Background: The number of older people with cognitive impairment being seen in out patient settings is increasing. A brief screening test, which is culturally and educationally fair, would be very useful for clinicians for identifying dementia in these settings. Objectives: To examine the new cognitive screening test, the Rowland Universal Dementia Assessment Scale (RUDAS), and to compare it with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Method: We administered MMSE and RUDAS to 116 subjects, consisting of 58 patients with mild to moderate dementia and 58 age and sex matched controls. The two screening tests were compared with regard to sensitivity and specificity. We looked at the correlation of both tests with years of formal education among the controls. Result: RUDAS had a similar sensitivity but better specificity than MMSE, but did have an educational bias. Conclusions: RUDAS is a useful brief screening test in clinical settings.

ObjectivesTo assess the prevalence and factors associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among older adults in an urban area of South India.SettingThe study was conducted in the capital city of Thiruvananthapuram in the South Indian state of Kerala.ParticipantsThe study participants were community-dwelling individuals aged 60 years and above.Primary outcome measureMCI was the primary outcome measure and was defined using the criteria by European Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium. Cognitive assessment was done using the Malayalam version of Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination tool. Data were also collected on sociodemographic variables, self-reported comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes, lifestyle factors, depression, anxiety and activities of daily living.ResultsThe prevalence of MCI was found to be 26.06% (95% CI of 22.12 to 30.43). History of imbalance on walking (adjusted OR 2.75; 95 % CI of 1.46 to 5.17), presence of depression (adjusted OR 2.17, 95 % CI of 1.21 to 3.89), anxiety (adjusted OR 2.22; 95 % CI of 1.21 to 4.05) and alcohol use (adjusted OR 1.99; 95 % CI of 1.02 to 3.86) were positively associated with MCI while leisure activities at home (adjusted OR 0.33; 95 % CI of 0.11 to 0.95) were negatively associated.ConclusionThe prevalence of MCI is high in Kerala. It is important that the health system and the government take up urgent measures to tackle this emerging public health issue.

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Airplane travel headache is rare and has recently been described as a new form of headache associated with a specific situation. Of the 1,208 patients with primary headaches attending a tertiary care neurology hospital, two (0.16%) patients satisfied the criteria for headache related to airplane travel. Both the patients fulfilled the proposed diagnostic criteria for airplane travel headache. This unique headache had a mean duration of 24 minutes, localized to the medial supraorbital region described as having an intense jabbing or stabbing character that occurred exclusively and maximally during aircraft landing or take-off, following which pain intensity subsided . This rare headache felt on aircraft descent is probably due to the squeeze effect on the frontal sinus wall, when air trapped inside it contracts producing a negative pressure leading to mucosal edema, transudation and intense pain. Use of nasal decongestants either alone or in combination with naproxen sodium prior to ascent and descent abated the headache episodes. Awareness about this unique entity is essential to provide proper treatment and avoid patient suffering.

Aims To compare the prevalence of electrocardiogram (ECG)-documented atrial fibrillation (or flutter) (AF) across eight regions of the world, and to examine anti-thrombotic use and clinical outcomes. Methods and Results Baseline ECGs were collected in 153,152 middle-aged participants (ages 35 to 70 years) to document AF in two community-based studies, spanning 20 countries. Medication use and clinical outcome data (mean follow up of 7.4 years) were available in one cohort. Cross sectional analyses were performed to document the prevalence of AF and medication use, and associations between AF and clinical events were examined prospectively. Mean age of participants was 52.1 years, and 57.7% were female. Age and sex-standardized prevalence of AF varied 12-fold between regions; with the highest in North America, Europe, China and Southeast Asia (270-360 cases per 100,000 persons); and lowest in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (30-60 cases per 100,000 persons)(p < 0.001). Compared with low-income countries (LICs), AF prevalence was 7-fold higher in middle-income countries (MICs) and 11-fold higher in high-income countries (HICs)(p < 0.001). Differences in AF prevalence remained significant after adjusting for traditional AF risk factors. In LICs/MICs, 24% of participants with AF and a CHADS2 score ≥1 received anti-thrombotic therapy, compared with 85% in HICs. AF was associated with an increased risk of stroke (hazard ratio [HR: 2.29; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.49-3.52) and death (HR: 2.97; 95% CI 2.25-3.93); with similar rates in different country income levels. Conclusions Large variations in AF prevalence occur in different regions and country income settings, but this is only partially explained by traditional AF risk factors. Anti-thrombotic therapy is infrequently used in poorer countries despite the high risk of stroke associated with AF. Translational perspective We examined atrial fibrillation (AF) prevalence in 153,152 middle-aged participants spanning 20 countries. Age and sex-standardized prevalence of AF varied by as much as 12-fold between regions; highest in North America, Europe, China and Southeast Asia (270-360 cases per 100,000 persons); and lowest in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (30-60 cases per 100,000 persons)(p < 0.001); and by as much as 11-fold between groups of countries at different income levels (p < 0.001). Global variations were poorly explained by traditional AF risk factors. Future studies are needed to understand the predominant determinants driving the variation in AF burden across different regions of the world.