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Inzidenz von Angstsymptomen und assoziierte Risikofaktoren im hohen
Lebensalter – Ergebnisse der
AgeCoDe/AgeQualiDe-Studie. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2022. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1753583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Determinanten der Institutionalisierung im Zeitverlauf. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1732000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Hilfesuche aufgrund von psychischen Belastungen im hohen Alter und die Rolle von erhöhter Angstsymptomatik – Ergebnisse der AgeQualiDe-Studie. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2021. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0041-1732132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Dementia is a major challenge for society and its impact will grow in the future. Informal care is an essential part of dementia care. Previous studies considered informal care as a whole and not by its components. OBJECTIVE We aimed to assess the degree of association between specific informal care services and dementia. MATERIAL AND METHODS This analysis is based on data from the seventh wave of the AgeCoDe/AgeQualiDe study. Dementia was diagnosed based on the DSM-IV criteria. Severity of dementia was assessed and categorized by means of the Clinical Dementia Rating and eight individual informal care services were considered. Logistic regression models were used to assess associations. RESULTS Of the 864 participants 18% suffered from dementia (very mild: 4%; mild: 6%; moderate: 5%; severe: 3%). All informal care services were significantly associated with dementia, with an emphasis on "supervision", "regulation of financial matters" and "assistance in the intake of medication". Considering different degrees of dementia severity, similar results arose from the analyses. All three aforementioned services showed a pronounced association with all degrees of dementia severity, except for supervision and very mild dementia. CONCLUSION The provision of all types of informal care services is associated with dementia. The association is pronounced for services that can be more easily integrated into the daily routines of the informal caregiver. Policy makers who plan to integrate informal care into the general care arrangements for dementia should consider this.
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Abstract
ZusammenfassungDie Einstellungen der Hausärzte zum Thema Demenz scheinen einen großen Einfluss auf die Versorgung dieser Patientengruppe und ihrer Angehörigen zu haben. Dabei spielen sowohl das Wissen der Ärzte, aber auch affektive Faktoren (wie z.B. Tabuisierungstendenzen) und externe Schwierigkeiten (wie z.B. Zeitmangel in der Praxis) eine Rolle. Diese wirken sich auf die Versorgung im gesamten Krankheitsverlauf aus, von der Erkennung bis zur Pflege im Endstadium der Demenz. Sowohl in der Forschung, als auch bei Fortbildungsprogrammen muss berücksichtigt werden, dass nicht allein mögliche Wissenslücken der Hausärzte für eine defizitäre Versorgung verantwortlich sind.
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Longitudinal Analysis of Outpatient Physician Visits in the Oldest Old: Results of the AgeQualiDe Prospective Cohort Study. J Nutr Health Aging 2018; 22:689-694. [PMID: 29806857 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-018-0997-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify determinants of outpatient health care utilization among the oldest old in Germany longitudinally. DESIGN Multicenter prospective cohort "Study on Needs, health service use, costs and health-related quality of life in a large sample of oldest-old primary care patients (85+)" (AgeQualiDe). SETTING Individuals in very old age were recruited via GP offices at six study centers in Germany. The course of outpatient health care was observed over 10 months (two waves). PARTICIPANTS Primary care patients aged 85 years and over (at baseline: n=861, with mean age of 89.0 years±2.9 years; 85-100 years). MEASUREMENTS Self-reported numbers of outpatient visits to general practitioners (GP) and specialists in the past three months were used as dependent variables. Widely used scales were used to quantify explanatory variables (e.g., Geriatric Depression Scale, Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, or Global Deterioration Scale). RESULTS Fixed effects regressions showed that increases in GP visits were associated with increases in cognitive impairment, whereas they were not associated with changes in marital status, functional decline, increasing number of chronic conditions, increasing age, and changes in social network. Increases in specialist visits were not associated with changes in the explanatory variables. CONCLUSION Our findings underline the importance of cognitive impairment for GP visits. Creating strategies to postpone cognitive decline might be beneficial for the health care system.
