There is a need to improve dementia education to prepare future generations of healthcare professionals to deal with the increasing challenges they will face. Time for Dementia is an innovative undergraduate education program for medical, nursing, and paramedic students in the south of England. Success of the program is dependent upon the participation of families (people with dementia and their carers). This qualitative study seeks to explore the motivation and experiences of the families taking part in the program.

A topic guide was developed to understand factors influencing motivation and retention. A purposeful sample of participant families, who had at least 12 months of involvement in the program, were selected from a cohort of 282 families and were invited to take part in an in-depth qualitative interview. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. This was subsequently refined in an on-going process of analysis aided by the use of Nvivo 11. Interviewing stopped when thematic saturation was reached.

Eighteen families took part in an in-depth qualitative interviews. Four themes were identified from the analysis. These themes were motivators, value to family, value to the person with dementia, and student factors.

This study identifies underpinning factors that motivate families to join dementia education programs and the impact of such programs upon them. We found that engagement in such programs can have therapeutic benefits to participants, and do not cause harm. These findings can be used to strengthen recruitment and enhance family involvement in similar programs.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between depression and SSRI monotherapy and frailty both baseline and prospectively in older adults.

Prospective cohort study, 12-month follow-up.

Geriatric outpatient clinic in São Paulo, Brazil.

A total of 811 elderly adults aged 60 or older.

Depression was diagnosed as follows: (1) a diagnosis of major depression disorder (MDD) according to DSM-5; or (2) an incomplete diagnosis of MDD, referred to as minor or subsyndromic depression, plus Geriatric Depression Scale 15-itens ≥ 6 points, and social or functional impairment secondary to depressive symptoms and observed by relatives. Frailty evaluation was performed through the FRAIL questionnaire, which is a self-rated scale. Trained investigators blinded to the baseline assessment conducted telephone calls to evaluate frailty after 12-month follow-up. The association between depression and the use of SSRI with frailty was estimated through a generalized estimating equation adjusted for age, gender, total drugs, and number of comorbidities.

Depression with SSRI use was associated with frailty at baseline (OR 2.82, 95% CI = 1.69–4.69) and after 12 months (OR 2.75, 95% CI = 1.84–4.11). Additionally, depression with SSRI monotherapy was also associated with FRAIL subdomains Physical Performance (OR 1.99, 95% CI = 1.29–3.07) and Health Status (OR 4.64, 95% CI = 2.11–10.21). SSRI use, without significant depressive symptoms, was associated with subdomain Health Status (OR 1.52, 95% CI = 1.04–2.23).

It appears that depression with SSRI is associated to frailty, and this association cannot be explained only by antidepressant use.

Prion diseases are rare dementias that most commonly occur sporadically, but can be inherited or acquired, and for which there is no cure. We sought to understand which prion disease symptoms are most problematic for carers, to inform the development of outcome measures.

Self-completed questionnaire with follow-up of a subset of participants by structured interview.

A nested study in the UK National Prion Monitoring Cohort, a longitudinal observational study.

71 carers, of people with different prion diseases with a wide range of disease severity, identified 236 of their four most problematic symptoms by questionnaire which were grouped into ten domains. Structured interviews were then done to qualitatively explore these experiences. Eleven family carers of people with prion disease were selected, including those representative of a range of demographics and disease subtypes and those who cared for people with prion disease, living or recently deceased. Interviews were transcribed and formally studied.

The six most problematic symptom domains were: mobility and coordination; mood and behavior; personal care and continence; eating and swallowing; communication; and cognition and memory. The prevalence of these symptoms varied significantly by disease stage and type. A formal analysis of structured interviews to explore these domains is reported.

We make suggestions about how healthcare professionals can focus their support for people with prion disease. Clinical trials that aim to generate evidence regarding therapies that might confer meaningful benefits to carers should consider including outcome measures that monitor the symptomatic domains we have identified as problematic.

The DSM-5 describes personality disorders (PDs) as emerging in early life and remaining continuous throughout the life-span. Yet case studies and expert opinion support the existence of late-onset PDs. Little is known about PDs in late life, and our instruments for assessing them are not well validated. Thus, the focus of this exploratory Delphi study was the late-onset PD, with special attention to the accuracy of the core criteria for the diagnosis.

A Delphi study was designed to assess the presentation of PDs in late life. The Delphi consisted of three successive rounds of inquiry. Between rounds, the participants were provided with a summary of the panel’s responses.

