Changes in characteristics of Alzheimer patients at first visit to centers for dementia: a 10-year follow-up study

Background and aims: The Cronos Project is an observational study on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), created by Italy’s Ministry of Public Health in 2000. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether the clinical characteristics of patients at their first visit to the Alzheimer Evaluation Unit (UVA) changed from September 2000 to December 2009, and to examine possible reasons for changes noted. Methods: 1532 consecutive patients were enrolled in two UVAs (September 2000 to December 2009) in a retrospective, descriptive study, with medical records as the primary source of data. Results: Patients’ age at the first visit was not different throughout the period of observation. No differences were observed with regard to education or functional characteristics. However, a reduction in the severity of cognitive impairment was found during the period of evaluation: patients consecutively recruited in the first years were more cognitively, functionally, and psycho-behaviorally compromised than patients recruited in the following years. Conclusions: Data show changes in characteristics at the first visit in patients affected by cognitive deterioration during the years of observation. This finding indicates new clinical needs of patients, requiring changes in pharmacological treatment and in general of the clinical approach.