A Prevalence Study of Age-Associated Memory Impairment

1995 ◽  
Vol 167 (5) ◽  
pp. 642-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Barker ◽  
Roy Jones ◽  
Chris Jennison

BackgroundAge-associated memory impairment (AAMI) describes a non-disease ageing-related decline in memory. Pharmacological treatment trials have been reported and DSM–IV has introduced a term for the disorder. No prevalence study with the original criteria has previously been published.MethodAn age-stratified sample was taken of 50–95-year-olds registered with a local health centre. Diagnosis of AAMI was made by questionnaire, cognitive testing, and medical and psychiatric assessment.ResultsPrevalence rates for the total population and for the over-50s were estimated to be 5.8% and 18.5%, respectively. These rates are dramatically affected by minor alterations to individual criteria.ConclusionsIt appears AAMI is less common than previous estimates suggested, although the diagnostic criteria do not satisfactorily define people with an age-related decline in memory. Complaint of memory decline is more strongly correlated with measures of affect and personality than with measures of current memory test performance or estimates of memory decline.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Beker ◽  
Sietske A.M. Sikkes ◽  
Marc Hulsman ◽  
Ben Schmand ◽  
Philip Scheltens ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundThe population who reaches the extreme age of 100 years is growing. At this age, dementia incidence is high and cognitive functioning is variable and influenced by sensory impairments. Appropriate cognitive testing requires normative data generated specifically for this group. Currently, these are lacking. We set out to generate norms for neuropsychological tests in cognitively healthy centenarians while taking sensory impairments into account.MethodsWe included 235 centenarians (71.5% female) from the 100-plus Study, who self-reported to be cognitively healthy, which was confirmed by an informant and a trained researcher. Normative data were generated for 15 tests that evaluate global cognition, pre-morbid intelligence, attention, language, memory, executive and visuo-spatial functions by multiple linear regressions and/or percentiles. Centenarians with vision and/or hearing impairments were excluded for tests that required these faculties.ResultsSubjects scored on average 25.6±3.1 (range 17-30, interquartile-range 24-28) points on the MMSE. Vision problems and fatigue often complicated the ability to complete tests, and these problems explained 41% and 22% of the missing test scores respectively, whereas hearing problems (4%) and task incomprehension (6%) only rarely did. Sex and age showed a limited association with test performance, whereas educational level was associated with performance on the majority of the tests.ConclusionsNormative data for the centenarian population is provided, while taking age-related sensory impairments into consideration. Results indicate that, next to vision impairments, fatigue and education level should be taken into account when assessing cognitive functioning in centenarians.


1998 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 823-828 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clarke Wilkie ◽  
Sharon Macdonald ◽  
Keith Hildahl

Objectives: To review a cluster of suicides and suicidal ideation in a First Nations community. Method: The medical records and autopsy reports of the victims are reviewed. Collateral information obtained in the community is presented. A series of psychiatric assessments conducted at the local health centre in a 3-day period is outlined. The dilemma of developing appropriate treatment plans is discussed. Results: In the period from February 3 to May 5, 1995, an isolated northern Manitoba First Nations community had 6 suicides in a population of less than 1500. Several other suicide attempts occurred. Community resources were strained. Alcohol was a factor in 4 of the suicides. Previous sexual assault was cited in 4 of 5 female cases presenting with suicidal ideation. Conclusions: Cluster suicide is a shared psychiatric and public health problem of major concern. Dreams of beckoning are common following a suicide. Communities should have a prepared plan to deal with a suicide. Resources should be provided quickly in an effort to prevent a cluster of suicides from occurring. High-risk individuals must be identified. Substance abuse must be addressed. Resources to assess and treat victims of sexual abuse must be available.


2009 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
SAMANE NAFISSI ◽  
MARYAM ANSARI-LARI ◽  
MOSTAFA SAADAT

SummaryConsanguinity, the marriage between relatives, has been associated with adverse child health outcomes. The objective of the present study was to assess the effect of consanguinity on offspring weight gain from birth to 12 months after birth. Data were collected on 250 consecutive live-born singleton newborns referred to a local health centre in Shiraz (Fars province, southern Iran). Collected data covered socio-demographic characteristics (such as parental age at delivery and parental education), sex, birth order, weights from birth to 12 months after birth and consanguinity of marriages of parents. Considering the low prevalence of double first cousin, first cousin once removed, second cousin, and beyond second cousin marriages, only first cousin and unrelated marriages were included in the study. The study population consisted of a total of 207 newborns (57 offspring of first cousins, 150 offspring of unrelated marriages). Based on the results of repeated measurements analysis of variance, weight gain was associated with type of marriage (p=0.018), sex of offspring (p=0.001) and paternal education (p<0.001). There was no interaction between type of marriage and sex (p=0.831). Birth weight was not affected by type of marriage (p=0.46). There was significant interaction between inbreeding and time (p=0.034). Offspring of consanguineous marriages showed lower weight gain in comparison with those of unrelated marriages during 3–12 months after birth.


2022 ◽  
pp. 22-47
Author(s):  
Maurice Ekwugha

COVID-19 is a relatively new disease, and most victims are in low income, people-facing jobs. The most economically disadvantaged in society are less able to comply with certain non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) partly due to their financial situation. Hope for the Helpless (H4H), set up as part of a micro social enterprise to cater for rough sleepers in London, UK, is at the heart of the COVID-19 response to the homeless there. A lack of financial resources or capital can constrain social entrepreneurs and restrict their ability to create social capital. However, some social entrepreneurs have been able to innovatively leverage on previous relationships to augment their resource base because engagement with stakeholders is critical. The study explores one such relationship between H4H and a local health centre. It is hoped that this study will uncover survival strategies for social entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive in a post-COVID-19 world.