A panel of 21 experts included published authors, researchers, and teachers from the USA, the UK, Australia, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.

Researchers designed a survey that included an introduction, a demographic questionnaire, and five questions that varied in presentation and response format.

Experts reached consensus that a variant of PD appears de novo in old age. The core features of inflexibility and pervasiveness may not pertain to late-onset PD. There was agreement that frequently occurring life events contribute selectively to the expression of late-onset PD, with the major ones being death of a spouse or partner and transition to a nursing or assisted-living facility.

Nearly all participants took the position that PD can present for the first time in old age and be clinically identifiable without having been so identified earlier in life.

Complement factor H (CFH) plays a key role in regulating the cascade of the alternative pathway of the complement system. Dysregulation of CFH may be involved in the pathophysiology of various inflammation-mediated diseases including neuropsychiatric illnesses. This study aimed to investigate this relationship by examining determining CFH levels in elderly individuals with and without depression.

A total of 152 elderly individuals (major depressive disorder (MDD) group, n = 76; comparison sample, n = 76) were selected from the Ansan Geriatric study. The plasma level of CFH was measured. MDD was diagnosed with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview as per DSM-IV criteria. The severity of depression was evaluated with the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Mean CFH levels were compared using the Mann–Whitney U test. After adjusting for possible confounding factors including age, sex, marital status, education, alcohol use, hemoglobin levels, and the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-KC), a multiple regression analysis was conducted. The GDS score and plasma level of CFH were analyzed using Spearman's correlation.

Plasma CFH level was significantly higher in individuals with MDD than in the comparison sample (289.51 ± 21.16 vs. 339.67 ± 66.23, p < 0.001). In a regression model adjusted for possible confounders, CFH was significantly associated with geriatric depression (p < 0.001). CFH levels were not significantly related to GDS scores in the depressed group.

This study revealed an association between high plasma levels of CFH and geriatric depression, thereby suggesting the alternative pathway of the complement system contributing to the development of geriatric depression.

Modifiable factors associated with increased risk of cognitive decline include emotional (anxiety, depression), cognitive (low social and mental stimulation), and health factors (smoking, alcohol use, sedentary lifestyle, obesity). Older adults with anxiety and depression may be at heightened risk due to direct and indirect impacts of emotional distress on cognitive decline.

Randomized controlled trial

Community sample attending a university clinic. Participants: 27 participants (female = 20) aged over 65 years (M = 72.56, SD = 6.74) with an anxiety and/or mood disorder. Interventions: two cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions (face-to-face or low intensity) that targeted emotional, health, and cognitive risks for cognitive decline.

Participants completed diagnostic interviews; self-report measures of anxiety, depression, quality of life, and lifestyle factors at baseline; post-treatment; and 3-month follow-up.

Both interventions resulted in significant and sustained improvements in depression, anxiety, quality of life, and physical and social activity. At post-treatment, face-to-face CBT demonstrated significantly greater improvements in emotional symptoms, alcohol use, and memory (exercise approached significance). At 3-month follow-up, gains were maintained and there were significantly greater increases in mental activity for face-to-face CBT, with social activity approaching significance. Conclusions: This study demonstrates the feasibility of CBT interventions to reduce emotional as well as lifestyle risk factors associated with cognitive decline in at-risk older participants. Large studies are needed to evaluate the long-term impact on cognitive decline. The trial was registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (Trial Registration No. ACTRN12618000939291).

Studies on the association between depression and dementia risk mostly use sum scores on depression questionnaires to model symptomatology severity. Since individual items may contribute differently to this association, this approach has limited validity.

We used network analysis to investigate the functioning of individual Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) items, of which, based on studies that used factor analysis, 3 are generally considered to measure apathy (GDS-3A) and 12 depression (GDS-12D). Functional disability and future dementia were also included in our analysis. Data were extracted from 3229 participants of the Prevention of Dementia by Intensive Vascular care trial (preDIVA), analyzed as a single cohort, yielding 20,542 person-years of observation. We estimated a sparse network by only including connections between variables that could not be accounted for by variance in other variables. For this, we used a repeated L1 regularized regression procedure.