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Mortality in incident cognitive impairment – Results of the prospective AgeCoDe study. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2017. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1605825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Factors Affecting Functional Impairment among Elderly Germans - Results of a Longitudinal Study. J Nutr Health Aging 2017; 21:299-306. [PMID: 28244570 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-016-0771-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate causal factors of functional impairment in old age in a longitudinal approach. DESIGN A population-based prospective cohort study. SETTING Elderly individuals were recruited via GP offices at six study centers in Germany. They were observed every 1.5 years over six waves. PARTICIPANTS Three thousand two hundred fifty-six people aged 75 years and older at baseline. MEASUREMENTS Functional impairment was quantified by the Lawton and Brody Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale (IADL) and the Barthel-Index (BI). RESULTS Fixed effects regressions revealed that functional impairment (IADL; BI) increased significantly with ageing (β=-.2; β=-1.1), loss of a spouse (β= .5; β=-3.1), not living alone in private household (β=-1.2; β=-5.5), depression (solely significant for IADL: β= .6) and dementia (β=-2.3; β=-18.2). The comorbidity score did not affect functional impairment. CONCLUSION Our findings underline the relevance of changes in sociodemographic variables as well as the occurrence of depression or dementia for functional impairment. While several of these causal factors for functional decline in the oldest old are inevitable, some may not be, such as depression. Therefore, developing interventional strategies to prevent depression might be a fruitful approach in order to delay functional impairment in old age.
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Does Visual Impairment Affect Social Ties in Late Life? Findings of a Multicenter Prospective Cohort Study in Germany. J Nutr Health Aging 2017; 21:692-698. [PMID: 28537334 DOI: 10.1007/s12603-016-0768-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate how visual impairment affects social ties in late life longitudinally. DESIGN Population-based prospective cohort study. SETTING Individuals in old age were recruited via general practitioners' offices (at six study centers) in Germany. They were interviewed every 18 months. PARTICIPANTS Individuals aged 75 years and above at baseline. Follow-up wave 2 (36 months after baseline, n=2,443) and wave 4 (72 months after baseline, n=1,618) were used for the analyses presented here. MEASUREMENTS Social ties were assessed using the 14-item form of the questionnaire for social support (F-SozU K-14). Visual impairment was self-rated on a three level Likert scale (no impairment, mild visual impairment, or severe/profound visual impairment). RESULTS Adjusting for sociodemographic factors, hearing impairment and comorbidity, fixed effects regressions revealed that the onset of mild visual impairment decreased the social support score, in particular the emotional support score. Additionally, the onset of mild hearing impairment decreased the social support score in men. Moreover, increasing age decreased the social support score in the total sample and in both sexes. Loss of spouse and increasing comorbidity did not affect the social support score. CONCLUSION Our results highlight the importance of visual impairment for social ties in late life. Consequently, appropriate strategies in order to delay visual impairment might help to maintain social ties in old age.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate time-dependent predictors of frailty in old age longitudinally. DESIGN Population-based prospective cohort study. SETTING Elderly individuals were recruited via GP offices at six study centers in Germany. The course of frailty was observed over 1.5 years (follow up wave 4 and follow up wave 5). PARTICIPANTS 1,602 individuals aged 80 years and older (mean age 85.4 years SD 3.2, with mean CSHA CFS 3.5 SD 1.6) at follow up wave 4. MEASUREMENTS Frailty was assessed by using the Canadian Study of Health and Aging Clinical Frailty Scale (CSHA CFS), ranging from 1 (very fit) to 7 (severely frail). RESULTS Fixed effects regressions revealed that frailty increased significantly with increasing age (β=.2) as well as the occurrence of depression (β=.5) and dementia (β=.8) in the total sample. Changes in marital status and comorbidity did not affect frailty. While the effects of depression and dementia were significant in women, these effects did not achieve statistical significance in men. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the role of aging as well as the occurrence of dementia and depression for frailty. Specifically, in order to delay frailty in old age, developing interventional strategies to prevent depression might be a fruitful approach.
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Mortality in incident dementia - results from the German Study on Aging, Cognition, and Dementia in Primary Care Patients. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2015; 132:257-69. [PMID: 26052745 DOI: 10.1111/acps.12454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/11/2015] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dementia is known to increase mortality, but the relative loss of life years and contributing factors are not well established. Thus, we aimed to investigate mortality in incident dementia from disease onset. METHOD Data were derived from the prospective longitudinal German AgeCoDe study. We used proportional hazards models to assess the impact of sociodemographic and health characteristics on mortality after dementia onset, Kaplan-Meier method for median survival times. RESULTS Of 3214 subjects at risk, 523 (16.3%) developed incident dementia during a 9-year follow-up period. Median survival time after onset was 3.2 years (95% CI = 2.8-3.7) at a mean age of 85.0 (SD = 4.0) years (≥2.6 life years lost compared with the general German population). Survival was shorter in older age, males other dementias than Alzheimer's, and in the absence of subjective memory complaints (SMC). CONCLUSION Our findings emphasize that dementia substantially shortens life expectancy. Future studies should further investigate the potential impact of SMC on mortality in dementia.
