Methodological Aspects of Comparative Research in the Epidemiology of Alzheimer Disease

Abstract

In recent years, major advances have been made in the investigation of the incidence and prevalence of Alzheimer disease in diverse social and cultural settings. Examples of issues being addressed are the methods used to estimate incidence and prevalence, the procedures for data collection and its harmonization, the definitions of numerator (cases) and denominator (population at risk), and the modeling of cognitive decline. This type of research will eventually lead to a better understanding of how protective and modifiable risk factors interact with the genotype to produce this disease.