This procedure resulted in a selection of 59/136 possible connections. GDS-3A items were strongly connected to each other and with varying strength to several GDS-12D items. Functional disability was connected to all three GDS-3A items and the GDS-12D items “helplessness” and “worthlessness”. Future dementia was only connected to the GDS-12D item “memory problems”, which was in turn connected to the GDS-12D items “unhappiness” and “helplessness” and all three GDS-3A items.

Network analysis reveals interesting relationships between GDS items, functional disability and dementia risk. We discuss what implications our results may have for (future) research on the associations between depression and/or apathy with dementia.

Delirium is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by disturbed consciousness, cognitive function, or perception and associated with serious adverse outcomes such as death, dementia, and the need for long-term care. However, recognition and management of delirium is poorly prioritized even though it is the most frequent complication among patients undergoing surgery following hip fracture. The aim of this study was to understand clinicians’ from orthopedic speciality perceptions in relation to recognition, diagnosis, and management of delirium.

This was a qualitative study using in-depth focus groups discussions with clinical staff of one orthopedic unit within a level 1 trauma center, south of Adelaide, South Australia.

A total number of 17 individuals (14 nurses, 1 geriatric registrar, 1 nursing manager, and 1 speech therapist) participated in the focus groups. Four major themes were identified: (1) Delirium is important but can be hard to recognize and validate; (2) ambiguity on the use of delirium screening tool; (3) need of designated delirium care pathway; and (4) vital role of the family. Despite the initial lack of agreement on use of the objective tool to screen delirium, nurses did propose a number of ways that formal delirium screening could be included in routine nursing duties and existing nursing documentation.

Although orthopedic nurses aim to provide effective care to patients experiencing delirium symptoms following hip fracture, they are doing so in the absence of structured screening, assessment, and multidisciplinary team approach. This study emphasizes the various barriers which need to be considered before attempting to change practice in this important area.

Personality is known to be a reliable predictor of well-being. However, it is rather difficult to influence the personality of individuals in order to improve their well-being. Therefore, it is important to examine possible underlying mechanisms or indirect effects. Consequently, the aim of the current study was to investigate whether psychological flexibility is a mechanism explaining the relationship between personality and well-being. Given the evidence that age-related differences exist in personality, flexibility, and well-being, we also investigated whether our indirect effects model differed in both older and younger adults.

We used a cross-sectional design.

Participants were asked to fill in questionnaires at home.

We recruited 138 younger (25–50 years) and 120 older (65+) adults from a community-dwelling population.

Self-report questionnaires were used to assess (mal)adaptive personality traits (Big Five), psychological flexibility, and affective and general subjective well-being.

Similar indirect effects were found in older and younger adults: Psychological flexibility is a mechanism explaining the link between personality and well-being. In nearly half of the models, psychological flexibility even fully accounted for the effect of personality on well-being.

These results have important implications for clinical practice, since psychological flexibility, contrary to personality traits, is malleable. Interventions to increase psychological flexibility already exist and are validated in both older and younger samples. They may hold promise to improve well-being.

To determine the relationship between falls and deficits in specific cognitive domains in older adults.

An analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) cohort.

United Kingdom community-based.

5197 community-dwelling older adults recruited to a prospective longitudinal cohort study.

Data on the occurrence of falls and number of falls, which occurred during a 12-month follow-up period, were assessed against the specific cognitive domains of memory, numeracy skills, and executive function. Binomial logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between each cognitive domain and the dichotomous outcome of falls in the preceding 12 months using unadjusted and adjusted models.

Of the 5197 participants included in the analysis, 1308 (25%) reported a fall in the preceding 12 months. There was no significant association between the occurrence of a fall and specific forms of cognitive dysfunction after adjusting for self-reported hearing, self-reported eyesight, and functional performance. After adjustment, only orientation (odds ratio [OR]: 0.80; 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.65–0.98, p = 0.03) and verbal fluency (adjusted OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–1.00; p = 0.05) remained significant for predicting recurrent falls.

The cognitive phenotype rather than cognitive impairment per se may predict future falls in those presenting with more than one fall.

To understand pathways to suicide by investigating the association between personality and suicidal motivations in mid- and late-life attempts.

In a two-study approach, we measured different components of suicidal motivations using an existing self-report investigating reasons for suicide and a semi-qualitative assessment of motivational states preceding attempts.

Inpatient and outpatient psychiatric services in Pittsburgh, PA.

