scholarly journals Comparison of two cognitive screening measures in differentiating functioning among community dwelling African-American seniors

1997 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 360-361
Author(s):  
P. G. Longobardi ◽  
T. L. Strickland ◽  
R. Kington ◽  
J. Cummings
2021 ◽  
pp. 108482232110304
Author(s):  
Grace F. Wittenberg ◽  
Michelle A. McKay ◽  
Melissa O’Connor

Two-thirds of older adults have multimorbidity (MM), or co-occurrence of two or more medical conditions. Mild cognitive impairment (CI) is found in almost 20% of older adults and can lead to further cognitive decline and increased mortality. Older adults with MM are the primary users of home health care services and are at high risk for CI development; however, there is no validated cognitive screening tool used to assess the level of CI in home health users. Given the prevalence of MM and CI in the home health setting, we conducted a review of the literature to understand this association. Due to the absence of literature on CI in home health users, the review focused on the association of MM and CI in community-dwelling older adults. Search terms included home health, older adults, cognitive impairment, and multimorbidity and were applied to the databases PubMed, CINAHL, and PsychInfo leading to eight studies eligible for review. Results show CI is associated with MM in older adults of increasing age, among minorities, and in older adults with lower levels of education. Heart disease was the most prevalent disease associated with increased CI. Sleep disorders, hypertension, arthritis, and hyperlipidemia were also significantly associated with increased CI. The presence of MM and CI was associated with increased risk for death among older adults. Further research and attention are needed regarding the use and development of a validated cognitive assessment tool for home health users to decrease adverse outcomes in the older adult population.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S893-S894
Author(s):  
Thomas M Meuser ◽  
Regula H Robnett

Abstract Recent research has linked personality traits and risk for cognitive impairment in advancing age. Associations with neuroticism are particularly robust. Both longstanding and recent elevations may predict dementia. Other traits – conscientiousness and openness to experience – also show unique associations. These findings derive mainly from large sample population studies and smaller clinical investigations. Relevance to the general population is unclear. We investigated the “big five” personality traits and cognition in 232 community-dwelling adults (73% female, 97% Caucasian, mean age 72 years). Scores on a self-report screen for dementia – the AD8 – framed the sample: 77% scored 0 points, no dementia; 23% scored 2+, possible dementia. Age and personality were independent variables in a binary logistic regression with AD8 status as dependent. All predictors but one, extraversion, were significant (p < .05), suggesting that personality traits may influence perceptions of cognitive change. Higher agreeableness and neuroticism predicted possible dementia status on the AD8, whereas higher openness and conscientiousness predicted normal cognition. Interestingly, most in the AD8 positive group (70%) denied having “more problems with memory than most” on the Geriatric Depression Scale. These perceptions would seem incompatible, especially for true positive cases. Our findings suggest that the role of personality in dementia screening (and, perhaps, diagnosis) may be more nuanced than indicated in other studies. Longstanding traits and present perceptions are both elements of the evaluative process, as much as test scores and reported history. Our findings speak to the value of a person-centered, context-aware approach in cognitive screening.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (11) ◽  
pp. 1769-1775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Robert Maltais ◽  
Geneviève Gagnon ◽  
Marie-Pierre Garant ◽  
Jean-François Trudel

ABSTRACTBackground:The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is widely used in schizophrenia, although normative data are lacking in this population. This review and meta-regression analysis studies the effect of aging on MMSE scores in schizophrenic patients.Methods:We entered the search terms schizophrenia and MMSE in PubMed and PsychInfo. Bibliographies of pertinent articles were also examined. We included every study presenting the MMSE scores in schizophrenic patients along with a corresponding mean age. We conducted our analyses using simple linear regression weighted for the inverse of within-trial variance of the age variable, thus conferring more importance to studies with narrower age groups.Results:We identified 56 articles (n = 5,588) published between 1990 and 2012. The MMSE scores of schizophrenic patients decline by approximately 1 point for every four years (y = 34.939−0.247x, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) [−0.304, −0.189], R2 = 0,545), which is five times the rate in the general population. Institutionalized patients account for a large proportion of this decline (y = 37.603–0.308x, 95% CI [−0.349, −0.267], R2 = 0.622) whereas community-dwelling patients are relatively stable throughout aging (y = 27.591–0.026x, 95% CI [−0.074, 0.023], R2 = 0.037).Conclusions:Subgroup analyses show different trajectories between institutionalized and outpatients with schizophrenia. The deterioration observed in institutionalized patients may have to do with greater illness severity, heavier medication load, vascular risk factors, and lack of stimulation in institutional settings. Studies documenting the role of these variables would be useful. Cognitive screening tools that assess executive functions would be interesting to study in schizophrenics, as they may reveal more subtle age-related cognitive changes not measured by the MMSE.


