scholarly journals Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Confinement in Patients With Cognitive Impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainara Barguilla ◽  
Aida Fernández-Lebrero ◽  
Isabel Estragués-Gázquez ◽  
Greta García-Escobar ◽  
Irene Navalpotro-Gómez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Ad Hoc ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
State Of Emergency ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Global Status ◽  
Restrictive Measures

Introduction: State of emergency caused by COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown hit Spain on 14th March 2020 and lasted until 21st June 2020. Social isolation measures were applied. Medical attention was focused on COVID-19. Primary and social care were mainly performed by telephone. This exceptional situation may affect especially vulnerable patients such as people living with dementia. Our aim was to describe the influence of restrictive measures on patients living with mild cognitive decline and dementia evaluating SARS-CoV2 infection, changes in routines, cognitive decline stage, neuropsychiatric symptoms, delirium, falls, caregiver stress, and access to sanitary care.Materials and Methods: We gathered MCI and dementia patients with clinical follow-up before and after confinement from DegMar registry (Hospital del Mar). A telephone ad-hoc questionnaire was administered. Global status was assessed using CDR scale. Changes in neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed by Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and retrospective interview for pre-confinement base characteristics.Results: We contacted a total of 60 patients, age 75.4 years ± 5,192. 53.3% were women. Alzheimer's Disease (41.7%) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (25%) were the most prevalent diagnosis. Remaining cases included different dementia disorders. A total of 10% of patients had been diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2. During confinement 70% of patients abandoned previous daily activities, 60% had cognitive worsening reported by relatives/caretakers, 15% presented delirium episodes, and 13% suffered increased incidence of falls. Caregivers reported an increased burden in 41% cases and burnout in 11% cases. 16% reported difficulties accessing medical care, 33% received medical phone assistance, 20% needed emergency care and 21% had changes in psychopharmacological therapies. Neuropsychiatric profile globally worsened (p < 0.000), also in particular items like agitation (p = 0.003), depression (p < 0.000), anxiety (p < 0.000) and changes in appetite (p = 0.004).Conclusion: SARS-CoV2-related lockdown resulted in an important effect over social and cognitive spheres and worsening of neuropsychiatric traits in patients living with mild cognitive decline and dementia. Although the uncertainty regarding the evolution of the pandemic makes strategy difficult, we need to reach patients and caregivers and develop adequate strategies to reinforce and adapt social and health care.

scholarly journals Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 161-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damien Gallagher ◽  
Corinne E. Fischer ◽  
Andrea Iaboni
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorders ◽  
Prognostic Indicators ◽  
Neurocognitive Disorder ◽  
Clinical Stages ◽  
Before And After

Objective: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) may be the first manifestation of an underlying neurocognitive disorder. We undertook a review to provide an update on the epidemiology and etiological mechanisms of NPS that occur in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and just before the onset of MCI. We discuss common clinical presentations and the implications for diagnosis and care. Method: The authors conducted a selective review of the literature regarding the emergence of NPS in late life, before and after the onset of MCI. We discuss recent publications that explore the epidemiology and etiological mechanisms of NPS in the earliest clinical stages of these disorders. Results: NPS have been reported in 35% to 85% of adults with MCI and also occur in advance of cognitive decline. The occurrence of NPS for the first time in later life should increase suspicion for an underlying neurocognitive disorder. The presenting symptom may provide a clue regarding the etiology of the underlying disorder, and the co-occurrence of NPS may herald a more accelerated cognitive decline. Conclusions: NPS are prevalent in the early clinical stages of neurocognitive disorders and can serve as both useful diagnostic and prognostic indicators. Recognition of NPS as early manifestations of neurocognitive disorders will become increasingly important as we move towards preventative strategies and disease-modifying treatments that may be most effective when deployed in the earliest stages of disease.

scholarly journals Cognitive Impairment in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-225
Author(s):  
Bruno Kusznir Vitturi ◽  
Enrico Stefano Suriano ◽  
Ana Beatriz Pereira de Sousa ◽  
Dawton Yukito Torigoe
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Ankylosing Spondylitis ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Assessment ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Cognitive Screening ◽  
Clinical Predictors ◽  
Screening Battery

