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Bosco A, Di Lorito C, Dunlop M, Booth A, Alexander D, Jones S, Underwood BR, Todd C, Burns A. Experiences of hospice dementia care: A qualitative study of bereaved carers and hospice clinicians. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286493. [PMID: 37930977 PMCID: PMC10627455 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nearly 50 million people worldwide have dementia and the increasing numbers requiring end-of-life and palliative care, has led to national efforts to define standards of care for this patient group. Little research, however, has been done to date about the experience of hospice care for people with dementia accessing these services. This study explores the views of hospice dementia care for bereaved carers of people with dementia and hospice clinicians. METHODS We used purposive sampling for participant recruitment. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with bereaved carers and hospice clinical staff. Interviews were audio recorded and the transcriptions were analysed through thematic analysis. A total of 12 participants were interviewed from one service in the Northwest region in the UK. All were female and white British. RESULTS Participants described their experience of hospice dementia care in three main themes: Pre-access to service, roles and responsibility within hospice care, ease and difficulty of last period of end-of-life care. CONCLUSION Rapid response teams delivering hospice home care could represent a better option to inpatient care and may be preferred by patients. This type of service, however, may require joined-up care with other community services, and this type of care needs to be considered and planned. Future studies should evaluate this type of community care.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Bosco
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Primary Care Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration- Greater Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - C. Di Lorito
- Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, Royal Free Hospital, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - M. Dunlop
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - A. Booth
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - D. Alexander
- East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom
| | - S. Jones
- East Cheshire Hospice, Macclesfield, Cheshire, United Kingdom
| | - B. R. Underwood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Windsor Unit, Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - C. Todd
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Applied Research Collaboration- Greater Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - A. Burns
- Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
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Matilla-Dueñas A, Ashizawa T, Brice A, Magri S, McFarland KN, Pandolfo M, Pulst SM, Riess O, Rubinsztein DC, Schmidt J, Schmidt T, Scoles DR, Stevanin G, Taroni F, Underwood BR, Sánchez I. Consensus paper: pathological mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxias. Cerebellum 2014; 13:269-302. [PMID: 24307138 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-013-0539-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Intensive scientific research devoted in the recent years to understand the molecular mechanisms or neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are identifying new pathways and targets providing new insights and a better understanding of the molecular pathogenesis in these diseases. In this consensus manuscript, the authors discuss their current views on the identified molecular processes causing or modulating the neurodegenerative phenotype in spinocerebellar ataxias with the common opinion of translating the new knowledge acquired into candidate targets for therapy. The following topics are discussed: transcription dysregulation, protein aggregation, autophagy, ion channels, the role of mitochondria, RNA toxicity, modulators of neurodegeneration and current therapeutic approaches. Overall point of consensus includes the common vision of neurodegeneration in SCAs as a multifactorial, progressive and reversible process, at least in early stages. Specific points of consensus include the role of the dysregulation of protein folding, transcription, bioenergetics, calcium handling and eventual cell death with apoptotic features of neurons during SCA disease progression. Unresolved questions include how the dysregulation of these pathways triggers the onset of symptoms and mediates disease progression since this understanding may allow effective treatments of SCAs within the window of reversibility to prevent early neuronal damage. Common opinions also include the need for clinical detection of early neuronal dysfunction, for more basic research to decipher the early neurodegenerative process in SCAs in order to give rise to new concepts for treatment strategies and for the translation of the results to preclinical studies and, thereafter, in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Matilla-Dueñas
- Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias i Pujol (IGTP), Ctra. de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles s/n, Badalona, Barcelona, Spain,
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is usually the predominant affective state in bipolar disorder. There are few studies, with discrepant views, examining the extent of cognitive impairment in patients with bipolar depression. To our knowledge, there are no previous studies examining decision-making ability or whether there is an affective attentional bias in bipolar depression. METHOD We ascertained 24 depressed bipolar I patients from acute psychiatric hospital wards and out-patient clinics and 26 age- and IQ-matched healthy controls. Using computerized tests we evaluated their performance on 'neutral' (non-emotional) cognitive tasks (i.e. memory, attention and executive function) and on novel tasks of emotional cognition (i.e. the decision-making task and the affective go/no-go task). RESULTS Accuracy measures were significantly impaired on tests of visual and spatial recognition and attentional set-shifting in bipolar depression compared with age- and IQ-matched controls. The quality of decision-making was also significantly impaired in the patients. A mood-congruent attentional bias for 'sad' targets was not evident on the affective go/no-go task. CONCLUSIONS We found widespread evidence of significant cognitive impairment and impaired quality of decision-making in symptomatically severe depressed bipolar patients. This cognitive impairment may contribute to difficulties with daily living, decision-making and the ability to engage and comply with psychological and drug treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Rubinsztein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
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