Dementia cohort study:the Nakajima study

Moeko Shinohara, Masahito Yamada

Department of Neurology, Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science

We have investigated cognitive impairment and its correlations with lifestyle-related factors in the residents of Nakajima in the Nanao distinct of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan since 2006 (the Nakajima study). All residents of Nakajima aged 60 years have been eligible to receive a free annual evaluation of their physical health and brain function using a battery of neurological and cognitive tests to estimate the prevalence of dementia. We demonstrated significant differences in dementia prevalence between early and delayed responders. We also demonstrated significant differences in dementia beliefs between non-demented early and delayed responders. Green tea consumption was significantly associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline, even after adjustment for possible confounding factors. In addition, consumption of vitamins C and E was significantly associated with reduced risk of cognitive decline in women with apolipoprotein E (APOE)ε4 and men without APOEε4, respectively.

Address correspondence to Dr. Masahito Yamada, Department of Neurology, Neurobiology of Aging, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science (13-1 Takara-machi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-8640, Japan)