Background:A high prevalence of dementia among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders has been reported but knowledge of underlying causes and associations remains limited.Objective:To identify the prevalence of factors that may be associated with the categories of Major neurocognitive disorders (Major NCDs) in Aboriginal people living in residential aged care facilities in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory (NT).Design and Setting:This descriptive cross-sectional study analysed clinical file and cognitive assessment data of participants who were identified as having cognitive impairment between January and June 2016.Method:Screening for the presence of cognitive impairment using the Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA) was undertaken and 58 of 84 Aboriginal people were admitted to the study. Using a clinical file audit, diagnoses of Major NCDs consistent with the DSM-5 classification were made and the prevalence of factors possibly associated with these diagnoses described.Results:Fifty of the 58 participants were diagnosed with a Major NCD. The most frequent diagnoses were Major NCD due to vascular disease (30%), Major NCD due to Alzheimer’s Disease (26%) and Major NCD due to brain injury (20%). Hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and alcohol misuse were commonly reported together with hypothyroidism, hypoglycaemia and vitamin D deficiency.Conclusion(s):This study identified possible associations with Major NCDs in this population as well as a different spread of Major NCD diagnoses to previous studies in Aboriginal populations. There is a need for further research to understand the causes of dementia in Australian Aboriginal people and to use this information to appropriately tailor treatment and prevention programmes.

中文翻译：

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爱丽斯泉养老院原住民痴呆症：一项描述性研究

背景：据报道，原住民和托雷斯海峡岛民的痴呆症患病率很高，但对根本原因和相关性的了解仍然有限。居住在北领地 (NT) 爱丽斯泉养老院的原住民。设计和设置：这项描述性横断面研究分析了 2016 年 1 月至 6 月期间被确定为患有认知障碍的参与者的临床档案和认知评估数据. 方法：使用金伯利土著认知评估 (KICA) 筛查认知障碍的存在，84 名土著人中有 58 人被纳入研究。使用临床档案审核，诊断出符合 DSM-5 分类的主要非传染性疾病，并描述了可能与这些诊断相关的因素的流行情况。结果：58 名参与者中有 50 人被诊断为严重非传染性疾病。最常见的诊断是由血管疾病引起的严重 NCD (30%)、由阿尔茨海默病引起的严重 NCD (26%) 和由脑损伤引起的严重 NCD (20%)。高血压、2 型糖尿病和酒精滥用通常与甲状腺功能减退、低血糖和维生素 D 缺乏症一起报告。结论：本研究确定了与该人群中主要非传染性疾病的可能关联，以及主要非传染性疾病诊断与先前的不同传播土著人口研究。