairment in several cognitive domains, especially attention and executive functions (working memory, planning and self-monitoring); those with right lesions have an additional visuospatial impairment. Such alterations interfere with language abilities, and this fact must be considered in the rehabilitation efforts.

Brazilian version of the Mattis dementia rating scale: diagnosis of mild dementia in Alzheimer's disease.

OBJECTIVES: To verify the diagnostic accuracy of the Brazilian version of the Mattis Dementia Rating Scale (DRS) in the diagnosis of patients with mild dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD); to verify the interference of the variables age and schooling on the performance of the DRS. METHOD: The DRS was administered to 41 patients with mild AD and to 60 controls. In order to analyze the effects of age and schooling on the performance of the tests, patients and controls were separated into three age groups and three levels of schooling. RESULTS: The cutoff score of 122 showed a sensitivity of 91.7 % and specificity of 87.8 %. Age and schooling interfered in the DRS total score and in the scores of its subscales. CONCLUSION: The DRS showed good diagnostic accuracy in the discrimination of patients with mild AD from the control individuals. In the sample examined, the effects of schooling were more marked than age.

Iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease following human growth hormone therapy: case report.

We report the case of a 41-year-old man with iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) acquired after the use of growth hormone (GH) obtained from a number of pituitary glands sourced from autopsy material. The incubation period of the disease (from the midpoint of treatment to the onset of clinical symptoms) was rather long (28 years). Besides the remarkable cerebellar and mental signs, the patient exhibited sleep disturbance (excessive somnolence) from the onset of the symptoms, with striking alteration of the sleep architecture documented by polysomnography. 14-3-3 protein was detected in the CSF, and MRI revealed increased signal intensity bilaterally in the striatum, being most evident in diffusion-weighted (DW-MRI) sequences. This is the second case of iatrogenic CJD associated with the use of GH reported in Brazil.

Subjective memory complaints in the elderly: a sign of cognitive impairment?

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive impairment in the elderly is frequently overlooked by general practitioners. The use of subjective memory complaints as a sign of cognitive impairment by the general practice is controversial. METHODS: Elderly individuals (N = 248) were asked whether they had memory complaints and underwent a cognitive impairment screening. Subjects classified as exhibiting "probable cognitive impairment" underwent a complete cognitive evaluation, and the final diagnoses were established by expert consensus. RESULTS: A total of 147 patients presented with subjective memory complaints, and 43 were further classified as demented or "cognitively impaired not demented". Subjective memory complaints presented a sensitivity of 100% and a negative predictive value of 100%. CONCLUSION: Subjective memory complaints are an indicator for cognitive impairment screening.

Polymorphism of Interleukin-6 is not associated with the presence or absence of high HPV E6/E7.

UNLABELLED: The present study evaluated the frequency of the polymorphism of Interleukin-6 (IL6) in women positive for E6/E7 Human Papillomavirus (HPV) (n=152) and women negative for HPV (n=238), 390 women in total. Material for analysis was obtained at the Federal University of São Paulo. Interleukin-6 polymorphism was detected by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and analyzed in 3% agarose gel. RESULTS: No significant associations between the frequency of the polymorphism of IL6 in patients expressing E6 and E7 with HPV-positive and -negative reactions were found. There was no statistically significant difference between the case and control group for genotype distribution (p=0.280). CONCLUSION: Genotypic analysis showed a striking similarity of IL6 polymorphisms in both cases and controls. The allelic distribution in cases and controls for G and C of IL6 were very similar (p=0.186), which could point to similar IL6 functionality for both groups.

A randomized, open-label clinical trial comparing the long-term effects of miltefosine and meglumine antimoniate for mucosal leishmaniasis

