Alcohol-Related Dementia: A Systemic Review of Epidemiological Studies

Background Alcohol-related dementia (ARD) is a heterogeneous long-term cognitive problem that can develop in the course of alcoholism. Current understanding of ARD remains limited. Methods We conducted a systematic review to synthesize available data on the epidemiology of ARD, through searching the relevant studies in the PubMed, PsycINFO, and ALOIS. "Alcohol" and "dementia" were used as keywords. Results We included articles published between January 1, 1991 and February 29, 2016, where language was not limited. Of the 9 identified articles, the prevalence of ARD ranged from 1.19/1000 in multiday admission patients residing in the United Kingdom to 25.6% in elderly clinic alcoholics from the United States. The proportion of ARD in early-onset dementia taken from 3 studies was approximately 10%, whereas only 1.28% in late-onset dementia taken from 1 study. Conclusions Considering the relatively high proportion of ARD in early-onset dementia and its potentially reversible course, future investigation into ARD is necessary.