INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY

Depression Treatment Trajectories and Associated Social Determinants: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study in 66,540 Older Adults Undergoing First-Time Depression Treatment in Denmark
Ishtiak-Ahmed K, Rohde C, Köhler-Forsberg O, Christensen KS and Gasse C
This study aimed to describe depression treatment patterns, identify unique trajectory groups using a group-based trajectory approach, and explore associated social determinants in older adults undergoing first-time depression treatment during a 3-year follow-up.
Real-World Use of Trazodone in Older Persons in Long Term Care Setting: A Retrospective Study
Coin A, Malara A, Noale M, Trevisan C, Devita M, Abbatecola AM, Gareri P, Del Signore S, Bellelli G, Fumagalli S, Monzani F, Mossello E, Volpato S, Zia G, Antonelli Incalzi R and
Trazodone, an antidepressant drug is also largely used in several medical contexts. Insomnia, behavioral disorders, and anxiety may be underlying symptoms for prescribing trazodone. This cross-sectional study aims to identify reasons for trazodone prescription, assess the efficacy, as well as identify any related side effects in older persons living in long term care facilities (LTCFs).
Loneliness and Suicidality Among Older Korean Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Depressive Symptoms
Lyu J
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the loneliness of older adults increased. Since loneliness and depressive symptoms may contribute to the development of suicidality, the pathways between loneliness, depressive symptoms, and suicidality should be examined more in depth. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between loneliness and suicidality among older Korean adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to explore whether it is mediated by depressive symptoms.
Loneliness as a Predictor of Disability in Older Adults: Implications of the UCLA Loneliness Scale Cutoff Score Across Cultural Contexts
Chiu JL and Wei LC
This letter responds to the study by Tomida et al. (2024) that validates the optimal cutoff score for the UCLA Loneliness Scale (UCLA-LS) to predict disability among older Japanese adults. The study identifies a cutoff score of 44, providing a significant indicator for the early detection of at-risk individuals.
Comparing 30 Versus 60 min Cognitively Loaded Physical Exercise on Cognitive Function and Physical Health in Community-Dwelling Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial
Kim SH, Shin HJ, Baek JE, Park JY, Kim M, Hahm SC and Cho HY
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by a mild decline in cognitive function and represents a risk stage for dementia in community-dwelling older adults. Exercise and dual-task training have been used to improve physical health, psychosocial health, and cognitive and learning functions in various subjects. However, the optimal time for these interventions has yet to be clearly identified. This study investigated the effects of cognitively loaded physical exercise (CLPE) on cognitive function and physical health in community-dwelling older adults with mild cognitive impairment and compared the differences according to exercise time.
Family Care Partner's Preparedness in Caring for Hospitalized Persons With Dementia
Paudel A, Al Harrasi AM, Kuzmik A, Berish D, Yahaya AR and Boltz M
To examine care partner preparedness in caring for recently hospitalized persons with dementia and care partner characteristics associated with preparedness at discharge, 2 months, and 6 months post discharge.
Association of Psychotropic Prescriptions With Non-Registered Indications and the Risk of Mortality in Older Adults: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study
Ishtiak-Ahmed K, Jensen-Dahm C, Christensen KS, Waldemar G and Gasse C
Psychotropic drug use is common in older adults, with off-label use reported despite limited understanding of the safety outcomes compared to on-label use. Incomplete recordings of treatment indications in the Danish National Prescription Register (DNPR) raise concerns about potential off-label medication use, particularly among older adults. We, therefore, investigated the association between psychotropic prescriptions with non-registered indications in DNPR and the 1-year all-cause mortality in older adults, including subgroups with any psychiatric disorders, depression, or dementia.
Childhood Peer Relationships and Dementia Risk in Chinese Older Adults: A Mediation Analysis
Zhou Z and Zhao H
Early-life social experiences significantly influence later-life health, yet the association between childhood peer relationships and dementia, as well as the underlying mechanisms, remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate this association and the mediating roles of social disengagement and loneliness.
Balancing Duty, Stigma, and Caregiving Needs of People With Neurodevelopmental or Neurocognitive Disorders During a Public Health Emergency in South Asia: A Qualitative Study of Carer Experiences
Tjin A, Goodwin A, Troy C, Yeo S, Saha S, O'Sullivan R, Leroi I, Chen Y and
Individuals with neurodevelopmental and/or neurocognitive disorders (NNDs) have complex, long-term care needs. In Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan, informal carers shoulder the responsibility and strain of providing care for people with NNDs. Intense care demand, societal and cultural care expectations, and lack of support infrastructure often lead to psychosocial strain in this inadequately researched community, particularly during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This study explored and identified specific features of the coping styles exhibited by informal carers of people with NNDs from Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Impact of Neuropsychological Assessment on Subjective Memory Complaints in Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment
Anjos R, Madruga N, Cardoso S, Schmand B, Guerreiro M, de Mendonça A and Ribeiro F
Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD), namely at an initial stage like amnestic cognitive impairment (aMCI), typically present with memory complaints. They also have difficulties regarding self-knowledge about their cognitive deficits. In clinical practice, a formal neuropsychological assessment is often done. The present study aimed to understand whether patients with aMCI retain the ability to monitor the success or failure in their performance during the neuropsychological assessment and adjust the report of memory complaints accordingly, as compared to healthy controls.
