Cognitive ratings that use bipolar constructs based upon similarity and contrast have been shown to be biased towards the similarity pole in approximately a 62/38 ratio. This bias has also been known to shift in the contrastive direction for individuals who have psychiatric problems. This quantitative measure of cognitive change has a potential for characterizing cognitive changes that occur during the disease process, including recovery from disease. The present study investigated changes in self-aspect ratings and bipolar construct use in adult male veterans who had undergone coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Results indicated that treatment subjects' self-aspect and construct ratings were more negative than controls'. Results also indicated that all subjects rated core interpersonal self-aspects closest to the expected bias, while self-aspects related to cardiac recovery problems were rated in the most contrastive direction. The results finally suggested that the greatest degree of change for the treatment subjects were in emotionally generated constructs. The results suggested a preliminary validation for characterizing cognitive changes in the disease process by measuring shifts in bipolar construct ratings.

Sintomas psicológicos e comportamentais da demência (SPCD) são comuns e associados com pior prognóstico, altos custos no cuidado, aumento de estresse do cuidador e institucionalização precoce. O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar a prevalência de SPCD em uma amostra populacional com 60 anos ou mais da cidade de São Paulo, com diagnóstico de Demência de Alzheimer (DA) e comprometimento cognitivo sem demência (CIND), bem como correlacioná-la com a gravidade dos déficits cognitivos e com estresse do cuidador. De 1560 indivíduos entrevistados, 42 receberam o diagnóstico de DA e 16 de CIND. Um total de 70,5% de indivíduos com DA apresentou um ou mais SPCD. Apatia (56,09% dos indivíduos), depressão (48,78%), alteração do sono (34,14%), e ansiedade (29,26%) foram os sintomas mais prevalentes em DA. Estas alterações foram significativamente mais prevalentes no grupo com DA do que no grupo de controles sadios e com CIND. Embora o grupo com CIND tenha apresentado mais sintomas do que o grupo de controles normais, não houve diferença significativa entre ambos. Alucinação, agitação/agressão, depressão, apatia, comportamento motor aberrante e alterações do sono foram significativamente mais prevalentes nos estágios mais avançados da doença. Os sintomas que mais se correlacionaram com estresse do cuidador foram delírios, agitação/agressão, comportamento motor aberrante e desinibição / Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common and associated with worse prognosis, higher costs of care, increased caregiver burden and earlier nursing home entry. The purpose of this study is to determine BPSD prevalence in Alzheimer Disease (AD) and cognitively impaired not dement (CIND) diagnosis in a community sample with 60 years or over of São Paulo city, and correlate these with intensity of cognitive deficit and caregiver burden. Of the 1560 individual interviewed, 42 had AD and 16 had CIND. An overall of 70,5% of individuals with AD reported one or more BPSD. Apathy (56,09% of individuals), depression (48,78%), sleep alterations (34,14%), and anxiety (29,26%) were the most prevalent disturbances in AD. These disturbances were significantly more prevalent in participants with AD than in those normal and with CIND. Although the CIND group had more symptoms than normal control group, this difference was not significant. Hallucination, agitation/aggression, depression, apathy, aberrant motor behavior and sleep alterations were significantly more common in participants with advanced dementia. The symptoms that highly correlate with caregiver burden were delusion, agitation/aggression, aberrant motor behavior and disinhibition

