Devi G, Marder K, Schofield P W, Tang M X, Stern Y, Mayeux R
Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, Division of Epidemiology, Columbia University School of Public Health, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Genet Epidemiol. 1998;15(3):215-23. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1098-2272(1998)15:3<215::AID-GEPI1>3.0.CO;2-3.
We examined 180 siblings of 127 probands with probable or possible Alzheimer's dementia (AD) in a family study of AD. The overall sensitivity of a simple family history questionnaire was 64% and the specificity was 84%. Sensitivity improved 90-100% with minimal decline in specificity when we considered clinic-based vs. population survey patients. Higher education among informants and the availability of a spouse or a sibling as informant significantly increased sensitivity. Awareness of such factors may improve the yield of the family history in AD using a simple questionnaire.
