Background:
Rapidly progressive dementia (RPD) is usually associated with Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, a fatal condition. Current advances in the understanding of immune-mediated diseases allow the diagnosis of previously unrecognized treatable RPDs.
Objective of the Study:
The objective of the study was to describe the prevalence and causes of RPD in a neurology service, identifying potentially reversible causes.
Methods:
We carried out a cross-sectional evaluation of all patients admitted to the neurology unit of a tertiary hospital in Brazil between March 2012 and February 2015. We included patients who had progressed to moderate or severe dementia within a few months or up to 2 years at the time of hospitalization, and used multivariable logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with a favorable outcome.
Results:
We identified 61 RPD…
