Mortality and causes of death in the aged with organic brain symptoms.

By various mental status rating methods, 363 aged residents at a nursing home (aged 80 years on the average) were previously evaluated with regard to chronic brain syndrome (CBS), and now at two and four years thereafter, the relation between mortality and the degree of CBS was statistically tested. The results showed that the severer the CBS, the higher the mortality, with significant difference. In 136 autopsy cases, the primary cause of death was investigated. The results showed no significant difference in the cause of death, either between dementia and non-dementia groups or between groups of mild, moderate and severe CBS.