ABSTRACT:Background:Little is known about the potential systemic effects of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) on the nervous system. We designed a study aiming to assess the frequency and clinical predictors of cognitive impairment in AS patients.Methods:We carried out a cross-sectional case–control study composed of consecutive patients with AS. Trained and blinded interviewers registered clinical-epidemiological data and applied a standardized neurological assessment for each subject of the study. At baseline, functional limitations were characterized using the Health Assessment Questionnaire. Cognitive impairment was evaluated with the Brief Cognitive Screening Battery, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and the Clinical Dementia Rating, while neuropsychiatric symptoms were investigated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Healthy controls were matched for age, educational attainment, sex, and comorbidities. We compared the neurological outcomes between case and controls, and we determined the clinical predictors of cognitive decline.Results:We included 40 patients (mean: 49.3 years) with AS and 40 healthy controls (mean: 48.8 years) in our study. In Brief Cognitive Screening Battery, patients with AS presented a statistically significant poor performance in the clock drawing test and in the verbal fluency. The mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores were significantly lower in AS subjects compared to the control group. Also, the prevalence of subjects classified as cognitively impaired according to MoCA was significantly higher in the AS group (90.0% vs. 57.5%, p = 0.02). Moreover, neuropsychiatric symptoms were more prevalent in AS patients. Worse functional limitations were associated with poor cognitive performance as well.Conclusions:Patients with AS might be more vulnerable to cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Frequency and subgroups of neuropsychiatric symptoms in mild cognitive impairment and different stages of dementia in Alzheimer's disease

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Siafarikas ◽  
G. Selbaek ◽  
T. Fladby ◽  
J. Šaltytė Benth ◽  
E. Auning ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional

ABSTRACTBackground:Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), such as depression, apathy, agitation, and psychotic symptoms are common in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Subgroups of NPS have been reported. Yet the relationship of NPS and their subgroups to different stages of cognitive impairment is unclear. Most previous studies are based on small sample sizes and show conflicting results. We sought to examine the frequency of NPS and their subgroups in MCI and different stages of dementia in AD.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study using data from a Norwegian national registry of memory clinics. From a total sample of 4,571 patients, we included those with MCI or AD (MCI 817, mild AD 883, moderate–severe AD 441). To compare variables across groups ANOVA or χ2-test was applied. We used factor analysis of Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) items to identify subgroups of NPS.Results:The frequency of any NPS was 87.2% (AD 91.2%, MCI 79.5%; p < 0.001) and increased with increasing severity of cognitive decline. The most frequent NPS in MCI was depression. Apathy was the most frequent NPS in AD across different stages of severity. The factor analysis identified three subgroups in MCI and mild AD, and a fourth one in moderate–severe AD. We labelled the subgroups “depression,” “agitation,” “psychosis,” and “elation.”Conclusions:The frequency of NPS is high in MCI and AD and increases with the severity of cognitive decline. The subgroups of NPS were relatively consistent from MCI to moderate-severe AD. The subgroup elation appeared only in moderate-severe AD.

scholarly journals Dementia and Nutrition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Pathak ◽  
Emanuela Mattos
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Pharmacological Therapy ◽  
Multiple Risk Factors ◽  
Healthy Nutrition ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Growing Age ◽  
Global Aging

Global aging population worldwide increasing. As growing age, the aging related issues like dementia came to be seen not as an inevitable condition at the old age phase, but as a condition that results from the competition between multiple risk factors and protective factors acquired throughout life. There is currently no cure for dementia. Thus, strategies to prevent or delay onset of dementia by changes in lifestyle factors, such as diet, are important as non-pharmacological therapy. A healthy nutrition contributes in delaying the cognitive decline for the elderly people and dementia patients. Cognitive decline is a normal part of the aging process and it is a main clinical identification in between elderly and dementia. The group of B Vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12) are significantly associated with healthy neuropsychological function. The lack of B12 can show impairment of cognition and neurologic deficit and impacts on educational achievement. The cognitive impairment is a main clinical symptom of dementia which can raise the prevalence rates of cognitive impairment that can be dementia accordingly at the end of life.

