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Objectives: DETERMIND (DETERMinants of quality of life, care and costs, and consequences of INequalities in people with Dementia and their carers) is designed to address fundamental, and, as yet unanswered questions about inequalities, outcomes and costs following diagnosis with dementia. These answers are needed to improve the quality of care and equity of access to care, and therefore the quality of life, of people with dementia and their carers.Method: DETERMIND is a programme of research consisting of seven complementary workstreams (WS) exploring various components that may result in unequal dementia care: WS1: Recruitment and follow-up of the DETERMIND cohort-900 people with dementia and their carers from three geographically and socially diverse sites within six months following diagnosis, and follow them up for three years. WS2: Investigation of the extent of inequalities in access to dementia care. WS3: Relationship between use and costs of services and outcomes. WS4: Experiences of self-funders of care. WS5: Decision-making processes for people with dementia and carers. WS6: Effect of diagnostic stage and services on outcomes. WS7: Theory of Change informed strategy and actions for applying the research findings.Outcomes: During the life of the programme, analysing baseline results and then follow-up of the DETERMIND cohort over 3 years, we will establish evidence on current services and practice. DETERMIND will deliver novel, detailed data on inequalities in dementia care and what drives positive and negative outcomes and costs for people with dementia and carers, and identify factors that help or hinder living well with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Virtual reality (VR) technology is a potential method to use in cognitive intervention, but the use of VR in cognitive stimulation intervention for older adults has not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the mood change of older adults after participating in the VR cognitive stimulation activity.Methods: This is a multicenter randomized controlled, cross-over trial. The intervention was a VR cognitive stimulation activity, and the control was a paper-and-pencil activity. The participants were older adults with age over 60 and recruited in the elderly community centers. The Positive and Negative Affect Score (PANAS) was used to measure mood change. Mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated. The Simulator sickness questionnaire was used to measure adverse events.Results: A total of 236 participants from 19 community centers were recruited. After the VR activity, the participants had a significant increase in total PANAS positive affect score (MD = 2.09, 95% CI = 0.69 to 3.49), and a significant reduction in total negative affect score (MD = -1.99, 95% CI = -2.55 to -1.43). The reduction in negative affect score was significantly larger in VR activity than paper-and-pencil activity (MD = -0.48, 95% CI = -0.98 to 0.00). Besides, only three participants reported severe advance events after VR activity.Conclusions: The use of VR technology is well accepted by older adults. Therefore, the use of VR technology through smartphone and a mobile app can be a potential method for future cognitive training interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: There is a growing interest in how people living with dementia may achieve good outcomes and be resilient despite their health challenges. Understanding what might be important for resilience in this population is largely untested theory.Methods: The analysis draws a subsample with cognitive impairment (N = 579) from two waves of the Cognitive Function and Ageing Studies Wales study, a nationally representative study of community-dwelling people aged 65+ in Wales. We constructed a measure of mental health resilience (MHR) defined as no depression, no anxiety and high well-being. Drawing on a resilience framework, we tested univariate and cumulative effects models of the factors that enable MHR, and then examined whether MHR is important for reducing loneliness over time.Results: Across both waves of data 22% (n = 121) met the criteria for MHR. The cumulative effects model found the odds of MHR were greater for male gender, higher self-esteem, greater social resources and no subjective memory complaints. Controlling for these significant predictors, MHR significantly predicted lower total and sub-scale scores for loneliness at wave 2. Sensitivity analysis shows these effects held at lower levels of cognitive function when the Mini-Mental State Examination score was <25, but not at <23.Conclusions: This paper addresses a gap in research regarding the conceptualisation and measurement of resilience when facing cognitive impairment. Understanding what aspects of a person's life might enable good mental health despite cognitive impairment-to be resilient-could inform effective strategies for friends and families, along with health, and social policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Qigong has been shown to effectively reduce depressive symptoms in older adults with chronic physical illness. Here, we sought to evaluate the effects of qigong on serotonin, cortisol, and Brain-derived Neurotropic Factors (BDNF) levels and test their roles as potential mediators of the effects of qigong on depressive symptoms.Methods: Thirty older adults with chronic physical illness participated in a randomized clinical trial. They were randomly assigned to a qigong group (n = 14) or a control group for cognitive training of executive function and memory (n = 16). The participants provided blood and saliva samples at baseline and post-intervention. Levels of cortisol were measured from the salvia samples, and serotonin and BDNF were measured from the blood samples.Results: Consistent with the study findings presented in the primary outcome paper, a significant Group × Time interaction effect emerged on depressive symptoms, explained by greater reductions in the qigong group than the control group. Qigong participants had significantly larger increases in serotonin and BDNF, and decreases in cortisol levels, compared with control group participants. Moreover, treatment-related changes