1977 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 103-109
Author(s):  
Marie Johnston

The present paper aims to describe the work of a behaviourally oriented psychologist in the treatment of agoraphobia, the most common single problem referred in two years' work in primary care. Apart from its high frequency, agoraphobia has a particular relevance to the general practice settings as it is a problem which relates very specifically to the patient's home environment. A recent study by Mathews et al., (in press) found that a home-based treatment of agoraphobia produced at least as much improvement as clinic based treatments and required less therapist time. One might expect that a psychologist operating from the local health centre might achieve many of the advantages of such a program with a possible decrease in therapist time as travelling is reduced.


2004 ◽  
Vol 132 (5) ◽  
pp. 847-856 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. AKIN ◽  
S. TEZCAN ◽  
G. HASCELIK ◽  
B. CAKIR

The purpose of the study was to detect the frequency and distribution of Helicobacter pylori in the Gülveren Health Centre service area among residents aged between 25 and 64 years and to evaluate the relation of H. pylori infections with general health status, socioeconomic status, and some lifestyle habits. The study included a representative sample of Gülveren Health Centre residents, aged between 25 and 64 years. A stratified random sample of 1672 individuals was selected for study purposes out of 10569 residents, stratified by age and gender. A standardized questionnaire was completed for all study participants using a face-to-face interview and all participants were invited to the local health centre for a thorough physical examination and blood tests. The overall prevalence of H. pylori was found to be 77·5% among individuals aged between 25 and 64 years. The frequency of H. pylori was higher among individuals with low socioeconomic status; those who migrated to Ankara after the age of 20 years; members of large families (household size of 4 or above); non-alcohol drinkers; and those who regularly drink tea.


Author(s):  
István Fodor ◽  
Réka Svigruha ◽  
György Kemenes ◽  
Ildikó Kemenes ◽  
Zsolt Pirger

Abstract With the increase of life span, normal aging and age-related memory decline are affecting an increasing number of people; however, many aspects of these processes are still not fully understood. Although vertebrate models have provided considerable insights into the molecular and electrophysiological changes associated with brain aging, invertebrates, including the widely recognized molluscan model organism, the great pond snail (Lymnaea stagnalis), have proven to be extremely useful for studying mechanisms of aging at the level of identified individual neurons and well-defined circuits. Its numerically simpler nervous system, well-characterized life cycle, and relatively long life span make it an ideal organism to study age-related changes in the nervous system. Here, we provide an overview of age-related studies on L. stagnalis and showcase this species as a contemporary choice for modeling the molecular, cellular, circuit, and behavioral mechanisms of aging and age-related memory impairment.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e046125
Author(s):  
Anne Schoenmakers ◽  
Thomas Hambridge ◽  
Robin van Wijk ◽  
Christa Kasang ◽  
Jan Hendrik Richardus ◽  
...  

IntroductionLeprosy, or Hansen’s disease, remains a cause of preventable disability. Early detection, treatment and prevention are key to reducing transmission. Post-exposure prophylaxis with single-dose rifampicin (SDR-PEP) reduces the risk of developing leprosy when administered to screened contacts of patients. This has been adopted in the WHO leprosy guidelines. The PEP4LEP study aims to determine the most effective and feasible method of screening people at risk of developing leprosy and administering chemoprophylaxis to contribute to interrupting transmission.Methods and analysisPEP4LEP is a cluster-randomised implementation trial comparing two interventions of integrated skin screening combined with SDR-PEP distribution to contacts of patients with leprosy in Ethiopia, Mozambique and Tanzania. One intervention is community-based, using skin camps to screen approximately 100 community contacts per leprosy patient, and to administer SDR-PEP when eligible. The other intervention is health centre-based, inviting household contacts of leprosy patients to be screened in a local health centre and subsequently receive SDR-PEP when eligible. The mobile health (mHealth) tool SkinApp will support health workers’ capacity in integrated skin screening. The effectiveness of both interventions will be compared by assessing the rate of patients with leprosy detected and case detection delay in months, as well as feasibility in terms of cost-effectiveness and acceptability.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from the national ethical committees of Ethiopia (MoSHE), Mozambique (CNBS) and Tanzania (NIMR/MoHCDEC). Study results will be published open access in peer-reviewed journals, providing evidence for the implementation of innovative leprosy screening methods and chemoprophylaxis to policymakers.Trial registration numberNL7294 (NTR7503).


2018 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 847-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
R T Staff ◽  
M J Hogan ◽  
L J Whalley

Abstract In an observational longitudinal study of a sub-sample of the Aberdeen 1936 birth cohort, from age 62 to 77 years, we investigated childhood intelligence, social class, education, life-course social mobility, memory test performance and memory decline in late life. We examined 388 local residents who had attended school in Aberdeen in 1947 and measured Auditory-Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) at recruitment age about 64 years and up to five times until age about 77 years. Better performance at age about 64 on AVLT was predicted by early socioeconomic status (SES), social mobility and childhood intelligence. The trajectory of AVLT decline was steeper in those who had received less education. This relationship was independent of childhood ability, sex, SES in childhood and social mobility. The protection of memory by education suggests that education supports resilience to age-related cognitive impairment. Upward social mobility does not enhance this effect, suggesting that resilience to age-related decline may be established in early life.


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