scholarly journals Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Due to AD: Relation With Disease Stage and Cognitive Deficits

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wietse A. Wiels ◽  
Mandy M. J. Wittens ◽  
Dieter Zeeuws ◽  
Chris Baeken ◽  
Sebastiaan Engelborghs
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Disease Stage ◽  
Research Database ◽  
Severe Dementia

Background: The interaction between neuropsychiatric symptoms, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and dementia is complex and remains to be elucidated. An additive or multiplicative effect of neuropsychiatric symptoms such as apathy or depression on cognitive decline has been suggested. Unraveling these interactions may allow the development of better prevention and treatment strategies. In the absence of available treatments for neurodegeneration, a timely and adequate identification of neuropsychiatric symptom changes in cognitive decline is highly relevant and can help identify treatment targets.Methods: An existing memory clinic-based research database of 476 individuals with MCI and 978 individuals with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease (AD) was reanalyzed. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed in a prospective fashion using a battery of neuropsychiatric assessment scales: Middelheim Frontality Score, Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer's Disease Rating Scale (Behave-AD), Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD), and Geriatric Depression Scale (30 items). We subtyped subjects suffering from dementia as mild, moderate, or severe according to their Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score and compared neuropsychiatric scores across these groups. A group of 126 subjects suffering from AD with a significant cerebrovascular component was examined separately as well. We compared the prevalence, nature, and severity of neuropsychiatric symptoms between subgroups of patients with MCI and dementia due to AD in a cross-sectional analysis.Results: Affective and sleep-related symptoms are common in MCI and remain constant in prevalence and severity across dementia groups. Depressive symptoms as assessed by the CSDD further increase in severe dementia. Most other neuropsychiatric symptoms (such as agitation and activity disturbances) progress in parallel with severity of cognitive decline. There are no significant differences in neuropsychiatric symptoms when comparing “pure” AD to AD with a significant vascular component.Conclusion: Neuropsychiatric symptoms such as frontal lobe symptoms, psychosis, agitation, aggression, and activity disturbances increase as dementia progresses. Affective symptoms such as anxiety and depressive symptoms, however, are more frequent in MCI than mild dementia but otherwise remain stable throughout the cognitive spectrum, except for an increase in CSDD score in severe dementia. There is no difference in neuropsychiatric symptoms when comparing mixed dementia (defined here as AD + significant cerebrovascular disease) to pure AD.

Age-Related Cognitive Decline and Prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Iwaki Health Promotion Project

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Naoko Nakahata ◽  
Takumi Nakamura ◽  
Takeshi Kawarabayashi ◽  
Yusuke Seino ◽  
Sadanobu Ichii ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Promotion ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Educational History ◽  
Dementia Patients ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

Background: The Iwaki Health Promotion Project (IHPP) is a community-based study for the prevention of lifestyle-related diseases and improvement of quality of life. Objective: Between 2014 and 2017, a total of 4,442 Iwaki town residents from 19 to 93 years of age participated in annual surveys to clarify the natural course of age-related cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methods: Modified OLD and SED-11Q questionnaires, MMSE, Logical Memory II, educational history, and APOE genotypes were examined at the first screening. MCI and dementia were diagnosed at the second examination by detailed neurological examination, CDR, and MRI, and followed for 3 years. Spline regression analyses based on a linear mixed model was adopted for statistical analysis. Results: MMSE scores declined with age from 55 to 64 years. There was also interaction between levels of education and ages. At the second examination, 56 MCI and 5 dementia patients were identified. None of the MCI cases progressed to dementia during the 3 years. During follow-up examinations, 13 cases showed improved MMSE scores (0.95 point/year), 5 remained stable, and 7 deteriorated (–0.83 point/year). Five cases showed improved CDR-SOB scores (–0.28 point/year), 9 remained stable, and 6 deteriorated (0.3 point/year). Conclusion: IHPP revealed that age- and education-related cognitive decline began and advanced from 55 years of age. The prevalence of MCI and dementia was estimated to be 5.9%in the Iwaki town cohort over 60 yeas of age. About 30%of MCI cases showed progression of cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Neuropsychiatric symptoms in at-risk groups for AD dementia and their association with worry and AD biomarkers—results from the DELCODE study

