Cognitive and psychosocial sequelae following hypoxic brain injury Abstract in English Hypoxic brain injury leads to neuronal necrosis and to other cerebral changes which may affect psychosocial functioning. Although the pathophysiology of cerebral hypoxia is multifactorial, and it is not possible to reliably describe the unified clinical picture of hypoxia patients, the most commonly described psychosocial consequences of cerebral hypoxia are cognitive impairment, increased anxiety and depressive symptoms. The aim of the present study is to characterize cognitive functioning and psychosocial changes of the patients exposing mild intermittent cerebral hypoxia (=chronic form of hypoxia, model of obstructive sleep apnea diagnosed by neurologist) and patients after severe one-time cerebral hypoxia (=acute form of hypoxia, model of cardiac arrest diagnosed by cardiologist). Regardless of the different etiology of particular hypoxia forms described in the theoretical part of the thesis, both forms may lead to neuronal death. In the experimental part we test a hypothesis comparing healthy individuals to patients with acute or chronic form of hypoxia in cognitive performance or anxiety and depressive symptoms. We document a decreased cognitive performance and higher level of state anxiety in a group of patients...

Background: Parkinson’s disease (PD) is often accompanied by non-motor complications, such as dementia, depression, and psychotic symptoms, which worsen the prognosis and increase the personal and socioeconomic burden of disease. Prevalence estimates of these complications are quite variable and are lacking for the outpatient care sector. Methods: As part of a larger, nationwide, cross-sectional epidemiological study in n=315 neurological outpatient settings in Germany, this paper estimates the frequency of dementia and cognitive impairment in n=873 outpatients meeting the UK Brain Bank criteria for idiopathic PD. Assessments were based on a clinical interview and neuropsychological assessments, including the Hoehn & Yahr rating and Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). Cognitive impairment was assessed by the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE), Clock Drawing Test (CDT) and the Parkinson Neuropsychometric Dementia Assessment (PANDA) and the clinician’s diagnosis of dementia was based on the diagnostic criteria of DSMIV. Results Using standardized cutoff scores, the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the study sample as measured by various methods was 17.5% by MMSE (≤ 24), 41.8% by CDT (≥ 3), 43.6% by PANDA (≤ 14), and 28.6% met the DSM-IV criteria for dementia. All estimates increased with age and PD severity. Gender was an inconsistent contributor while illness duration had no significant impact on cognition. Multiple regression analyses revealed PD severity to be the strongest predictor of dementia risk (OR=4.3; 95 % CI: 2.1–9.1), while neuropsychiatric syndromes had independent, although modest additional contributions (OR=2.5, 95% CI: 1.6–3.8). Conclusion: Estimates of cognitive impairment and dementia in PD patients are largely dependent on the diagnostic measure used. Using established clinical diagnostic standards for dementia the overall rate on routine outpatient neurological care is 28.6%, but using more sensitive neuropsychological measures, rates for cognitive impairment might be up to 2-fold higher. The MMSE revealed strikingly low sensitivity. Neuropsychiatric syndromes, in addition to PD severity and age, have an independent – although modest – additional contribution to patients’ risk for cognitive impairment and dementia.