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The role of spousal loss in the development of depressive symptoms in the elderly – implications for diagnostic systems. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2014. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1387028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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[Patients' needs and expectations concerning prevention and health advice in primary care. Results from the EUROPREVIEW survey]. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2014; 76:417-22. [PMID: 25010861 DOI: 10.1055/s-0034-1381985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of the EUROPREVIEW study was to explore patients' beliefs about primary care prevention, to assess their needs to make changes in lifestyle and their willingness to receive support from GPs. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was undertaken in 22 European countries with 10 practices each that consecutively included 40 patients between 30 and 70 years. Validity of the structured questionnaire was evaluated by pilot testing after translation und back-translation for every country. This explorative analysis compared German data on lifestyle factors like smoking, body weight and physical activity to those from other European countries. RESULTS There were no differences in patients' needs for changes in unhealthy habits and the views of patients that GPs initiated a discussion on lifestyle factors. In Germany significantly less patients wish to receive advice by their GP [eating habits 41.1 (Germany %) vs. 66.6 (other countries %), physical activity 31.0 vs. 57.0, body weight 44.1 vs. 67.1, smoking 49.1 vs. 63.3, alcohol 43.5 vs. 55.9]. CONCLUSION Further research should firstly adress the reasons for the low demand by German patients for health advice on lifestyle factors and, if necessary, secondly evaluate the opportunities for a better range of preventive services in primary care.
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Apolipoprotein E epsilon 4 genotype and a physically active lifestyle in late life: analysis of gene-environment interaction for the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease dementia. Psychol Med 2014; 44:1319-1329. [PMID: 23883793 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291713001918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND As physical activity may modify the effect of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele on the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia, we tested for such a gene-environment interaction in a sample of general practice patients aged ⩾75 years. METHOD Data were derived from follow-up waves I-IV of the longitudinal German study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe). The Kaplan-Meier survival method was used to estimate dementia- and AD-free survival times. Multivariable Cox regression was used to assess individual associations of APOE ε4 and physical activity with risk for dementia and AD, controlling for covariates. We tested for gene-environment interaction by calculating three indices of additive interaction. RESULTS Among the randomly selected sample of 6619 patients, 3327 (50.3%) individuals participated in the study at baseline and 2810 (42.5%) at follow-up I. Of the 2492 patients without dementia included at follow-up I, 278 developed dementia (184 AD) over the subsequent follow-up interval of 4.5 years. The presence of the APOE ε4 allele significantly increased and higher physical activity significantly decreased risk for dementia and AD. The co-presence of APOE ε4 with low physical activity was associated with higher risk for dementia and AD and shorter dementia- and AD-free survival time than the presence of APOE ε4 or low physical activity alone. Indices of interaction indicated no significant interaction between low physical activity and the APOE ε4 allele for general dementia risk, but a possible additive interaction for AD risk. CONCLUSIONS Physical activity even in late life may be effective in reducing conversion to dementia and AD or in delaying the onset of clinical manifestations. APOE ε4 carriers may particularly benefit from increasing physical activity with regard to their risk for AD.
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[Potentially inappropriate medication in elderly primary care patients : A retrospective, longitudinal analysis]. Bundesgesundheitsblatt Gesundheitsforschung Gesundheitsschutz 2014; 56:941-9. [PMID: 23712323 DOI: 10.1007/s00103-013-1767-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elderly people are often burdened by several diseases. This accounts for a higher medication intake and increases the risk of adverse drug events. To minimize this risk, several lists (Beers, PRISCUS) have been published of drugs that elderly patients should not take. We present a longitudinal analysis of the use of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) over a period 4.5 years in a cohort of patients aged 75 years or more. METHODS Data were collected from the prospective, multicenter, observational study "German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe)," initially enrolling 3,327 patients. We investigated the prevalence of PIM by checking medications during visits to patients' homes. Furthermore, we analyzed the use of individual PIM agents over time. RESULTS At baseline, we found a PIM prevalence of 29 % according to the PRISCUS list, which decreased to 25.0 % 4.5 years later (χ(2): 7.87, p = 0.004). The Beers list yielded a prevalence of 21 % at baseline, decreasing after 4.5 years to 17.1 % (χ(2): 10.77, p = 0.000). A time-dependent multilevel model confirmed these results. Older age, depression, and the use of numerous prescribed agents are independent risk factors for using a PRISCUS-PIM. CONCLUSION Our results seem to support a trend toward a more rational drug therapy because fewer patients were prescribed PIM. Thus, for the individual patient, the risk of adverse effects and side effects is reduced as are the costs of these effects.