Association Between Organizational Context and Resident Pain in Assisted Living: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
Hoben M, Shrestha S, Dampf H, Hogan DB, McGrail K, Knopp-Sihota J and Maxwell CJ
Resident pain has been a common quality challenge in congregate care for older adults, and organizational context may explain variations in resident pain beyond resident-level factors. Most studies have focused on nursing homes (NHs), largely neglecting assisted living (AL). AL residents are at similar risk for pain as NH resident, but with AL providing fewer services and staffing resources. Our objective was to examine whether organizational context in AL was associated with resident pain during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.
ApoE Gene Polymorphism and Clinical, Biochemical, and Sociodemographic Characteristics of Alzheimer's Disease Patients From Northern and Southern Regions of Kazakhstan
Zholdasbekova G, Kaiyrlykyzy A, Kassenova A, Alzhanova D, Klyuev D and Askarova S
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most frequent cause of dementia in seniors and is also one of the critical social issues of modern healthcare. Since AD is considered a multifactorial disease, the significance of particular risk factors in different ethnic populations is constantly reevaluated.
Comparative Post-Marketing Surveillance of Memantine and Cholinesterase Inhibitors: Cardiovascular Adverse Events With a Focus on Sex Differences Using the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System Database
Aksoyalp ZŞ and Nemutlu-Samur D
The aim of this study was to conduct a comparative analysis of the proportion of cardiovascular adverse events (AEs) associated with the utilization of memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors and to highlight the potential impact of sex differences in these AEs.
Exploring the Neural Mechanisms of Mirrored-Self Misidentification in Alzheimer's Disease
Sun Z, Chen G, Gan J, Tang Y, Wu H, Shi Z, Yi T, Yang Y, Liu S and Ji Y
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex neurodegenerative condition that causes a range of cognitive disturbances, including mirror-self misidentification syndrome (MSM), in which patients cannot recognize themselves in a mirror. However, the mechanism of action of MSM is not precisely known. This study aimed to explore the possible neural mechanisms of action of MSM in AD using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI).
Mild Behavioral Impairment and Quality of Life in Community Dwelling Older Adults
Warring I, Guan D, Ballard C, Creese B, Corbett A, Pickering E, Roach P, Smith EE and Ismail Z
Mild behavioral impairment (MBI) is a dementia risk indicator in older adults characterized by later-life emergent and persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms. Quality of life (QoL) is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being. QoL aims to measure and quantify perceptions of individual health, well-being, standard of living, personal fulfillment, and satisfaction. As MBI symptoms may arise from early-stage neurodegenerative disease, MBI may contribute to declining QoL before dementia onset. In this study, we investigated the relationship between symptoms of MBI and QoL in older adults.
Bidirectional Relationship Between Long Sleep Duration and Cardiac Autonomic Control in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: The Yilan Study, Taiwan
Lin RA, Liao CL, Pan PJ, Hsu NW and Chen HC
Long sleep duration predicts adverse health outcomes in older adults. Impaired cardiac autonomic control (CAC) is a potential pathomechanism that links this relationship; however, the causal relationship between long sleep duration and CAC remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the temporal relationship between long sleep duration and poor CAC.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Suicidal Ideation and Depression in Community-Dwelling Elderly
Kim K, Yoon BH, Sea YH, Park S, Jung H, Jung Y, Song JH, Yun H and Kang H
This study examined the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on depression and suicidal ideation in community-dwelling elderly in Korea.
Projected Annual Lecanemab Treatment Eligibility in an Irish Regional Specialist Memory Clinic
Connolly E, O'Connor A, Dolphin H, Dyer AH, Fallon A, O'Dowd S and Kennelly SP
The advent of Disease Modifying Therapies (DMTs) for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) has the potential to transform the lives of those with early AD. Timely identification of eligible patients is needed to ensure treatments are delivered during a narrow window of therapeutic opportunity. Appropriate clinical service design will hinge on improved understanding of future demands, thus there is a pressing need to investigate patient eligibility in real world clinical cohorts. The primary aim of this study is to assess the eligibility by appropriate use criteria (AUC) for lecanemab therapy in a real-world, undifferentiated clinical patient cohort attending a Regional Specialist Memory Clinic (RSMC), with the secondary aims of determining the proportion of patients with biomarker positive Alzheimer's Disease (AD) who would be eligible for lecanemab therapy by AUC. Clinical trial eligibility criteria were also applied to both groups and discrepancies that exist between eligibility rates explored.