Sintomas psicológicos e comportamentais da demência (SPCD) são comuns e associados com pior prognóstico, altos custos no cuidado, aumento de estresse do cuidador e institucionalização precoce. O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar a prevalência de SPCD em uma amostra populacional com 60 anos ou mais da cidade de São Paulo, com diagnóstico de Demência de Alzheimer (DA) e comprometimento cognitivo sem demência (CIND), bem como correlacioná-la com a gravidade dos déficits cognitivos e com estresse do cuidador. De 1560 indivíduos entrevistados, 42 receberam o diagnóstico de DA e 16 de CIND. Um total de 70,5% de indivíduos com DA apresentou um ou mais SPCD. Apatia (56,09% dos indivíduos), depressão (48,78%), alteração do sono (34,14%), e ansiedade (29,26%) foram os sintomas mais prevalentes em DA. Estas alterações foram significativamente mais prevalentes no grupo com DA do que no grupo de controles sadios e com CIND. Embora o grupo com CIND tenha apresentado mais sintomas do que o grupo de controles normais, não houve diferença significativa entre ambos. Alucinação, agitação/agressão, depressão, apatia, comportamento motor aberrante e alterações do sono foram significativamente mais prevalentes nos estágios mais avançados da doença. Os sintomas que mais se correlacionaram com estresse do cuidador foram delírios, agitação/agressão, comportamento motor aberrante e desinibição / Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are common and associated with worse prognosis, higher costs of care, increased caregiver burden and earlier nursing home entry. The purpose of this study is to determine BPSD prevalence in Alzheimer Disease (AD) and cognitively impaired not dement (CIND) diagnosis in a community sample with 60 years or over of São Paulo city, and correlate these with intensity of cognitive deficit and caregiver burden. Of the 1560 individual interviewed, 42 had AD and 16 had CIND. An overall of 70,5% of individuals with AD reported one or more BPSD. Apathy (56,09% of individuals), depression (48,78%), sleep alterations (34,14%), and anxiety (29,26%) were the most prevalent disturbances in AD. These disturbances were significantly more prevalent in participants with AD than in those normal and with CIND. Although the CIND group had more symptoms than normal control group, this difference was not significant. Hallucination, agitation/aggression, depression, apathy, aberrant motor behavior and sleep alterations were significantly more common in participants with advanced dementia. The symptoms that highly correlate with caregiver burden were delusion, agitation/aggression, aberrant motor behavior and disinhibition

O efeito da reabilitação neuropsicológica foi verificado em uma amostra de 16 pacientes com diagnóstico de doença de Alzheimer leve e moderado. Após ensaio clínico aberto com rivastigmina por 4 meses, os pacientes foram divididos em três grupos: sessões em grupo, individual e em casa com o cuidador. Os três grupos realizaram o mesmo protocolo de reabilitação, e antes e depois das 22 semanas de tratamento foram avaliados pelos mesmos instrumentos. Os resultados indicaram que as sessões em grupo são mais eficientes para sintomas psiquiátricos; individual para atividades da vida diária; e em casa, dependendo do perfil do paciente e do cuidador, pode ser uma alternativa de tratamento / The effect of a neuropsychological rehabilitation was tested in a sample of 16 patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer disease. After an open trial with rivastigmine for 4 months, they were divided in 3 groups: group sessions, individualized and at home with a caregiver. All 3 groups fulfilled the same rehabilitation protocol, and just before and after the 22 week period of treatment, all patients were evaluated using the same instruments. The results of the study indicated that group session are more effective for psychiatric symptoms, individualized sessions for activities of daily living training and at home training, depending on the patient's and caregiver's profiles, can be an option for treatment of these patients

O efeito da reabilitação neuropsicológica foi verificado em uma amostra de 16 pacientes com diagnóstico de doença de Alzheimer leve e moderado. Após ensaio clínico aberto com rivastigmina por 4 meses, os pacientes foram divididos em três grupos: sessões em grupo, individual e em casa com o cuidador. Os três grupos realizaram o mesmo protocolo de reabilitação, e antes e depois das 22 semanas de tratamento foram avaliados pelos mesmos instrumentos. Os resultados indicaram que as sessões em grupo são mais eficientes para sintomas psiquiátricos; individual para atividades da vida diária; e em casa, dependendo do perfil do paciente e do cuidador, pode ser uma alternativa de tratamento / The effect of a neuropsychological rehabilitation was tested in a sample of 16 patients with mild and moderate Alzheimer disease. After an open trial with rivastigmine for 4 months, they were divided in 3 groups: group sessions, individualized and at home with a caregiver. All 3 groups fulfilled the same rehabilitation protocol, and just before and after the 22 week period of treatment, all patients were evaluated using the same instruments. The results of the study indicated that group session are more effective for psychiatric symptoms, individualized sessions for activities of daily living training and at home training, depending on the patient's and caregiver's profiles, can be an option for treatment of these patients