in cortisol levels (but not serotonin or BDNF) fully mediated the beneficial effects of qigong on depressive symptoms.Conclusion: The findings provide preliminary evidence that treatment-related changes in cortisol may mediate the benefits of qigong on depressive symptoms. Given the limitation of small sample size of the present study, future studies with larger sample sizes and more extended follow-up assessment are warranted to determine the reliability of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Slowing functional decline could enable people living with dementia to live for longer and more independently in their own homes. We aimed to update previous syntheses examining the effectiveness of nonpharmacological interventions in reducing functional decline (activities of daily living, activity-specific physical functioning, or function-specific goal attainment) in people living in their own homes with dementia.Methods: We systematically searched electronic databases from January 2012 to May 2018; two researchers independently rated risk of bias of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) fitting predetermined inclusion criteria using a checklist; we narratively synthesised findings, prioritising studies judged to have a lower risk of bias.Results: Twenty-nine papers (describing 26 RCTs) met eligibility criteria, of which we judged 13 RCTs to have a lower risk of bias. Study interventions were evaluated in four groups: physical exercise, occupational, multicomponent, and cognition-oriented interventions. Four out of 13 RCTs reported functional ability as a primary outcome. In studies judged to have a lower risk of bias, in-home tailored exercise, individualised cognitive rehabilitation, and in-home activities-focussed occupational therapy significantly reduced functional decline relative to control groups in individual studies. There was consistent evidence from studies at low risk of bias that group-based exercise and reminiscence therapies were ineffective at reducing functional decline.Conclusion: We found no replicated evidence of intervention effectiveness in decreasing functional decline. Interventions associated with slower functional decline in individual trials have been individually delivered and tailored to the needs of the person with dementia. This is consistent with previous findings. Future intervention trials should prioritise these approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in a sample of late life depression (LLD) patients and to determine the validity of a standardized questionnaire, the Orthostatic Hypotension Questionnaire (OHQ). Secondarily, we wished to assess variables associated with OH.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on 82 consecutive geriatric outpatients presenting with LLD. OH was defined as a fall in systolic blood pressure of greater than 20 mm Hg and/or 10 mm Hg on diastolic blood pressure on an orthostatic stress test from sitting to standing. Logistic regressions were used to identify factors associated with OH.Results: The prevalence of OH as measured on the orthostatic stress test and on the OHQ was 28% and 57%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the OHQ were 69.6% (95% CI 47%-87%), 47.5% (95%CI 34%-61%), 0.54 (95% CI: 0.43-0.64), 34% (95%CI 21%-49%), and 80% (95%CI 63%-92%), respectively. Females were more likely to have OH (OR: 3.96, 95%CI 1.06-14.89, P = .041), and those married or in a common-law relationship were less likely to have OH (OR: 0.25, 95% CI 0.08-0.72, P = .011).Conclusions: OH is common in patients with LLD conferring them a risk of gait instability and falls. Females had a higher risk of having OH while participants who were married or in a common-law relationship were less likely to have OH. Although the OHQ is a quick to administer paper-based screening test, it did not show adequate diagnostic accuracy in patients with LLD seen in a routine psychiatry clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: MEETINGDEM investigated whether the Dutch Meeting Centres Support Programme (MCSP) could be implemented in Italy, Poland, and the UK with comparable benefits. This paper reports on the impact on people living with dementia attending pilot Meeting Centres in the 3 countries.Methods: Nine pilot Meeting Centres (MCs) participated (Italy-5, Poland-2, UK-2). Effectiveness of MCSP was compared with Usual Care (UC) on outcomes measuring behavioural and psychological symptoms (NPI), depression (CSDD), and quality of life (DQoL, QOL-AD), analysed by ANCOVAs in a 6-month pre-test/post-test controlled trial.Results: Pre/post data were collected for 85 people with dementia and 93 carers (MCSP) and 74 people with dementia /carer dyads' receiving UC. MCSP showed significant positive effects for DQoL [Self-esteem (F = 4.8, P = 0.03); Positive Affect (F = 14.93, P < 0.00); Feelings of Belonging (F = 7.77, P = 0.01)] with medium and large effect sizes. Higher attendance levels correlated with greater neuropsychiatric symptom reduction (rho = 0.24, P = 0.03) and a greater increase in feelings of support (rho = 0.36, P = 0.001).Conclusions: MCSPs showed significant wellbeing and health benefits compared with UC, building on the evidence of effectiveness from the Netherlands. In addition to the previously reported successful implementation of MCSP in Italy, Poland, and the UK, these findings suggest that further international dissemination of MCSP is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Suicide among nursing home residents is a growing public health concern, currently lacking in empirical research. This study aims to describe the frequency and nature of suicide among nursing home residents in Australia.Methods: This research comprised a national population-based retrospective analysis of suicide deaths among nursing home residents in Australia reported to the Coroner between July 2000 and December 2013. Cases were identified using the National Coronial Information System, and data collected from paper-based coroners' records on individual, incident, and organizational factors, as well as details of the medico-legal death investigation. Data analysis comprised univariate and bivariate descriptive statistical techniques; ecological analysis of incidence rates