Abstract INTRODUCTION: The treatment of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) is difficult due to the toxicity and route of administration of standard drugs. Miltefosine is an oral agent used for leishmaniasis treatment; however, no data exist regarding its use for ML in Brazil. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of miltefosine for ML treatment compared to that of pentavalent antimonial in a pilot study. METHODS: We performed a randomized clinical trial with two parallel groups. The tested intervention consisted of miltefosine 1.3-2 mg/kg/day (two capsules) for 28 days or intravenous 20 mg SbV/kg/day of meglumine antimoniate (N-MA) for 30 days. The final endpoint was defined as complete healing of the lesion four years after treatment. We also analyzed an early endpoint at 90 days after treatment. RESULTS: Forty patients were included in this study: each experimental group comprised 20 patients. Applying a multivariate model in an intention-to-treat analysis, we observed that patients treated with miltefosine had a cure probability 2.08 times greater (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03-4.18) than those treated with N-MA at 90 days after treatment. At the final endpoint, we observed no differences in cure probability between miltefosine and N-MA (relative risk = 0.66; 95% CI = 0.33-1.32). With respect to adverse reactions, significant differences between groups were related to gastrointestinal effects, which were more frequent in the miltefosine group. CONCLUSIONS: Miltefosine may be an interesting alternative for treating ML because of its oral administration and cure rate after long-term follow-up.

Performance of the Visual Analogue Scale of Happiness and of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia in the Tremembé Epidemiological Study, Brazil.

Depression is a major growing public health problem. Many population studies have found a significant relationship between depression and the presence of cognitive disorders. OBJECTIVE: To establish the correlation between the Visual Analogue Scale of Happiness and the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia in the population aged 60 years or over in the city of Tremembé, state of São Paulo, Brazil. METHODS: An epidemiological survey involving home visits was carried out in the city of Tremembé. The sample was randomly selected by drawing 20% of the population aged 60 years or older from each of the city's census sectors. In this single-phase study, the assessment included clinical history, physical and neurological examination, cognitive evaluation, and application of both the Cornell Scale and the Analogue Scale of Happiness for psychiatric symptoms. The presence of depressive symptoms was defined as scores greater than or equal to 8 points on the Cornell Scale. RESULTS: A total of 623 subjects were evaluated and of these 251 (40.3%) had clinically significant depressive symptoms on the Cornell Scale, with a significant association with female gender (p<0.001) and with lower education (p=0.012). One hundred and thirty-six participants (21.8%) chose the unhappiness faces, with a significant association with age (p<0.001), female gender (p=0.020) and low socioeconomic status (p=0.012). Although there was a statistically significant association on the correlation test, the correlation was not high (rho=0.47). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was high in this sample and the Visual Analogue Scale of Happiness and Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia should not be used as similar alternatives for evaluating the presence of depressive symptoms, at least in populations with low educational level.

A depressão é um problema importante e crescente de saúde pública. É muito comum ser encontrada uma relação significativa entre depressão e a presença de distúrbios cognitivos nos estudos populacionais. OBJETIVO: Estabelecer a correlação entre a Escala Analógica Visual de Felicidade e a Escala Cornell de Depressão em Demência na população de 60 anos ou mais da cidade de Tremembé, estado de São Paulo, Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo epidemiológico no qual foram realizadas visitas domiciliares na cidade de Tremembé. A amostra foi aleatória, através do sorteio de 20% da população acima de 60 anos de cada setor censitário do município. Este estudo foi de fase única, tendo sido realizada anamnese, exames físico e neurológico, avaliação cognitiva e aplicação de escalas Cornell de Depressão em Demência e Escala Analógica de Felicidade para verificar a presença de sintomas depressivos. Foi adotado como critério da presença de sintomas depressivos, pontuação maior ou igual a 8 na escala de Cornell. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliadas 623 pessoas e destas 251 (40,3%) apresentaram sintomas depressivos significativos clinicamente na escala de Cornell, com associação significativa com gênero feminino (p<0,001) e com a baixa escolaridade (p=0,012). Cento e trinta e seis participantes (21,8%) apontaram para faces de infelicidade, com associação significativa com idade (p<0,001), com gênero feminino (p=0,020) e com baixo nível socioeconômico (p=0,012). Embora tenha havido significância estatística no teste de correlação, a correlação entre as duas escalas analisadas não foi alta (rho=0,47). CONCLUSÃO: A prevalência de sintomas depressivos foi elevada nesta amostra e a Escala Analógica de Felicidade e a Escala Cornell de Depressão em Demência não devem ser utilizadas como alternativas similares para avaliar a presença de sintomas depressivos, pelo menos em populações com baixa escolaridade.