scholarly journals Dementia and Nutrition

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishna Prasad Pathak ◽  
Emanuela Mattos

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.

2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 500-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukanya Jongsiriyanyong ◽  
Panita Limpawattana

The spectrum of cognitive decline in the elderly ranges from what can be classified as normal cognitive decline with aging to subjective cognitive impairment to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia. This article reviewed the up-to-date evidence of MCI including the diagnostic criteria of MCI due to Alzheimer’s disease, vascular cognitive impairment and MCI due to Parkinson disease, management and preventive intervention of MCI. There are various etiologies of MCI, and a large number of studies have been conducted to ascertain the practical modalities of preserving cognition in predementia stages. Lifestyle modification, such as aerobic exercise, is an approved modality to preserve cognitive ability and decrease the rate of progression to dementia, as well as being recommended for frailty prevention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 178
Author(s):  
Heifa Ounalli ◽  
David Mamo ◽  
Ines Testoni ◽  
Martino Belvederi Murri ◽  
Rosangela Caruso ◽  
...  

Demographic changes have placed age-related mental health disorders at the forefront of public health challenges over the next three decades worldwide. Within the context of cognitive impairment and neurocognitive disorders among elderly people, the fragmentation of the self is associated with existential suffering, loss of meaning and dignity for the patient, as well as with a significant burden for the caregiver. Psychosocial interventions are part of a person-centered approach to cognitive impairment (including early stage dementia and dementia). Dignity therapy (DT) is a therapeutic intervention that has been shown to be effective in reducing existential distress, mood, and anxiety symptoms and improving dignity in persons with cancer and other terminal conditions in palliative care settings. The aims of this paper were: (i) To briefly summarize key issues and challenges related to care in gerontology considering specifically frail elderly/elderly with cognitive decline and their caregivers; and (ii) to provide a narrative review of the recent knowledge and evidence on DT in the elderly population with cognitive impairment. We searched the electronic data base (CINAHL, SCOPUS, PSycInfo, and PubMed studies) for studies regarding the application of DT in the elderly. Additionally, given the caregiver’s role as a custodian of diachronic unity of the cared-for and the need to help caregivers to cope with their own existential distress and anticipatory grief, we also propose a DT-dyadic approach addressing the needs of the family as a whole.


2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (S1) ◽  
pp. S190-S191
Author(s):  
G. Sobreira ◽  
M.A. Aleixo ◽  
C. Moreia ◽  
J. Oliveira

IntroductionDepression and mild cognitive impairment are common among the elderly. Half the patients with late-life depression also present some degree of cognitive decline, making the distinction between these conditions difficult.ObjectivesTo conduct a database review in order to understand the relationship between these entities, and treatment approaches.AimsTo create and implement clinical guidelines at our institution, to evaluate and treat elderly patients presenting with depression and mild cognitive impairment.MethodsA PubMed database search using as keywords “late life depression”, “depression”; “cognitive impairment”; “mild cognitive impairment” and “dementia” between the year 2008 and 2015.ResultsLate-life depression and cognitive impairment are frequent among the elderly (10–20%). Depression is also common in the early stages of dementia decreasing as the cognitive decline progresses. The causal relationship between these entities is not well understood and some authors advocate a multifactorial model (genetic risk factors; neuroendocrine changes; vascular risk factors) and the cognitive impairment of said changes is dependent on the individual's cognitive reserve. Regarding treatment of depression in patients with cognitive impairment, most authors advocate a stepped approach with watchful waiting and then, if symptoms persist, the introduction of pharmacotherapy and psychosocial intervention.ConclusionsThe relationship between cognitive impairment and depression is still not clear and probably multifactorial. The diagnosis of depressive symptoms in patients with severe cognitive impairment can be difficult and most forms of pharmacological treatment in this population are not beneficial, making it important to carefully evaluate the benefits of introducing new medication.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


CNS Spectrums ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 13 (S16) ◽  
pp. 18-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liana G. Apostolova

Problems with memory are a very common complaint in the elderly and are not synonymous with dementia. Some degree of cognitive decline, manifested as greater difficulty in learning and retrieving new information for instance, develops with normal aging. Thus many older patients do not perform at the same level they did when they were younger but they do perform well when compared to their peers. For many, cognitive change ends at this stage and they proceed to lead normal, healthy, dementia-free lives.The cohort that has cognitive changes beyond what is expected in normal aging but does not yet meet criteria for dementia concerns clinicians greatly as many of these patients eventually become demented. These patients usually go through a latent stage in which neurodegenerative pathology silently spreads in the brain. Once there is enough pathological burden, cognitive decline beyond what is expected for normal aging can be detected by formal neuropsychological testing. Frequently such patients go through a state called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). In this state patients are still functionally intact and live independently, but show cognitive impairment relative to the age- and education-adjusted norms.The MCI state in itself is a prominent risk factor for developing dementia. Most patients with amnestic MCI develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia over time. At six years, as many as 80% progress to AD. Thus, MCI is a very important topic of research and an increasingly important topic of clinical care.


