Impact of Gender on Dementia in Elderly Urban Population

Abstract

Dementia is characterized by progressive deterioration in intellectual, cognitive and judgmental functions of the brain. It is associated with high levels of dependency and morbidity. Therefore early detection and prevention is more important. Material and Methods: 300 subjects aged 60 years and above were screened with MMSE. MMSE scores above 23 indicate normal cognitive function and score of lt; 23 indicates both the likelihood of cognitive impairment. Results: Amongst the study population, 66 subjects had a MMSE score less than 23. Out of the total male subjects 11.47% had cognitive impairment. Out of the total female subjects 29.21% of females had cognitive impairment. Conclusion: in a given sample, cognitive impairment is more prevalent in females than males.