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A hierarchy of predictors for dementia-free survival in old-age: results of the AgeCoDe study. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2014; 129:63-72. [PMID: 23521526 DOI: 10.1111/acps.12129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/19/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Progression from cognitive impairment (CI) to dementia is predicted by several factors, but their relative importance and interaction are unclear. METHOD We investigated numerous such factors in the AgeCoDe study, a longitudinal study of general practice patients aged 75+. We used recursive partitioning analysis (RPA) to identify hierarchical patterns of baseline covariates that predicted dementia-free survival. RESULTS Among 784 non-demented patients with CI, 157 (20.0%) developed dementia over a follow-up interval of 4.5 years. RPA showed that more severe cognitive compromise, revealed by a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score < 27.47, was the strongest predictor of imminent dementia. Dementia-free survival time was shortest (mean 2.4 years) in such low-scoring patients who also had impaired instrumental activities of daily living (iADL) and subjective memory impairment with related worry (SMI-w). Patients with identical characteristics but without SMI-w had an estimated mean dementia-free survival time of 3.8 years, which was still shorter than in patients who had subthreshold MMSE scores but intact iADL (4.2-5.2 years). CONCLUSION Hierarchical patterns of readily available covariates can predict dementia-free survival in older general practice patients with CI. Although less widely appreciated than other variables, iADL impairment appears to be an especially noteworthy predictor of progression to dementia.
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Are there Differences between Patients with and without the Homozygous -13910CC Genetic Variant in the MCM-6 Gene Upstream from the Lactase Gene? - A Non-Randomised,. Clin Lab 2014; 60:1617-25. [DOI: 10.7754/clin.lab.2014.140219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Age of major depression onset, depressive symptoms, and risk for subsequent dementia: results of the German study on Ageing, Cognition, and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe). Psychol Med 2013; 43:1597-1610. [PMID: 23137390 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712002449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whether late-onset depression is a risk factor for or a prodrome of dementia remains unclear. We investigated the impact of depressive symptoms and early- v. late-onset depression on subsequent dementia in a cohort of elderly general-practitioner patients (n = 2663, mean age = 81.2 years). METHOD Risk for subsequent dementia was estimated over three follow-ups (each 18 months apart) depending on history of depression, particularly age of depression onset, and current depressive symptoms using proportional hazard models. We also examined the additive prediction of incident dementia by depression beyond cognitive impairment. RESULTS An increase of dementia risk for higher age cut-offs of late-onset depression was found. In analyses controlling for age, sex, education, and apolipoprotein E4 genotype, we found that very late-onset depression (aged ≥ 70 years) and current depressive symptoms separately predicted all-cause dementia. Combined very late-onset depression with current depressive symptoms was specifically predictive for later Alzheimer's disease (AD; adjusted hazard ratio 5.48, 95% confidence interval 2.41-12.46, p < 0.001). This association was still significant after controlling for cognitive measures, but further analyses suggested that it was mediated by subjective memory impairment with worries. CONCLUSIONS Depression might be a prodrome of AD but not of dementia of other aetiology as very late-onset depression in combination with current depressive symptoms, possibly emerging as a consequence of subjectively perceived worrisome cognitive deterioration, was most predictive. As depression parameters and subjective memory impairment predicted AD independently of objective cognition, clinicians should take this into account.
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Demenzerkrankungen in der hausärztlichen Praxis – Wissen allein ist nicht genug – Erste Ergebnisse des CADIF-Projektes. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 2012. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1323509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Assessing cognitive changes in the elderly: reliable change indices for the Mini-Mental State Examination. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2012; 126:208-18. [PMID: 22375927 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2012.01850.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The diagnosis of dementia includes evidence of decline in cognitive functioning over time measured by objective cognitive tasks. Normative data for changes adjusted for the impact of socio-demographic factors on cognitive test performance are lacking to interpret changes in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) test scores. METHOD As part of the German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe Study), a sample of 1090 cognitively healthy individuals, aged 75 years and older, was assessed at 1.5-year intervals over a period of 4.5 years using the MMSE. Age- and education-specific Reliable Change Indices (RCIs) were computed. RESULTS Age and education were significantly associated with MMSE test performance, and gender indicated no impact. Across different age and education subgroups, changes from at least 2 up to 3 points indicated significant (i.e., reliable) changes in MMSE test scores at the 90% confidence level. Furthermore, the calculation of RCIs for individual patients is demonstrated. CONCLUSION This study provides age- and education-specific MMSE norms based upon RCI methods to interpret cognitive changes in older age groups. The computation of RCI scores improves the interpretation of changes in MMSE test scores by controlling for measurement error, practice effects, or regression to the mean.