2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1700-1701 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Bloomfield ◽  
N. John

Over recent years in the UK, emphasis has been placed on appropriate diagnosis and referral of patients with dementia. In guidelines published by the British Geriatrics Society (BGS) and Faculty of Old Age Psychiatrists consensus group (Forsyth et al., 2006), a cognitive screening algorithm was developed, which consists of initial screening for cognitive impairment with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and CLOX1 (an executive clock drawing task). If the scores meet cut-off points indicated in the algorithm (MMSE <24 or CLOX1 <11), further assessments with the Confusion Assessment Method (CAM) and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly (IQCODE) are applied with the aim to differentiate between delirium (CAM positive, IQCODE negative), delirium and chronic impairment (CAM positive, IQCODE positive), or chronic cognitive impairment (CAM negative, IQCODE positive).


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Naoko Nakahata ◽  
Takumi Nakamura ◽  
Takeshi Kawarabayashi ◽  
Yusuke Seino ◽  
Sadanobu Ichii ◽  
...  

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.


2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 346-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Izabella Dutra de Abreu ◽  
Paula Villela Nunes ◽  
Breno Satler Diniz ◽  
Orestes Vicente Forlenza

OBJECTIVE: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of the Mini-Mental State Examination combined to the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly for the identification of mild cognitive impairment. METHOD: 191 elderly subjects were assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination, and their informants were assessed with the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. Subjects were divided into three groups according to their cognitive state (controls: n = 67, mild cognitive impairment: n = 65 and dementia: n = 59), which was ascertained by clinical and neuropsychological evaluation. The diagnostic accuracy of each test in the discrimination of diagnostic groups (mild cognitive impairment vs. controls, mild cognitive impairment vs. dementia and dementia vs. controls) was examined with the aid of ROC curves. We additionally verified if the combination of both tests would increase diagnostic accuracy for mild cognitive impairment and control identification. RESULTS: The combination of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly scores did not increase the Mini-Mental State Examination diagnostic accuracy in the identification of patients with mild cognitive impairment. CONCLUSIONS: The present data do not warrant the combination of the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly as a sufficient diagnostic tool in the diagnostic screening for mild cognitive impairment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yingying Zhu ◽  
Dong Pan ◽  
Lei He ◽  
Xiaoming Rong ◽  
Honghong Li ◽  
...  

Introduction: To develop appropriate strategies for early diagnosis and intervention of cognitive impairment, the identification of minimally invasive and cost-effective biomarkers for the early diagnosis of cognitive impairment is crucial and desirable. Therefore, the CHina registry study on cOgnitive imPairment in the Elderly (HOPE) study is designed to investigate the natural course of cognitive decline and explore the clinical, imaging, and biochemical markers for the detection and diagnosis of cognitive impairment on its earliest stage.Methods: Approximately 5,000 Chinese elderly aged more than 50 years were recruited from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou, China by the year 2024. All subjects were invited to complete the clinical assessment, neuropsychological assessment, the biological samples collection (blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)], magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination, and optional amyloid and tau PET. The follow-up survey was conducted every 1 year to repeat these assessments for 20 years. To better clarify the relationship between potential risk factors and endpoint events [changes in cognitive score or incidence of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and/or dementia], appropriate statistical methods were used to analyze the data, including but not limited to, such as linear mixed-effect model, competing risk model, or the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator model.Significance: The CHina registry study on cOgnitive imPairment in the Elderly study is designed to explore the longitudinal changes in characteristics of participants with cognitive decline and to identify potential plasma and imaging biomarkers with cost-benefit and scalability advantages. The results will enable broader clinical access and efficient population screening and then improve the development of treatment and the quality of life for cognitive impairment at the early stage.Trial registration number: NCT04360200.


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