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lena Sannemann ◽  
◽  
Ann-Katrin Schild ◽  
Slawek Altenstein ◽  
Claudia Bartels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Clinical Trials ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Geriatric Depression Scale ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Risk Groups ◽  
Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽  
Healthy Controls

Abstract Background Early identification of individuals at risk of dementia is mandatory to implement prevention strategies and design clinical trials that target early disease stages. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) and neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) have been proposed as potential markers for early manifestation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We aimed to investigate the frequency of NPS in SCD, in other at-risk groups, in healthy controls (CO), and in AD patients, and to test the association of NPS with AD biomarkers, with a particular focus on cognitively unimpaired participants with or without SCD-related worries. Methods We analyzed data of n = 687 participants from the German DZNE Longitudinal Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (DELCODE) study, including the diagnostic groups SCD (n = 242), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 115), AD (n = 77), CO (n = 209), and first-degree relatives of AD patients (REL, n = 44). The Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q), Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), and Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI-SF) were used to assess NPS. We examined differences of NPS frequency between diagnostic groups. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to further investigate the relationship between NPS and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) AD biomarkers, focusing on a subsample of cognitively unimpaired participants (SCD, REL, and CO), who were further differentiated based on reported worries. Results The numbers of reported NPS, depression scores, and anxiety scores were significantly higher in subjects with SCD compared to CO. The quantity of reported NPS in subjects with SCD was lower compared to the MCI and AD group. In cognitively unimpaired subjects with worries, low Aß42 was associated with higher rates of reporting two or more NPS (OR 0.998, 95% CI 0.996–1.000, p < .05). Conclusion These findings give insight into the prevalence of NPS in different diagnostic groups, including SCD and healthy controls. NPS based on informant report seem to be associated with underlying AD pathology in cognitively unimpaired participants who worry about cognitive decline. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00007966. Registered 4 May 2015.

P1-081: Neuropsychiatric symptoms and cognitive decline over two years in a community sample with and without mild cognitive impairment

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (4S_Part_4) ◽  
pp. P134-P134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry Brodaty ◽  
Megan Heffernan ◽  
Brian Draper ◽  
Simone Reppermund ◽  
Nicole Kochan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Community Sample

scholarly journals Challenges in Predicting Cognitive Decline in Dementia with Lewy Bodies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Tsamakis ◽  
Christoph Mueller
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Dementia With Lewy Bodies ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Lewy Bodies ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Disease Course ◽  
The Impact

Despite being the second most common form of neurodegenerative dementia, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is under-recognized and carries a worse prognosis than other subtypes of the condition. Cognitive impairment is a cardinal feature of all types of dementia and DLB presents with a distinct profile with deficits in attention, executive function, and visuoperceptual abilities. This difference from Alzheimer’s disease and the common presence of neuropsychiatric symptoms may lead to challenges in predicting cognitive decline in this patient population. Firstly, the diagnosis of DLB is often delayed in clinical practice leading to variability from which time point in the disease course cognitive decline is measured. Secondly, the most frequently used measurement tools for cognitive difficulties focus on memory and naming rather than the domains affected by DLB. While there is now largely a consensus which tools are useful in diagnosing DLB, their validity in assessing deteriorating cognition is less clear. Thirdly, the presence of fluctuating cognition, the propensity to develop delirium episodes, as well as difficulties in distinguishing the two entities in clinical practice make it difficult to predict the disease course. Sleep disturbances are likely to influence cognitive decline but require further study in patients within established DLB. Fourthly, as in most cases of dementia, neuropathological comorbidities are frequently present in DLB. While the influence of Alzheimer’s pathology on cognitive decline in DLB is comparatively well understood, the impact of other pathologies remains unclear. The recent definition of research criteria for mild cognitive impairment in DLB could facilitate earlier diagnosis and more structured follow-up. Assessment tools measuring cognitive domains predominantly affected in DLB need to be more consistently used in longitudinal studies and clinical practice, as well as concurrent measures of fluctuations in cognition. Greater availability of biomarkers and digital healthcare solutions can play an important role in enabling more accurate monitoring and prediction of cognitive decline in DLB.

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