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Autopsy in dementing illness: who participates?
L E Harrell1, R Callaway, R Powers
1Alzheimer's Disease Center, VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL 35294.
Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
|January 1, 1993
Summary
Autopsy studies on dementia frequency may be representative. Clinical diagnoses in autopsied patients align with non-autopsied groups, suggesting autopsy series reflect the broader demented population.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
- Pathology
Background:
- Dementia prevalence is often based on autopsy data, but autopsy participation is voluntary.
- The representativeness of autopsy series for the entire demented population remains uncertain.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate if autopsy series accurately reflect the demented population by comparing clinical data of autopsied versus non-autopsied patients.
- To determine if clinical diagnoses of dementia are consistent between patients who underwent autopsy and those who did not.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of all deaths over a 5-year period at a Memory Disorders Clinic.
- Comparison of clinical variables (demographics, disease onset, presentation, death) and diagnoses between autopsied and non-autopsied patients.
Main Results:
- Significant differences observed in race, age of onset, presentation, death, and time since last clinic contact between autopsied and non-autopsied groups.
- No significant differences in the clinical diagnosis of dementia between the two groups.
- Clinical diagnoses were confirmed in 84% of autopsied patients.
Conclusions:
- Clinical diagnoses of dementia appear consistent between autopsied and non-autopsied patients.
- Autopsy series likely provide representative data on the frequency of various dementing disorders in the general demented population.
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