Table 1

General characteristics and plasma levels of 24S-OH-Chol in patients with Late Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD), Vascular Dementia (VD), Cognitive Impairment No Dementia (CIND), and in older controls.

Parameter

LOAD

VD

CIND

Controls

(n. 60)

(n. 35)

(n. 25)

(n. 40)

Age (years)*

78 ± 5.5

77 ± 7.6

74 ± 8.2

73 ± 8.7

Female gender ^

78,00%

53,00%

60,00%

68,00%

MMSE score (mean/SD)*

21.3 ± 3.8

21.7 ± 3.9

25 ± 3.1

28 ± 2

Barthel index §

82.5/100

79/100

96/100

96/100

GDS

5.7/15

5.3/15

6.3/15

6.2/15

Tot. Chol. (mg/dL)

210 ± 42

204 ± 32

207 ± 43

215 ± 28

Albumin (g/dL)

4.14 ± 0.38

4.11 ± 0.37

4.08 ± 0.34

4.22 ± 0.31

Hypertension

67,00%

83,00%

63,00%

67,00%

Diabetes

15,00%

34.5%

18,00%

19,00%

CHD ^

16,00%

34.5%

12,00%

9.5%

24S-OH-Chol (ng/ml)°

51.0 (42.0-64.7)

39.1 (36.0-46.5)

47.0 (42.6-56.3)

46.3 (37.5-52.7)

Brain atrophy ^^

84%

53%

51%

47%

Single lacune ^^

5%

22%

7%

6.5%

Multiple lacunes ^^

0%

55%

20%

10%

Cortical infarcts ^^

0%

23%

11%

6%

* ANOVA (model P < 0.001) Fisher's least significant difference (LSD) post-hoc test: C vs LOAD p < 0.01; C vs VD p < 0.05; VD vs LOAD and CIND p < 0.005

§ ANOVA (model P < 0.001) LSD p < 0.05 C and CIND vs LOAD and VD

^Chi square test p < 0.05; ^^Chi square test p < 0.001

° ANOVA (model P < 0.001) LSD p < 0.01 LOAD vs C; p < 0.05 VD vs C and CIND; p < 0.01 for LOAD vs VD

MMSE: mini mental state examination; GDS: geriatric depression scale; CHD: coronary heart disease. For 24S-OH-Chol: median (interquartile range)

Zuliani et al. BMC Neurology 2011 11:121   doi:10.1186/1471-2377-11-121