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Qualità della vita e demenza: studio empirico longitudinale su un intervento di supporto integrato alle relazioni familiari.
No full textLower lean mass and higher percent fat mass in patients with Alzheimer's disease
No full textIn this study we analyzed body composition in relation to cognitive and functional status, in a cross-sectional sample of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).Seventy individuals (27 men, 78.1 ± 6.5. years; 43 women, 80.4 ± 5.6. years) with mild-moderate stages of AD (clinical dementia ratings 1 and 2) were selected from the Alzheimer Center, SS. Trinità Hospital, ASL 8 of Cagliari (Italy). Cognitive and psycho-functional status was evaluated using mini-mental state examination (MMSE), activities of daily living (ADL) scale, and geriatric depression scale (GDS). Mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) was applied. Anthropometric measurements were taken and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Body composition was assessed by means of specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), using the references for the elderly. In comparison with the reference group, patients with AD showed similar BMI and MNA, but peculiar bioelectrical characteristics: lower phase angles and longer vectors (p. <. 0.05). According to specific BIVA, this bioelectrical pattern is indicative of a reduction of lean tissue mass and an increase of percent fat mass (FM%). A more accentuated lean mass reduction (p < 0.05) was observed in women with worse cognitive status and a FM% increase (p < 0.01) in women with worse functional status. In conclusion, patients with AD had lower lean tissue mass and higher percent fat mass than healthy elderly individuals. In women, this pattern was associated with cognitive and functional decline, as indicated by MMSE and ADL values. Specific BIVA showed to be a suitable technique in the elderly, that could enhance BMI and MNA information in the evaluation of nutritional status
The association between nutritional status and cognitive, depressive and functional conditions in Alzheimer’s disease patients
No full text
Behave-AD-FW Behavioral Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease Rating Scale: studio di attendibilità della versione italiana della scala
No full textContext: The new Behave-AD-FW is an instrument, appositively designed to access potentially remediable symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease patients, it also evaluates the outcome of pharmacological and non pharmacological treatments. It consists of 25 items grouped into 7 categories. Each symptom is scored on severity and on its frequency on four-point scales. The instrument is administered to a well informed caregiver and symptoms are referred to the previous two week. Its reliability, construct validity and criterion validity have already
been demonstrated in its original version by Prof. B. Reisberg. Objective: Objective of the present study is to describe the Italian version of the scale and evaluate its reliability. Method: The scale has been administered to 40 caregiver of 40 patients who attended the Alzheimer Center. Different types of dementia were included in the sample of patients. Two clinicians separately and independently rates the responses on the scale in order to evaluate the intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results: ICCs for severity score in the categories had a range between 0.96 to 1.00; ICCs calculated on frequency had a range between 0.98 and 1.00; ICCs for total frequency-weighted score for the seven categories ranged from 0.94. to 0.99 (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Results indicates that Italian version of Behave-AD-FW is a reliable instrument
Somatotype in Alzheimer's disease
No full textBackground: The clinical picture of Alzheimer's disease includes anthropometric and body composition variations. Somatotyping is a practical non-invasive method to assess body type. Objective: The objective of this study was to describe the somatotype of a sample of Alzheimer's patients. Methods: The sample consisted of 55 Alzheimer disease individuals in the mild-moderate stage (17 men, mean age = 76.9 ± 7.2 years; 38 women, mean age = 79.6 ± 6.4 years). The pathological subjects were compared with a control group consisting of 280 healthy individuals (134 men, mean age = 74.2 ± 7.3 years; 146 women, mean age = 74.9 ± 7.4 years). The Heath-Carter somatotype was applied. Results: The Alzheimer patients (mean somatotype: 6.1-5.5-0.8 in men, 7.0-5.3-0.7 in women) are less mesomorphic and more ectomorphic than the controls (mean somatotype: 6.1-6.3-0.6 in men, 7.7-6.3-0.4 in women), the differences being significant in women (mesomorphy, p = 0.000; ectomorphy, p = 0.012). Conclusion: Alzheimer patients show peculiar somatometric characteristics. The somatotype technique could represent a suitable tool for the study and monitoring of physical variations
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