Introduktion: Vården som operationssjuksköterskan bedriver ska ske i enlighet med etiska riktlinjer och lagar. Kognitiv funktionsnedsättning innebär intellektuell nedsättning där bristande kommunikationsförmåga och förståelse kan föreligga. Studier har visat att etiska dilemman kan uppstå vid omvårdnad av kognitivt funktionsnedsatt patient. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att beskriva operationssjuksköterskors erfarenheter och upplevelser av etiska dilemman vid pre- och intraoperativ vård av patienter med kognitiv funktionsnedsättning. Metod: Konventionell, kvalitativ innehållsanalys (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) med induktiv ansats och semistrukturerade intervjuer (n=10) användes. Strategiskt- och bekvämlighetsurval användes. Resultat: Resultatet gav tre kategorier med totalt sju subkategorier. Operationssjuksköterskorna upplevde svårigheter med att definiera etiska dilemman. Det definierades som situationer där en vårdhandling önskas utföras men patienten inte vill deltaga på grund av begränsad förståelse. Etiska dilemman kunde vara vård under tvång eller avgöra huruvida anhöriga bör närvara. Konklusion: Etiska dilemman var svårt att definiera för operationssjuksköterskor. De upplevde att rädsla hos patienten kan leda till att etiska dilemman uppstår. Operationssjuksköterskorna beskrev åtgärder och arbetssätt för att motverka etiska dilemman, vilket kan användas till förbättringsarbete och vidare forskning. Det är av vikt att ta sig tid och arbeta för att främja autonomin och personcentrera vården och undvika rädsla, därmed motverka etiska dilemman. / Introduction: As a theatre nurse, nursing care should be performed in relation to ethical guidelines and laws. Cognitive impairment implies intellectual impairment where difficulties in communication and understanding may be present. Studies have shown that ethical dilemmas can arise when nursing patients with cognitive impairment. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe the theatre nurses’ experiences of ethical dilemmas in pre- and intraoperative nursing of patients with cognitive impairment. Method: A conventional, qualitative content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) with an inductive approach and semi-structured interviews (n=10) was used. Purposive and convenience sampling methods were used. Results: The results showed three categories with a total of seven subcategories. The theatre nurses experienced difficulties in defining ethical dilemmas. It was defined as situations in which a caring intervention wishes to be conducted, yet the patient refuses to participate due to limited understanding. Forced care or determine whether a patient’s relative should participate could be ethical dilemmas. Conclusion: Ethical dilemmas were difficult for the theatre nurses to define. They experienced that patients’ fear may result in ethical dilemmas. The theatre nurses described working methods to avoid ethical dilemmas, which might be used for improvements within the clinic as well as in further research. It is important to dedicate time to work towards person-centered care and to avoid fear, and accordingly counteract ethical dilemmas.

The present study investigated the criterion-based validity of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Cognitive Capacity Screening Examination (CCSE), and the Neurobehavioral Cognitive Status Examination (NCSE) in a sample of older adults with suspected cognitive impairment. As cognitive screening tests, the MMSE, CCSE, and NCSE should predict performance relative to a more thorough testing procedure. In the present study, performance on the Halstead-Reitan Neuropsychological Test Battery (HRNTB) was employed as the criterion measure. Scores on the General Neuropsychological Deficit Scale (G-NDS), a global performance measure computed from the HRNTB, served as the standard by which to judge the presence of cognitive impairment. The sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of each screening test, as well as how well each screening test correlated with the G-NDS, were investigated. Results of this investigation found that, although the MMSE, CCSE, and NCSE were all significantly correlated with the G-NDS, only the NCSE demonstrated an appropriate balance between high sensitivity and specificity. When a rigorous neuropsychological evaluation was employed as the criterion standard, the NCSE accurately detected the presence of cognitive impairment: in 82% of the cases. The MMSE and CCSE, however, failed to detect cognitive deficits in approximately 80% of the cases. These findings strongly suggest that the MMSE and CCSE may have limited utility in the identification of cognitive impairment in older adults. The heightened sensitivity of the NCSE appears to be the result of several unigue features of the instrument, including a multidimensional scoring system and a graded series of increasingly difficult items within each ability area. Future studies need to examine the utility of the NCSE in other geriatric settings, as well as with more diverse populations suffering from a variety of organic mental syndromes.

Psychosocial working conditions play a significant role for health during working age, as well as in post-retirement life. However, little is known about the impact of work stressors on cognitive and physical impairment assessed in combination. The aim was to study associations between midlife work stressors and physical and cognitive impairment in older age for women and men separately. The data were derived from two Swedish nationally representative surveys. The same participants were followed through three waves at the mean ages of 54, 61, and 81 (n=360). Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess the association between work stressors, and test of cognitive and physical function. Low control and passive jobs were associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment, and cognitive and physical impairment when assessed in combination. These findings were driven by associations found among men. Accumulated low control and passive jobs across midlife were associated with physical impairment in older age among men, but not among women. These results highlight the importance of work stressors for physical and cognitive impairment in older age. Improving psychosocial working conditions in midlife, in particular increasing the level of control among employees, may promote healthy aging.