using population denominators; and comparison of age and sex of suicide cases to deaths from other causes using logistic regression.Results: The study identified 141 suicides among nursing home residents, occurring at a rate of 0.02 deaths per 100 000 resident bed days. The ratio of deaths from suicide to deaths from any other cause was higher in males than females (OR = 3.56, 95%CI = 2.48-5.12, P = <0.001). Over half of the residents who died from suicide had a diagnosis of depression (n = 93, 66.0%) and had resided in the nursing home for less than 12 months (n = 71, 50.3%). Common major life stressors identified in suicide cases included the following: health deterioration (n = 112, 79.4%); isolation and loneliness (n = 60, 42.6%); and maladjustment to nursing home life (n = 42, 29.8%).Conclusions: This research provides a foundational understanding of suicide among nursing home residents in Australia and contributes important new information to the international knowledge base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the relationship between pain and sleep in older adults taking depression, stress, and medical comorbidities into account.Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was performed using Einstein Aging Study, a community-based cohort study of adults aged 70 years and older. Ratings of pain intensity and interference from the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short-Form 36 were used to assign individuals to low-pain versus high-pain severity. Sleep disturbance was assessed using the nine-item sleep problems index from the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale. Other measures included the Geriatric Depression Scale and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Linear regression models were used to assess the association between pain grade and sleep disturbance adjusted for demographics, PSS, Geriatric Depression Scale, and other comorbidities.Results: Five hundred sixty-two eligible participants with a mean age of 78.22 years (standard deviation = 5.43) were included; 64% were women. Pain grade [β = 5.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.56-8.21, p < 0.001] was associated with sleep disturbance after adjusting for demographic variables. In models including pain grade (β = 3.08, 95% CI 0.32-5.85, p = 0.03) and PSS (β = 0.57, 95% CI 0.39-0.75, p < 0.001), both were associated with sleep disturbance, although the PSS attenuated the relationship between pain and sleep by 34%. Depression, when added to previous model, was also associated with sleep (β = 2.17, 95% CI 1.48-2.85, p < 0.001) and attenuated the relationship between pain (β = 2.41, 95% CI -0.25 to 5.08, p = 0.07) and sleep by 22%. Stratified for depression, we found that pain, stress, and other medical comorbidities were significantly associated with sleep disturbance in non-depressed individuals but not individuals with depression.Conclusions: Pain, stress, and medical comorbidities are associated with sleep disturbance, especially in non-depressed older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this paper was to assess the efficacy of process-based cognitive training (pb-CT) combined with reminiscence therapy (RT) in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (mAD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and in healthy elderly (HE) subjects. Methods: This multicenter, randomized, controlled trial involved 348 participants with mAD, MCI, and HE from four European countries. Participants were randomly assigned to two arms of a crossover design: those in arm A underwent 3 months of computerized pb-CT for memory and executive functions combined with RT and 3 months of rest; those in arm B underwent the reverse. The primary outcome was the effect of the training on memory and executive functions performance. The secondary outcome was the effect of the training on functional abilities in mAD assessed with the instrumental activities of daily living. Results: We found a significant effect of the training for memory in all three groups on delayed recall of the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test and for executive functions in HE on the phonological fluency test. MCI and HE participants maintained these effects at follow-up. MCI and mAD participants also showed a significant effect of the training on the Mini-mental state examination scale. Participants with mAD showed more stable instrumental activities of daily living during the training versus the rest period. Conclusions: Our results corroborate the positive effect of pb-CT and its maintenance primarily on memory in HE and MCI participants that did not seem to be potentiated by RT. Moreover, our results are very promising for the mAD participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The 10/36 Spatial Recall Test is a measure of visuospatial memory and has been recommended for inclusion when administering a brief cognitive assessment to patients with multiple sclerosis by multiple groups. However, a notable limitation of the measure includes a lack of normative data with demographic corrections. Thus, the primary objective of the current study was to examine demographic influences on the 10/36 Spatial Recall Test and to introduce demographically corrected normative data for the instrument.Methods: Data were collected from 116 participants over the age of 50 years. All study participants were free of any neurologic disease or disorder and classified as cognitively intact by a consensus conference team that was comprised of neurologists and neuropsychologists. All study participants were administered a neuropsychological evaluation that included the 10/36 Spatial Recall Test Version A at the baseline visit.Results: 10/36 Spatial Recall Test scores were affected by age, education, and race. Gender effects were not observed. Given these effects, regression equations were used to correct for the effects of demographic variables. The z-scores obtained from these corrections were not significantly influenced by demographical variables.Conclusion: The demographic corrections introduced in this paper offer the possibility to enhance the clinical utility of the 10/36 Spatial Recall Test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]