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Vigs is 'n "sluipende moordenaar "_ Dit toon geen respek vir kultuur, status,ouderdom of geslag nie. Vigs veroorsaak 'n onnnatuurlike dood wat vriende en familie bedreig en vervreem, lank na die dood van die vigsslagoffer. Die navorsingsdoel van hierdie studie was om riglyne daar te stel vir die psigoterapeutiese hantering van die vigslyer en sy gesin. Die navorsing het getoon dat 'n stigma en skuldgevoelens rondom die vigslyer en sy gesin ontstaan het, en dat hulle direk verantwoordelik gehou word vir die siekte bloot omdat hulle betrokke is by mekaar. 'n Vraelys wat aspekte (soos dit uit die literatuurstudie geblyk het) inkorporeer, is opgestel en aan die vigslyer en sy gesin gegee om te voltooi. Van die belangrikste elemente wat na vore gekom het, is die vrees vir die onbekende, die stigma verbonde aan die siekte en die pad wat die siekte loop ten opsigte van naiwiteit en valse gerugte ten opsigte van die siekte. 'n Verdere hoofstuk fokus op die literatuur om die hoofaspekte van die probleem vas le stel, en sodoende riglyne vir 'n terapieprogram daar te stel om die vrese te onderskep en die familie te help om die siekte beter te begryp_ Die doel is om die samelewing te laat begryp dat vigs nie 'n kulturele of "klas" siekte is nie, maar dat dit alle lae van die samelewing kan tref. 'n Afdeling is gewy aan 'n wye verskeidenheid terapeutiese tegnieke wat geimplimenteer kan word tydens hulpverlening aan die vigslyer en sy gesinslede. Verder verskaf hierdie studie ook riglyne om ondersteuning en hulp aan die vigslyer en sy gesin te bied, om sodoende hulle selfkonsep te verbeter. / Aids is a "stalking killer''. It has no respect for culture, breeding, age or sex. It is an unnatural death which offends and alienates many friends and family, even after the victim has died. A questionnaire incorporating important aspects of the cause and effect of aids was compiled and given to the aids sufferers and family to complete. From the responses it was clearly evident that the fears of the unknown, the stigma attached to the victim's close associates and family, was a problem, and the route course of incredible naive and false rumours. A chapter of the research focused on literature to establish what was the major aspects of the problem expressed by the media. Guidelines were provided whereby therapy could address and allay these fears to assist the family to better understand the illness and it's effects. This chapter has in mind to provide the Psychologist with guidelines to provide therapy to both the victim and the family in this regard. This study confirms that the survivors are the actual victims. / Educational studies / M.Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Summaries in Afrikaans and English / Vigs is 'n "sluipende moordenaar "_ Dit toon geen respek vir kultuur, status,ouderdom of geslag nie. Vigs veroorsaak 'n onnnatuurlike dood wat vriende en familie bedreig en vervreem, lank na die dood van die vigsslagoffer. Die navorsingsdoel van hierdie studie was om riglyne daar te stel vir die psigoterapeutiese hantering van die vigslyer en sy gesin. Die navorsing het getoon dat 'n stigma en skuldgevoelens rondom die vigslyer en sy gesin ontstaan het, en dat hulle direk verantwoordelik gehou word vir die siekte bloot omdat hulle betrokke is by mekaar. 'n Vraelys wat aspekte (soos dit uit die literatuurstudie geblyk het) inkorporeer, is opgestel en aan die vigslyer en sy gesin gegee om te voltooi. Van die belangrikste elemente wat na vore gekom het, is die vrees vir die onbekende, die stigma verbonde aan die siekte en die pad wat die siekte loop ten opsigte van naiwiteit en valse gerugte ten opsigte van die siekte. 'n Verdere hoofstuk fokus op die literatuur om die hoofaspekte van die probleem vas le stel, en sodoende riglyne vir 'n terapieprogram daar te stel om die vrese te onderskep en die familie te help om die siekte beter te begryp_ Die doel is om die samelewing te laat begryp dat vigs nie 'n kulturele of "klas" siekte is nie, maar dat dit alle lae van die samelewing kan tref. 'n Afdeling is gewy aan 'n wye verskeidenheid terapeutiese tegnieke wat geimplimenteer kan word tydens hulpverlening aan die vigslyer en sy gesinslede. Verder verskaf hierdie studie ook riglyne om ondersteuning en hulp aan die vigslyer en sy gesin te bied, om sodoende hulle selfkonsep te verbeter. / Aids is a "stalking killer''. It has no respect for culture, breeding, age or sex. It is an unnatural death which offends and alienates many friends and family, even after the victim has died. A questionnaire incorporating important aspects of the cause and effect of aids was compiled and given to the aids sufferers and family to complete. From the responses it was clearly evident that the fears of the unknown, the stigma attached to the victim's close associates and family, was a problem, and the route course of incredible naive and false rumours. A chapter of the research focused on literature to establish what was the major aspects of the problem expressed by the media. Guidelines were provided whereby therapy could address and allay these fears to assist the family to better understand the illness and it's effects. This chapter has in mind to provide the Psychologist with guidelines to provide therapy to both the victim and the family in this regard. This study confirms that the survivors are the actual victims. / Educational studies / M.Ed. (Voorligting)