Study 1 (n = 50, mean age at attempt = 60.4) was a smaller sample of suicide attempters included in Study 2 (n = 69, mean age at attempt = 60.9). Non-psychiatric healthy controls (n = 50, mean age = 67.1) were used as benchmarks for dispositional measures.

Motives for suicide were measured by the Reasons for Attempting Suicide Questionnaire (RASQ). Participants' written descriptions of the thoughts and feelings preceding their attempt captured motivational states. Measures of personality for both studies included assessments of impulsivity, five-factor model, interpersonal dysfunction, and borderline traits.

In study 1, escape/self-punishment motives on the RASQ were associated with multiple attempts and borderline pathology, while interpersonal motives were less frequently endorsed and associated with poorly planned attempts. In study 2, experiences of defeat (i.e. powerlessness, poor coping to threats to autonomy/status) were more frequently endorsed by men and associated with disagreeableness.

Study 1 revealed that attempters high in dysfunctional psychopathology were more likely to report self-oriented escape motives for suicide, while study 2 identified a putative pathway to suicide in men involving antagonism and the experience of defeat.

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) dementia often begins before age 60 and predominantly presents as four subtypes with prominent features of language, behavior, cognition, and motor symptoms. The early onset and unique symptoms place a distinct burden on caregivers of individuals with FTD versus other dementia types, such as Alzheimer’s disease. This is the first known study to examine the domains of the FTD caregiver burden and the caregiver and patient characteristics associated with these domains.

In 2017, 674 FTD caregivers in the United States (US) completed a web-based survey of caregiver and patient demographics, disease severity/symptoms, caregiver burden, and financial costs of caregiving. The major factors of caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Inventory) were determined using a principal axis factor analysis with varimax rotation. Multiple linear regression analyses examined caregiver and patient characteristics associated with overall burden and three major factors of burden: role strain, personal strain, and performance strain.

Increased neuropsychiatric symptoms was associated with overall caregiver burden and greater role, personal, and performance strain. Younger caregivers experienced greater overall burden and performance strain, female caregivers experienced increased role strain, and male caregivers experienced greater performance strain. Financial costs of caregiving and experiencing a caregiving crisis in the past year were associated with higher overall burden and role strain.

This study suggests that the severity and sources of burden differ for caregivers of FTD patients versus patients with other dementia types. Differing predictors for each burden domain suggest targeted interventions to address the unique FTD caregiving challenges.

To Investigate the peripheral inflammatory profile in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) from three subgroups – probable Lewy body disease (probable MCI-LB), possible Lewy body disease, and probable Alzheimer’s disease (probable MCI-AD) – as well as associations with clinical features.

Memory clinics and dementia services.

Patients were classified based on clinical symptoms as probable MCI-LB (n = 38), possible MCI-LB (n = 18), and probable MCI-AD (n = 21). Healthy comparison subjects were recruited (n = 20).

Ten cytokines were analyzed from plasma samples: interferon (IFN)-gamma, interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. C-reactive protein levels were investigated.

There was a higher level of IL-10, IL-1beta, IL-2, and IL-4 in MCI groups compared to the healthy comparison group (p < 0.0085). In exploratory analyses to understand these findings, the MC-AD group lower IL-1beta (p = 0.04), IL-2 (p = 0.009), and IL-4 (p = 0.012) were associated with increasing duration of memory symptoms, and in the probable MCI-LB group, lower levels of IL-1beta were associated with worsening motor severity (p = 0.002). In the possible MCI-LB, longer duration of memory symptoms was associated with lower levels of IL-1beta (p = 0.003) and IL-4 (p = 0.026).

There is increased peripheral inflammation in patients with MCI compared to healthy comparison subjects regardless of the MCI subtype. These possible associations with clinical features are consistent with other work showing that inflammation is increased in early disease but require replication. Such findings have importance for timing of putative therapeutic strategies aimed at lowering inflammation.

Delirium is heterogeneous and can vary by etiology.

We sought to determine how delirium subtyped by etiology affected six-month function and cognition.

Prospective cohort study.

Tertiary care, academic medical center.

A total of 228 hospitalized patients > 65 years old were admitted from the emergency department (ED).

The modified Brief Confusion Assessment Method was used to determine delirium in the ED. Delirium etiology was determined by three trained physician reviewers using a Delirium Etiology checklist. Pre-illness and six-month function and cognition were determined using the Older American Resources and Services Activities of Daily Living (OARS ADL) questionnaire and the short-form Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE). Multiple linear regression was performed to determine if delirium etiology subtypes were associated with six-month function and cognition adjusted for baseline OARS ADL and IQCODE. Two-factor interactions were incorporated to determine pre-illness function or cognition-modified relationships between delirium subtypes and six-month function and cognition.

