International journal of geriatric psychiatry
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Sep 2011
Multicenter StudyThe prevalence and predictors of passive death wishes in Europe: a 2-year follow-up of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe.
This study evaluated regional variations (South, Centre, and North of Europe) in passive death wishes (wish to die) and predictors of passive death wishes, using a cross-national longitudinal design. ⋯ Despite notable geographic differences in the prevalence rate of passive death wishes, most predictors evaluated in the present study function similarly across the three European regions.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Aug 2011
Risk factors for postoperative cognitive and functional difficulties in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients: a three month follow-up.
Cognitive impairment and deficits in functional performance are major concerns following surgery, particularly for older patients. The objective of this study was to examine predictors of postoperative cognitive and functional difficulties and explore the relationship between presurgery and postsurgery cognitive ability and functional performance. ⋯ Functional performance outcomes for AAA patients 3 months postsurgery revealed no significant loss of functioning relative to presurgery levels, although longer length of hospital stay and greater number of days delirious was associated with somewhat poorer outcome on indicators of social and physical functioning. Cognitive impairment postoperatively was fairly mild but when it was found it was associated with number of days delirious and preoperative deficits in verbal memory and psychomotor speed.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Jul 2011
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyMelatonin decreases delirium in elderly patients: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.
Disturbance in the metabolism of tryptophan and tryptophan-derived compounds (e.g., melatonin) may have a role in the pathogenesis of delirium. ⋯ Exogenous low dose melatonin administered nightly to elderly patients admitted to acute care may represent a potential protective agent against delirium.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Apr 2011
Antipsychotic prescribing to older people living in care homes and the community in England and Wales.
Excessive use of antipsychotic medication by older people is an international concern, but there is limited comparative information on their use in different residential settings. This paper describes and compares antipsychotic prescribing to older people in care homes and the community in England and Wales. ⋯ Despite safety concerns, antipsychotic prescribing is markedly higher in care homes than in the community, and strongly associated with dementia in both settings. In England and Wales, we estimate that 54 000 older care home patients and 50 000 community patients receive antipsychotic medication without a diagnosis of severe mental illness with important implications for health and social services.
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Int J Geriatr Psychiatry · Apr 2011
Cardiovascular disease and death associated with depression and antidepressants in the Melbourne Longitudinal Studies on Healthy Ageing (MELSHA).
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) and death may be associated with depression and antidepressants, but published findings remain equivocal. The authors aimed to determine the risk of CVD incidence and death associated with several classifications of depression. ⋯ Depression related predictors were not independently associated with CVD incidence or death in older people. Antidepressants were not associated with CVD or premature death, accounting for whether participants' remained symptomatic or not. Depression co-occurs with and might be partly caused by chronic disease and poor functional health.