[Dementia in patients of Hospital das Clínicas da UNICAMP]

To report the relative frequencies of the causes of dementia in patients seen at UNICAMP Hospital.

From 1989 to 1998, 261 dementia patients were admitted (89.7% studied retrospectively, and 10.3%, prospectively); mean age 63.5 years (+/-13.2), and education 3.6 years +/- 3.9; 25% illiterate). Diagnosis of dementia and its subtypes was based on DSM-IV criteria, CAMDEX, NINCDS-ADRDA, NINDS AIREN/ADDTC, Lund-Manchester, besides tap-test, including laboratory and neuroimaging examinations.

Sixty five patients (24.9%) had vascular dementia, 62 ( 23.7%) Alzheimer's, 29 (11.1%) depressive pseudodementia, 28 (10.9%) normal pressure hydrocephalus, 14(5.4%) mixed, 12 (4.6%) post-traumatic, 9 (3.4%) frontotemporal and 38 (14.5%) had diverse or unknown causes. Dementia was minimal or mild in 123 (47.1%), moderate in 95 (36.4%), and severe in 43 (16.5%).

Frequency of vascular dementia was 24.9%, Alzheimer's 23.7%, and normal pressure hydrocephalus 10.7%, in disagreement with that found in the neurological literature (20-30%, 50%, and 1-4%, respectively), probably because we are dealing with cases admitted to a tertiary university hospital. Epidemiological studies are needed to disclose the true proportion of these dementia syndromes in the population.