American journal of Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
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Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen · Nov 2014
Dementia and cognitive impairment in patients with Parkinson's disease from India: a 7-year prospective study.
Depression and cognitive impairment are frequent manifestations in Parkinson's disease (PD). Although a few longitudinal studies have reported on depression and dementia in PD, there is a yet a lack of such studies in India. This 7-year longitudinal study is a hospital-based prospective case (n = 250)-control (n = 280) study. ⋯ Hallucinations before baseline (odds ratio [OR] = 4.427, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.122-9.373), akinetic/tremor dominancy (OR = 0.380, 95%CI = 0.149-0.953), and asymmetrical disease onset (OR = 0.3285, 95%CI = 0.1576-0.685) can be considered as risk factors for patients with dementia. Patients with early-onset PD might be more prone to complex depression and dementia. As the disease progresses, akinetic-dominant PD, early hallucinations, and asymmetrical disease onset are the potential risk factors for the development of dementia in patients with PD.
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Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen · Nov 2014
ReviewDiagnosis and prognosis in idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus.
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a communicating hydrocephalus, of unknown pathophysiology, characterized by the classical triad of dementia, urinary incontinence, and ataxia. The most popular treatment option is shunt surgery, although it is not a cure. The diagnosis of the disorder is challenging as it may mimic a lot of other neurological conditions and has no distinct biomarker. ⋯ The predictors deciding the postsurgical prognosis has been discussed. Improved shunting modalities and novel shunt materials with valve adjustments have improved the precision of the shunting procedures. Still we have lot more to achieve in terms of early diagnosis and definitive management of iNPH.
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Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen · Sep 2014
Evaluation of a group cognitive-behavioral dementia caregiver intervention in Latin America.
Research has identified unique cultural factors contributing to dementia caregiving in Latin America but very few caregiver interventions have been systematically piloted and evaluated in this region. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a group cognitive-behavioral intervention in improving the mental health of dementia caregivers from Cali, Colombia. Sixty-nine caregivers of individuals with dementia were randomly assigned to the cognitive-behavioral intervention or an educational control condition, both spanning 8 weeks. Compared to controls, the treatment group showed higher satisfaction with life and lower depression and burden over the posttest and 3-month follow-ups although there was no effect of the condition on participants' stress levels.
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Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen · Feb 2014
Linking family dynamics and the mental health of Colombian dementia caregivers.
This cross-sectional, quantitative, self-report study examined the relationship between family dynamics (cohesion, flexibility, pathology/ functioning, communication, family satisfaction, and empathy) and mental health (depression, burden, stress, and satisfaction with life [SWL]) in 90 dementia caregivers from Colombia. Hierarchical multiple regressions controlling for caregiver demographics found that family dynamics were significantly associated with caregiver depression, stress, and SWL and marginally associated with burden. ⋯ Nearly all family dynamic variables were bivariately associated with caregiver mental health variables, such that caregivers had stronger mental health when their family dynamics were healthy. Family-systems interventions in global regions with high levels of familism like that in the current study may improve family empathy, flexibility, and communication, thereby producing better caregiver mental health and better informal care for people with dementia.
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Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen · Sep 2013
The unique experience of spouses in early-onset dementia.
To date, few studies have examined the experience of spouse caregivers living with a person with early-onset dementia. Moreover, few support resources are offered to these family caregivers and fewer are still tailored to their unique trajectory. ⋯ Six themes emerged from their caregiver trajectories, namely, difficulty managing behavioral and psychological symptoms, long quest for diagnosis, nondisclosure to others and denial of diagnosis, grief for loss of spouse and midlife projects, difficulty juggling unexpected role and daily life responsibilities, and difficulty planning for future. Results open up innovative avenues for the development of interventions geared to facilitating role transition for these spouse caregivers.