Validation of the Chinese Version of Quality of Life Instrument (QUALIDEM-C) for People With Dementia in Long-Term Care Home
Yuen IYC and Kwok TCY
To validate and examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of QUALIDEM (QUALIDEM-C).
The Mediating Effect of Physical Performance on Physical Activity and Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Older Adults With Type 2 Diabetes in Rural China
Liu X and Cao Y
To investigate the intermediary role of physical performance in the association between physical activity and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in older adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), residing in rural areas.
Evaluating the Regional and Demographic Variations in Dementia-Related Mortality Trends in the United States: 1999 to 2020
Shoaib MM, Hayat MS, Nadeem ZA, Shoaib MM, Sohail S, Mirza AT and Shahid F
Dementia, a term for a range of cognitive impairments impacting memory, thinking, and social abilities, represents a formidable challenge to healthcare systems worldwide. Analysing the temporal trends in dementia-related mortality among individuals, identifying the populations at high risk, and guiding the implementation of tailored interventions to address the escalating effects of dementia on public health.
Suspected Pseudobulbar Affect in Neurodegenerative Disease
O'Connor MK, Frank B, DeCaro R, Vives-Rodriguez A, Hurley L, Turk KW and Budson AE
To investigate the association between suspected pseudobulbar affect (PBA), clinical diagnosis, cognitive testing, and self-reported mood in older adults presenting for evaluation of dementia.
Health Profile Transitions and the Association With Cognitive Impairment in Older Nursing Home Residents With Suicidal Ideation
Yuan Y, Barooah A, Lapane KL, Mack D, Rothschild AJ and Ulbricht CM
In older U.S. nursing home residents with suicidal ideation (SI), limited studies have longitudinally investigated their health changes as related to cognitive function. This study aimed to identify the health profiles and the transitions between profiles at admission and 90-days and examine the associations with cognitive impairment.
A Systematic Review on the Evidence of Misdiagnosis in Dementia and Its Impact on Accessing Dementia Care
Giebel C, Silva-Ribeiro W, Watson J, Volkmer A, Chirico I, Diaz A, Heath B, Hanna K and Talbot C
Whilst there is a drive to increase diagnosis rates in dementia, there is a lack of attention on getting a correct and timely subtype diagnosis. For people with a rarer subtype of dementia, getting the correct diagnosis, and subsequent care, might be more difficult than for people aged 65+ presenting with the more common symptoms of Alzheimer's disease dementia. Thus, the aim of this mixed-method systematic review was to synthesise the evidence base on misdiagnosis of dementia.
Paid Employment and Mental Health in 65-74-Year-Olds: Analysis of National Data From 2000, 2007 and 2014
Perera G, Glaser K, Di Gessa G and Stewart R
Employment rates for people aged 65 and over have been changing rapidly in many countries, but little is known about associations of employment status with mental health status and their stability over time. We therefore investigated mental health associations with employment status in 65-74-year-olds in three national samples.
Characteristics of and Risk Factors for Depressive Symptoms Preceding Dementia: A Study of 82-Year-Old Men From the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men
Kallström A, Giedraitis V, Franzon K, Löwenmark M, Kilander L and Boström G
Depression and dementia are known to be associated. The identification of characteristics distinguishing depression prodromal to dementia from other depressive symptoms would be of value for early identification of dementia. The study of risk factors for depressive symptoms prodromal to dementia could improve preventive care and provide clues to the causes of dementia.
A Role-Needs Framework: Rethinking Support for Informal Caregivers for Alzheimer's Across the Global South and Global North
Knight F, Ridge D, Loveday C, Weidner W, Roeser J, Halton C and Cartwright T
Caregivers play an essential role in supporting people with Alzheimer's disease globally. User-informed research is vital to developing trans-cultural guidelines for dementia support organisations. While coping strategies of caregivers are well researched, the 'coping-effectiveness' framework falls short of representing all caregiver needs. Our aim was to develop a robust and inclusive, globally applicable framework of caregiver-informed support needs.
Survival After the Diagnosis of Mild-to-Moderate Alzheimer's Disease Dementia: A 15-Year National Cohort Study in Taiwan
Sun Y, Liu CC, Li CY and Chiu MJ
Pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions are mostly designed for patients with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. Long-term case management and planning for the remainder of life with disability require an estimation of the survival duration.
The Relationship Between Anxiety, Depression and Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Analysis of Wave 1 Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 Data
Sweetman J, Stirland LE, Kanaan M, Corley J, Redmond P, Deary IJ, Cox SR, Russ TC and van der Feltz-Cornelis C
To explore the strength of the association between cognitive functioning and depression and anxiety in older people without dementia.
Young Onset Dementia in New South Wales, Australia in 1891: What has Changed Since Then?
Draper BM and Loi S
This study aimed to determine the prevalence and types of young onset dementia (YOD) in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, in 1891 with comparisons to 21st century estimates. Changes might inform future service planning for persons with YOD.