In patients with poorer pre-illness function only, delirium secondary to metabolic disturbance (β coefficient = −2.9 points, 95%CI: −0.3 to −5.6) and organ dysfunction (β coefficient = −4.3 points, 95%CI: −7.2 to −1.4) was significantly associated with poorer six-month function. In patients with intact cognition only, delirium secondary to central nervous system insults was significantly associated with poorer cognition (β coefficient = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.19 to 1.20).

Delirium is heterogeneous and different etiologies may have different prognostic implications. Furthermore, the effect of these delirium etiologies on outcome may be dependent on the patient's pre-illness functional status and cognition.

Advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD) may place a high burden on patients and their caregivers. Understanding the determinants of caregiver burden is of critical importance. This understanding requires the availability of adequate assessment tools. Recently, the Parkinson’s disease caregiver burden questionnaire (PDCB) has been developed as a PD-specific measure of caregiver burden. However, the PDCB has only been evaluated in a sample of Australian caregivers of patients at a less advanced stage of the disease.

We tested whether a German translation of the PDCB qualifies as an adequate measure of caregiver burden in a German sample of caregivers of advanced patients with PD.

We collected PDCB data from 65 caregivers of advanced patients with PD. Reliability of the scale was assessed and compared against the original version. To validate the German version of the PDCB, we examined the correlations with the caregiver burden inventory (CBI), the short form 36 health survey (SF-36), the Parkinson’s disease quality of life questionnaire 39 (PDQ-39), disease duration, and the amount of caregiving time.

The total PDCB score proved to be reliable and to be significantly related to CBI and SF-36 scores. PDCB scores also increased with increasing amounts of caregiving time.

The German version of the PDCB appears to be an adequate measure of caregiver burden in caregivers of advanced PD patients.

The apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype provides information about Alzheimer’s disease risk, yet genotype disclosure is discouraged due to concerns about possible distress. This is the first study investigating the psychological and behavioral impacts that genetic susceptibility testing for Alzheimer’s disease has in an Asian population.

From March 2016 to November 2017, we ran a prospective cohort study at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School. 280 healthy Chinese elderly filled in questionnaires that measured psychological symptoms and health behaviors, 1 week before and 6 weeks after APOE genotype disclosure. Responses from ε4-positive subjects (associated with greater Alzheimer’s disease risk) were compared to responses from ε4-negative subjects.

ε4 presence was not significantly associated with anxiety (p = 0.09) or depression (p = 0.25). No associations were found for changes to diet (p = 0.36), dietary supplements consumption (p = 0.90), physical activity (p = 0.15), or cognitive activity (p = 0.18).

There is no evidence to suggest that disclosure of APOE to Asian populations was associated with any short-term adverse psychological or behavioral impacts.

Finance management skills deteriorate early on in dementia, and can influence the ability to maintain control over personal affairs. The aim of this study was to assess the contributions of different types of cognition and motor functioning to finance management.

Cross-sectional analysis using secondary data.

Community living.

Baseline data from the Uniform Data Set from the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Centers were obtained and extracted up until December 2016.

Measures on everyday functioning (Functional Assessment Questionnaire) and cognition (memory, executive functioning, and language), the Clinical Dementia Rating scale, and questions on Parkinsonian motor symptoms (gait disturbance, falls, tremors, and slowness) were included. Data were analyzed using bivariate correlation and linear regression analyses.

A total of 9,383 participants were included in the analysis (Alzheimers disease (AD) = 8,201; behavioral variant fronto-temporal dementia (bvFTD) = 796; Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB) = 386). Cognition and motor functioning varied significantly across AD, bvFTD, and DLB, with poorer motor functioning and poorer finance management skills in DLB than in AD and bvFTD. In the regression models, slowness, verbal fluency, executive functioning, and language, followed by age, gender, and diagnosis accounted for 13.8% of the variation in managing bills, and for 11.4% of the variation in managing taxes.

Maintaining finance management abilities for as long as possible is important for people with dementia, to avoid potential financial exploitation. Findings from this study highlight avenues to pursue to delay deterioration in managing bills and taxes, and help maintain financial control.