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Background: The number of people with dementia is expected to triple by 2050. We present figures showing the prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in Trondheim, and show how weighting for non-response and nursing home residency affects these figures when comparing Trondheim with Nord-Trøndelag., Material and Method: In the fourth data collection in the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4) in the Norwegian county of Trøndelag, people aged 70 and over in Trondheim were invited to participate in HUNT4 Trondheim 70+. The participants were interviewed and underwent cognitive testing. A diagnostic team diagnosed dementia and mild cognitive impairment. Weights adjusting for non-response bias were used in the comparison of Trondheim and Nord-Trøndelag., Results: The prevalence of dementia in Trondheim was estimated at 16.2 % for the age group 70 years and over, after weighting for non-response bias with regard to age, sex, education and proportion of nursing home residents. Unadjusted dementia prevalence was 21.0 % in Trondheim and 15.7 % in Nord-Trøndelag. After weighting, the prevalence was almost identical in the two samples., Interpretation: Weighting for non-response is crucial for obtaining representative figures in prevalence studies of dementia.

Background: The CERAD Word List Memory Test (WLMT) is widely used in the assessment of older adults with suspected dementia. Although normative data of the WLMT exist in many different regions of the world, normative data based on large population-based cohorts from the Scandinavian countries are lacking., Objective: To develop normative data for the WLMT based on a large population-based Norwegian sample of healthy older adults aged 70 years and above, stratified by age, gender, and education., Methods: A total of 6,356 older adults from two population-based studies in Norway, HUNT4 70 + and HUNT4 Trondheim 70+, were administered the WLMT. Only persons with normal cognitive function were included. We excluded persons with a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia, and persons with a history of stroke and/or depression. This resulted in 3,951 persons aged between 70 and 90 years, of whom 56.2% were females. Regression-based normative data were developed for this sample., Results: Age, gender, and education were significant predictors of performance on the WLMT list-learning subtests and the delayed recall subtest, i.e., participants of younger age, female sex, and higher education level attained higher scores compared to participants of older age, male sex, and lower level of education., Conclusion: Regression-based normative data from the WMLT, stratified by age, gender, and education from a large population-based Norwegian sample of cognitively healthy older adults aged 70 to 90 years are presented. An online norm calculator is available to facilitate scoring of the subtests (in percentiles and z-scores).

Background: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), a simple test for measuring global cognitive function, is frequently used to evaluate cognition in older adults. To decide whether a score on the test indicates a significant deviation from the mean score, normative scores should be defined. Moreover, because the test may vary depending on its translation and cultural differences, normative scores should be established for national versions of the MMSE., Objective: We aimed to examine normative scores for the third Norwegian version of the MMSE., Methods: We used data from two sources: the Norwegian Registry of Persons Assessed for Cognitive Symptoms (NorCog) and the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). After persons with dementia, mild cognitive impairment, and disorders that may cause cognitive impairment were excluded, the sample contained 1,050 cognitively healthy persons, 860 from NorCog, and 190 from HUNT, whose data we subjected to regression analyses., Results: The normative MMSE score varied from 25 to 29, depending on years of education and age. More years of education and younger age were associated with higher MMSE scores, and years of education was the strongest predictor., Conclusion: Mean normative MMSE scores depend on test takers' years of education and age, with level of education being the strongest predictor.

Background: Several studies have found that normative scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) vary depending on the person's education and age. The evidence for different normative scores between sexes is poor., Objective: The main aim of the study was to determine normative scores on the MoCA for Norwegian older adults stratified by educational level, age, and sex. In addition, we aimed to explore sex differences in greater detail., Methods: From two population-based studies in Norway, we included 4,780 people age 70 years and older. People with a diagnosis of dementia or mild cognitive impairment, a history of stroke, and depression were excluded. Trained health personnel tested the participants with the MoCA., Results: The mean MoCA score varied between 22 and 27 and was highest among women 70-74 years with education >13 years and lowest among men age 85 and older with education ≤10 years. Education, age, and sex were significant predictors of MoCA scores., Conclusion: In the present study of cognitively healthy Norwegian adults 70 years and older, we found that the normative score on the MoCA varied between 22 and 27 depending on a person's education, age, and sex. We suggest that normative scores should be determined taking these three variables into consideration.

Background: Having accurate, up-to-date information on the epidemiology of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia is imperative., Objective: To determine the prevalence of MCI and dementia in Norway using data from a large population-based study., Methods: All people 70 + years of age, n = 19,403, in the fourth wave of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4) were invited to participate in the study HUNT4 70 + . Trained health personnel assessed participants using cognitive tests at a field station, at homes, or at their nursing home. Interviewers also completed a structured carer questionnaire in regard to participants suspected of having dementia. Clinical experts made diagnoses according to DSM-5 criteria. We calculated prevalence weighing the data to ensure population representativeness., Results: A total of 9,930 (51.2%) of the possible 19,403 people participated, and 9,663 of these had sufficient information for analysis. Standardized prevalence of dementia and MCI was 14.6% (95% confidence interval (CI) 13.9-15.4) and 35.3% (95% CI 34.3-36.4), respectively. Dementia was more prevalent in women and MCI more prevalent in men. The most prevalent dementia subtype was Alzheimer's disease (57%). By adding data collected from a study of persons < 70 years in the same region, we estimate that there are 101,118 persons with dementia in Norway in 2020, and this is projected to increase to 236,789 and 380,134 in 2050 and 2100, respectively., Conclusion: We found a higher prevalence of dementia and MCI than most previous studies. The present prevalence and future projections are vital for preparing for future challenges to the healthcare system and the entire society.

Introduction: The aims were to examine if the total and item scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and self-reported memory problems differed between older women and men, and if self-reported memory problems were associated with scores on the 2 tests., Methods: We included 309 home-dwelling people aged 70 years and older, 155 women, mean age 75.6 (SD 4.1) years, and 154 men, mean age 76.0 (SD 4.6) years. They were examined with MoCA and MMSE, and they answered 2 questions: "have you experienced any memory problems" and "have you experienced significant memory problems the last 5 years?", Results: The participants scored significantly higher on the MMSE (women 28.0 [1.8], men 28.4 [1.4]) than on MoCA (women 24.6 [3.3], men 24.3 [3.1]). Spearman's rho was 0.36 between the tests. Women scored significantly higher than men on delayed recall of MoCA (3.0 [1.6] vs. 2.4 [1.6]), whereas men scored significantly higher on visuoconstruction (3.8 [1.2] vs. 3.5 [1.0]) and serial subtraction on MoCA (2.7 [0.6] vs. 2.5 [0.8]) and serial sevens on MMSE (4.5 [0.8] vs. 4.1 [1.1]). Multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that female sex, younger age, and higher education were associated with a higher score on MoCA, whereas age and education were associated with a higher score on MMSE. About half of the participants (no sex difference) had experienced significant memory problems the last 5 years, and they had significantly lower scores on both tests., Conclusions: The MoCA score was associated with sex, age, and education, whereas sex did not influence the MMSE score. The question "have you experienced significant memory problems the last 5 years?" may be useful to evaluate older people's cognition., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)