Croatian Medical Journal
Volume 38, Issue 3, 1997, Pages 273-276

Psychotrauma related to war and exile as a risk factor for the development of dementia of Alzheimer's type in refugees (Article)

Folnegović-Šmalc V. , Folnegović Z. , Uzun S. , Vilibić M. , Dujmić S. , Makarić G.
  • a Department of Psychiatry, Vrapče Psychiatry Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia, Department of Psychiatry, Vrapče Psychiatry Hospital, Bolnička 32, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
  • b Republic Institute for Public Health, Zagreb, Croatia
  • c Department of Psychiatry, Vrapče Psychiatry Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
  • d Department of Psychiatry, Vrapče Psychiatry Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia
  • e Rab Psychiatry Hospital, Rab, Croatia
  • f Department of Psychiatry, Vrapče Psychiatry Hospital, Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

Aim. To compare the prevalence of dementia of Alzheimer's type in polytraumatized refugees and displaced persons in Croatia with that of control, nontraumatized subjects. Methods. The study was a prospective follow up of 538 refugees and displaced persons of both sexes and aged 45 and more. All of them experienced at least three war-related traumas. The control group consisted of 538 nontraumatized persons of comparable age and sex composition. Dementia of Alzheimer's type was diagnosed by experienced psychiatrists using DSM-III-R and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria. Results. At the beginning of the follow up, the prevalence of dementia of Alzheimer's type was similar in the refugee and control group (1.7% vs. 2.0%, respectively; chi-square = 0.203, p > 0.05). At the end of the 30-month follow up, the prevalence of dementia significantly increased in the group of refugees but not in the control group (13.6% vs. 2.8%; chi-square = 41.632, p < 0.001). The increase in the refugee group was statistically significant for all age groups except for those 75 and older. More than two thirds of refugees who developed signs of dementia of Alzheimer's type during the follow-up period had five or more war-related traumatic experiences. Conclusion. War-related psychotrauma may be an important risk factor for the development of dementia of Alzheimer's type. Further studies are required to clarify this hypothesis.

Author Keywords

Dementia War Refugees Alzheimer's disease

Index Keywords

statistical analysis refugee Dementia Croatia follow up human war controlled study Aged male female risk factor symptom prevalence Article major clinical study adult psychotrauma Alzheimer Disease
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0030984103&partnerID=40&md5=b2d76ea11de48b9287215554ad84b0be
ISSN: 03539504
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English