International psychogeriatrics
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Despite the high prevalence and morbidity of minor and subsyndromal depression in primary care elderly people, there are few data to identify those at highest risk of poor outcomes. The goal of this observational cohort study was to characterize the one-year outcomes of minor and subsyndromal depression, examining the predictive strength of a range of putative risks including clinical, functional and psychosocial variables. ⋯ Minor and subsyndromal depression are likely to persist, and pose an elevated risk of worsening over one year. Clinicians and preventive interventions researchers should focus on modifiable risks, such as psychiatric functioning or social support, in elders suffering clinically significant depressive symptoms.
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In the absence of an easily applicable performance test for making valid measurements of fundamental activities of daily living (ADL) in dementia patients, this study reports the development of an ADL performance test which constitutes both a reliable and a valid measurement of the relevant autonomous areas of everyday activities for dementia patients. ⋯ The E-ADL-Test is a suitable performance test for measuring activities of daily living as it is easy to use, reliable, valid and well accepted.
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Comparative Study
Validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly in community-dwelling people with dementia.
Tailor-made care in dementia requires an individual needs assessment. The Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly (CANE) was developed to assess needs of older people with mental disorders. In this study the validity and reliability of the Dutch version of the CANE were studied among community-dwelling persons with dementia and their informal carers. ⋯ Use of the Dutch version of the CANE among community-dwelling people with dementia and their carers is supported by the study results, with the study showing acceptable construct and criterion validity and test-retest reliability of the CANE.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of 99mTc-exametazime and 123I-FP-CIT SPECT imaging in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies.
The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic value of perfusion 99mTc-exametazime single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in the diagnosis of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in comparison with dopaminergic 123I-2beta-carbomethoxy-3beta-(4-iodophenyl)-n-(3-fluoropropyl) nortropane (FP-CIT) SPECT imaging. ⋯ Diagnostic accuracy was superior with 123I-FP-CIT compared to 99mTc-exametazime in the differentiation of DLB from AD.
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Comparative Study
Are elderly suicide rates improved by increased provision of mental health service resources? A cross-national study.
Elderly suicide rates may be influenced by mental health service provision. ⋯ The direction of the causal relationship could be examined in longitudinal studies, after further improvement in levels of mental health service provision, in individual countries segregated by low and high levels of existing mental health service provision.