2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Helmes

ABSTRACTBackground: Drawing tests have a long history in neuropsychological assessment. A popular geometric figure has been the two intersecting pentagons from the Bender Gestalt test. Reproducing the pentagons is the main visuospatial task on the original Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), remaining in use in revised versions of that widely used screening test. Scoring criteria on the MMSE are binary: perfect reproduction of the figure is required, while the Modified MMSE of Teng and Chui (1987) uses a more refined ten-point scoring for the elements of the figure.Methods: Here, I report on the use of pentagon drawing from 8,702 older community-dwelling Canadians (59.3% female), with a mean age of 75.5 years (SD = 6.99) and 10.1 years of education (SD = 3.89). Mean scores for the whole sample are reported, as well as for subsamples who underwent a full clinical assessment and were diagnosed as cognitively intact, with dementia, or cognitively impaired, but without dementia. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the utility of pentagon drawing as a diagnostic tool to diagnose cognitive impairment.Results: Binary scoring was less effective in discriminating groups than the ten-point system and showed weaker properties by other criteria.Conclusions: The discussion focuses on the role of simple, non-verbal tasks in the cognitive screening of older adults.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohsen Bazargan ◽  
James Smith ◽  
Masoud Movassaghi ◽  
David Martins ◽  
Hamed Yazdanshenas ◽  
...  

The purpose of the present study was to examine correlates of polypharmacy among underserved community-dwelling older African American adults. Methods. This study recruited 400 underserved older African Americans adults living in South Los Angeles. The structured face-to-face interviews collected data on participants’ characteristics and elicited data pertaining to the type, frequency, dosage, and indications of all medications used by participants. Results. Seventy-five and thirty percent of participants take at least five and ten medications per day, respectively. Thirty-eight percent of participants received prescription medications from at least three providers. Inappropriate drug use occurred among seventy percent of the participants. Multivariate analysis showed that number of providers was the strongest correlate of polypharmacy. Moreover, data show that gender, comorbidity, and potentially inappropriate medication use are other major correlates of polypharmacy. Conclusions. This study shows a high rate of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use among underserved older African American adults. We documented strong associations between polypharmacy and use of potentially inappropriate medications, comorbidities, and having multiple providers. Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medications may be attributed to poor coordination and management of medications among providers and pharmacists. There is an urgent need to develop innovative and effective strategies to reduce inappropriate polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication in underserved elderly minority populations.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233372142110589
Author(s):  
Lisa Kirk Wiese ◽  
Ishan C. Williams ◽  
Nancy E. Schoenberg ◽  
James. E. Galvin ◽  
Jennifer Lingler

Background Access to cognitive screening in rural underserved communities is limited and was further diminished during the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined whether a telephone-based cognitive screening intervention would be effective in increasing ADRD knowledge, detecting the need for further cognitive evaluation, and making and tracking the results of referrals. Method Using a dependent t-test design, older, largely African American and Afro-Caribbean participants completed a brief educational intervention, pre/post AD knowledge measure, and cognitive screening. Results Sixty of 85 eligible individuals consented. Seventy-percent of the sample self-reported as African American, Haitian Creole, or Hispanic, and 75% were female, with an average age of 70. AD knowledge pre-post scores improved significantly ( t (49) = −3.4, p < .001). Of the 11 referred after positive cognitive screening, 72% completed follow-up with their provider. Five were newly diagnosed with dementia. Three reported no change in diagnosis or treatment. Ninety-percent consented to enrolling in a registry for future research. Conclusion Remote engagement is feasible for recruiting, educating, and conducting cognitive screening with rural older adults during a pandemic.


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