Apathy is a symptom shared among many neurological and psychiatric disorders. However, the underlying neurocircuitry remains incompletely understood. Apathy is one of the core features of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), a neurodegenerative disease presenting with heterogeneous combinations of socioaffective symptoms and executive dysfunction. . To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Open access. There is growing evidence for the role of systemic inflammation in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative diseases; however the systemic inflammatory profile in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has never before been investigated. This study aimed to characterise systemic inflammatory mediators in established DLB and AD, as well as in their prodromal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) phases.
This study explored the feasibility of using Construal Level Theory to analyse proxy decision maker thinking about a hypothetical ethical dilemma, relating to a person who has dementia.. To read the full article, log in using your SSSFT NHS OpenAthens details. SSOTP - You can request a copy of this article by replying to this email. Please ensure you are clear which article you are requesting.
At the DSDC we recommend using the term stress and distress, because most changes in behaviour are caused by heightened levels of stress for the person living with dementia. This stress can be caused by any number of things. Until we can identify the cause of the stress it can be difficult to alleviate the individuals stress levels.
Little is known about how care home staff understand and respond to distress in residents living with dementia labelled as agitation. The aim of this study was to describe how care home staff understand and respond to agitation and the factors that determine how it is managed.
Open Access Article
The current work describes the protocol for a meta-integration investigating the positive aspects of providing care to someone living with dementia. We aim to understand the position of positive aspects in the caregiver experience as well as identify how positive aspects are commonly conceptualised, investigated and measured in literature.
Open Access Article
This guideline covers diagnosing and managing dementia (including Alzheimer’s disease). It aims to improve care by making recommendations on training staff and helping carers to support people living with dementia.
The authors of the paper ‘Advance euthanasia directives: a controversial case and its ethical implications’ articulate concerns and reasons with regard to the conduct of euthanasia in persons with dementia based on advance directives. While we agree on the conclusion that there needs to be more attention for such directives in the preparation phase, we disagree with the reasons provided by the authors to support their conclusions. We will outline two concerns with their reasoning by drawing on empirical research and by providing reasons that contradict their assumptions about competence of people with dementia and the (un)importance of happiness in reasoning about advance directives of people with dementia. We will draw attention to the important normative questions that have been overstepped in their paper, and we will outline why further research is required.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Can stereotactically guided gene transfer of nerve growth factor using adeno-associated viral vector (serotype 2) (AAV2-NGF) provide long-standing neurotrophic support to cholinergic neurons in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer disease and prevent decline on cognitive measures as well as standard Alzheimer disease biomarkers?. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
We are in the process of developing a standardised treatment and management plan for people with confusion in hospital. (By confusion we mean people with dementia, delirium, or unspecified cognitive impairment.)
The position statement concludes that:
the evidence base in this area is very limited;
there is no evidence that specific nutrients or food supplements affect the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia;
there is some observational evidence that greater adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern may be associated with reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment and dementia
A look at the progress made since the launch of John’s Campaign for the right of family carers to support people with dementia
It is three years since John’s Campaign launched with the goal of making hospitals and other care settings as welcoming and accessible to family and carers of people with dementia as they are to parents of children.
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Conclusion: AT's effectiveness in decreasing care home admission is inconclusive. However, the AT items and packages tested improved safety through reducing falls risk, accidents and other risky behaviour. DOI: 10.1080/13607863.2018.1455805 Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Open access. Recently the dementia field has shifted focus away from the early diagnosis debate in favour of ‘timely’ diagnosis. ‘Timely’ diagnosis disclosure takes into consideration the preferences and unique circumstances of the individual. Determining when diagnosis disclosure is ‘timely’ may be particularly complex if there are differing views between the individual, their family, and their health care providers regarding disclosure. This study explores the preferences of consumers regarding when a diagnosis of dementia should be communicated.
Free to access. The prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) diminishes the quality of life and increases the care burden in patients with dementia. Despite the clinical importance of dementia‐associated NPS, no protocols for treating NPS are already well established. Attention has turned to the effectiveness of nonpharmacological treatments for NPS since their potential safe alternative to pharmacotherapy.
Open access. One third of older people are estimated to die with dementia, which is a principal cause of death in developed countries. While it is assumed that people die with severe dementia this is not based on evidence. A cohort study was conducted using a large secondary care mental healthcare database in North London.
Open access. Dementia presents a significant challenge to health systems and to the person and family affected. Home care is increasingly seen as a key service in addressing this challenge in a person-centred and cost-effective way. Intensive Home Care Packages (IHCPs) were introduced in Ireland to provide personalised and high levels of support for people with dementia to remain at home or be discharged home from hospital, and to build on the work of the HSE & Genio Dementia Programme. This realist evaluation is concerned with real world questions of feasibility and effectiveness; specifically understanding in what ways IHCPs work, how optimum outcomes are achieved, for whom and in what contexts do IHCPs work best.
Existing models fail to account for the complexity and multidimensionality of new data and the growing scientific understanding of neurodegeneration.
With the acceptance that the disease processes leading to dementia begin at least as early as mid-life, there is now a major drive to understand and model this period of ‘disease before dementia’ for a variety of reasons. First, to gather a better understanding of the interplay between disease and risk or resilience factors that have been identified epidemiologically (eg, what is the mechanism by which exercise protects the brain) is necessary. Second, to develop algorithms for use in clinical practice to forecast changes in brain health that may lead to dementia that will underpin the design of tailored risk modification interventions and ‘personalised prevention plans’. And third, with an improved knowledge of the genesis and sequence of neuropathological changes in the predementia phase, there will be an expansion of and assurance in …..... To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.