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Cognitive impairment is considered as essential feature of non-motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). It is a result of underlying pathological processes in the brain of PD patients and it leads to decreased quality of life. In this thesis an analysis of the structure and profile of cognitive impairment is presented with special emphasis on executive functions and memory. We take diagnostic entities developed for the description of PD cognitive spectrum such as mild cognitive impairment (PD-MCI) and dementia (PD-D) as examples of heterogeneity and different severity of cognitive impairment in PD. However, neuropsychological methods in Czech version that would measure these diagnotic units were not adequatly validated. In the experimental part we test a hypothesis, if gait disorder with falls in PD is interconnected with cognitive impairment, and if PD-fallers have more severe cognitive deficit than PD-non-fallers. On the basis of nine validity or normative data studies we show psychometric properties and clinical utility of several basic neuropsychological methods in the Czech population for memory (Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test, California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition, Memory For Intentions Screening Test and Enhanced Cued Recall Test), sustained attention and executive functions...

Neuropsychological aspects of preclinical stages of neurodegenerative diseases are an extensively studied topic in neuropsychological research. Neuropsychological assessment can be helpful for the estimation of conversion risk in individual cases. The focus of neuropsychological research shifted from the evaluation of dementia to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or even to the detection of cognitive change before significant cognitive decline. In the theoretical part is presented a contemporary outline of preclinical stages of neurodegenerative diseases. The construct of MCI is the most studied topic in the prodromal stage of neurodegeneration and this part is dedicated to comprehensive analysis of MCI. The empirical research includes five studies on screening methods of cognitive abilities, memory and verbal fluency tests. We present normative and validity data in older adults and show their detection potential in MCI or preclinical stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, we tried to show the detection potential of different memory measures in patients with MCI and estimate the relations between hippocampal atrophy and memory performance. Key words mild cognitive impairment, dementia syndrome, Alzheimer's Disease, neuropsychological assessment, diagnostic procedures

Gait and balance disorders and the resulting falls are a substantial part of Parkinson's disease (PD) and other movement disorders. Especially in the late stage of PD more than 80 % of the patients fall. History of falls remains the best predictor of falls nonetheless, but it can not be used in falls prevention. Dopaminergic pharmacotherapy improves postural stability and gait in PD only in the early stage and the dopaminergic responsiveness of these symptoms decreases significantly during the disease progression. The impact of this medication on future falls risk remains still unclear. The connection between balance and gait disorders and cognitive impairment in PD is also not fully understood. The current state of knowledge about gait and balance disorders and cognitive impairment in PD is not satisfactory. Therefore the aims of the experimental part of this thesis were prospective monitoring of risk factors and predictors of falls, observation of the impact of dopaminergic medication on future falls risk and verifying the relationship between gait and balance disorders and cognitive impairment in PD. The fourth aim of the thesis was to specify the type and severity of gait and balance disorders in patients with essential tremor (ET). Although ET is one of the most common neurological disorders,...

BackgroundApplied health technology is a research field that ties together several disciplines to improve and preserve the health and quality of life of individuals and society. Helping especially elderly to meet the above goals is an important and necessary task and assistive technology and collection of health data are part of this work. AimsPaper I aims to investigate whether the use of a powered toothbrush could maintain oral health in a group of individuals with MCI and if changes in oral health affect various aspects of quality of life. Paper II and III aims to examine the capacity of a powered toothbrush as a carrier and mediator of health-related data. MethodsFor papers I and II, the participants were recruited from the Swedish site of the multicenter project Support Monitoring And Reminder Technology for Mild Dementia and for paper III from the Department of Health at Blekinge Institute of Technology. In all three papers, a powered toothbrush has been used as a tool, sensor carrier and transmitter of data. For Quality-of-life assessment two instruments are used, The QoL-AD and OHIP 14. ResultsBy introducing an intelligent powered toothbrush in the group of older individuals with mild cognitive impairment we have showed that they, regardless of cognitive level,improved their scores for plaque index, bleeding index and deepened periodontal pockets ≥ 4mm, over 12 months. The quality-of-life instrument related to oral health improved in parallel with the improvement in oral health. Furthermore, it is possible to use the intelligent powered toothbrush both as a carrier for healt related sensors and to transfer user data via Bluetooth technology to a single-core processor that stores or forwards the data via Wifi to an external computer for processing, analysis and storage. A fesibility study regarding temperature sensor for measuring body temperature during toothbrushing have been evaluated and found to be comparable to traditional oral temperature measurement.   ConclusionsAn intelligent powered toothbrush is a well-functioning tool for maintaining oral health in older people with mild cognitive impairment as well as for collecting and transferring brush and health data to external units for storage and analysis.