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The relationship between social integration and depression in non-demented primary care attenders aged 75 years and older. DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2012. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0032-1322097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate net costs of dementia by degree of severity from a societal perspective, including a detailed assessment of costs of formal and informal nursing care. METHOD In a cross-sectional study, costs of illness were analysed in 176 dementia patients and 173 matched non-demented control subjects. Healthcare resource use and costs were assessed retrospectively by means of a questionnaire. Dementia patients were classified into three disease stages, and linear regression models were applied to estimate net costs of dementia by degree of severity. RESULTS Annual net costs of dementia by stage were approximately €15 000 (mild), €32 000 (moderate) and €42 000 (severe), corresponding to US-$21 450, 45 760 and 60 060 respectively. Across disease stages, nursing care accounted for approximately three-quarters of total costs, of which half resulted from informal care. In sensitivity analyses using different valuation methods for nursing care, total costs decreased or increased by more than 20%. CONCLUSION Net costs more than double across stages of dementia. Informal care accounts for a considerable share of nursing care costs, and the approach to valuation of informal care has a large impact on cost-of-illness estimates.
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Abstract
Recent advances in the development of high-throughput genotyping platforms allow for the unbiased identification of genes and genomic sequences related to heritable traits. In this study, we analyzed human short-term memory, which refers to the ability to remember information over a brief period of time and which has been found disturbed in many neuropsychiatric conditions, including schizophrenia and depression. We performed a genome-wide survey at 909 622 polymorphic loci and report six genetic variations significantly associated with human short-term memory performance after genome-wide correction for multiple comparisons. A polymorphism within SCN1A (encoding the α subunit of the type I voltage-gated sodium channel) was replicated in three independent populations of 1699 individuals. Functional magnetic resonance imaging during an n-back working memory task detected SCN1A allele-dependent activation differences in brain regions typically involved in working memory processes. These results suggest an important role for SCN1A in human short-term memory.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES The need for recognition of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in primary care is increasingly discussed because MCI is a risk factor for dementia. General Practitioners (GPs) could play an important role in the detection of MCI since they have regular and long-term contact with the majority of the elderly population. Thus the objective of this study is to find out how well GPs recognize persons with MCI in their practice population. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Primary care chart registry sample. PARTICIPANTS 3,242 non-demented GP patients aged 75-89 years. MEASUREMENTS GPs assessed the cognitive status of their patients on the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). Thereafter, trained interviewers collected psychometric data by interviewing the patients at home. The interview data constitute the basis for the definition of MCI cases (gold standard). RESULTS The sensitivity of GPs to detect MCI was very low (11-12%) whereas their specificity amounts to 93-94%. Patients with MCI with a middle or high level of education more often got a false negative assignment than patients with a low educational level. The risk of a false positive assignment rose with the patients' degree of comorbidity. GPs were better at detecting MCI when memory or two and more MCI-domains were impaired. CONCLUSION The results show that GPs recognise MCI in a very limited number of cases when based on clinical impression only. A further development of the MCI concept and its operationalisation is necessary. Emphasis should be placed on validated, reliable and standardised tests for routine use in primary care encompassing other than only cognitive domains and on case finding approaches rather than on screening. Then a better attention and qualification of GPs with regard to the recognition of MCI might be achievable.
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Is the Clock Drawing Test appropriate for screening for Mild Cognitive Impairment? Results of the German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe). DAS GESUNDHEITSWESEN 2010. [DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1266578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Risk factors for incident mild cognitive impairment--results from the German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe). Acta Psychiatr Scand 2010; 121:260-72. [PMID: 19824992 DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.2009.01481.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To provide age- and gender-specific incidence rates of MCI among elderly general practitioner (GP) patients (75+ years) and to identify risk factors for incident MCI. METHOD Data were derived from the longitudinal German Study on Ageing, Cognition and Dementia in Primary Care Patients (AgeCoDe). Incidence was calculated according to the 'person-years-at-risk' method. Risk factors were analysed using multivariate logistic regression models. RESULTS During the 3-year follow-up period, 350 (15.0%) of the 2331 patients whose data were included in the calculation of incidence developed MCI [person-years (PY) = 6198.20]. The overall incidence of MCI was 56.5 (95% confidence interval = 50.7-62.7) per 1000 PY. Older age, vascular diseases, the apoE epsilon4 allele and subjective memory complaints were identified as significant risk factors for future MCI. CONCLUSION Mild cognitive impairment is frequent in older GP patients. Subjective memory complaints predict incident MCI. Especially vascular risk factors provide the opportunity of preventive approaches.
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