Interviewed 88 family caregivers concerning experience with medical care of demented relatives. Most caregivers expressed overall satisfaction with services. Greatest dissatisfaction was expressed in regard to receiving insufficient information about dementia; fewest concerns were expressed about inappropriate physician control. Families reported…

Longitudinal 2-year study compared self and family members' reports of physical and functional health among 40 Alzheimer's disease patients and 53 age-matched nondemented healthy older persons. Functional health was consistently rated as more impaired by family caregivers of demented patients than by patients themselves, discrepancy not seen in…

Two studies are discussed. The first tested the effect of intervening material on the processing of subject-verb number agreement in Alzheimer's Disease patients and in normal elderly adults. The second examined the effect of intervening material on the processing of pronoun-antecedent number agreement in the same patients. (Author/VWL)

Cholinesterase inhibitors positively affect cognition in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other conditions, but no controlled functional MRI studies have examined where their effects occur in the brain. We examined the effects of donepezil hydrochloride (Aricept[Registered sign]) on cognition and brain activity in patients with amnestic mild cognitive…

Describes assessment technique used by interdisciplinary staff on coed Alzheimer's disease unit to help determine patients' competencies to participate in intimate relationships. Two case studies are presented to highlight how assessment led to treatment decisions. (Author/NB)

Conducted study on Alzheimer's unit to test seven different visual barrier conditions for reducing patient exits. Findings indicated that exiting was eliminated under two conditions. Results suggest visual agnosia, the inability to interpret what the eye sees, may be used as tool in managing wandering behavior of Alzheimer's patients. (Author/NB)

Interviewed 50 older women who were caring at home for a husband suffering from dementia. Examined patient's illness, marital relationship, cognitive age and a variety of socio-demographic variables. Tested hypothesis that it is important for wives to care for sick husbands to maintain their own sense of well-being. (Author/BHK)

Asked 30 families who cared for family member with Alzheimer's disease to provide narratives of daily care over 18 months. Found that different family members experienced their relationship with Alzheimer's disease patient to be continuous, continuous but transformed, or radically discontinuous with their relationship prior to the disease.…

Reports the results of a consensus meeting convened to provide guidelines for clinicians and make recommendations for researchers regarding disruptive vocalization (DV). Suggests that DV arises largely in persons with cognitive impairment and generally reflects an underlying need or discomfort. Managing DV involves appropriate identification of…

Reports on a multisensory intervention that combined art, music, and movement within a long-term care setting for Alzheimer's patients. Details the benefits derived by some of the participants who attended the sessions regularly. Many were able to retrieve memories, enjoy socialization, and have the opportunity for affective expression. (RJM)

Explores the reasons that dementia is poorly understood and managed and suggests ways in which obstacles to optimal management of dementia can be overcome through research and through development of evidence-based services. (Author/JOW)

Six older adults with probable Alzheimers disease (AD) were trained to recall a name-face association using the spaced-retrieval method. We administered six training sessions over a 2-week period. On each trial, participants selected a target photograph and stated the target name, from eight other photographs, at increasingly longer retention…

An association between weight loss and Alzheimer's disease has been established in the general population but little information is available regarding this association in people with intellectual disabilities. A 4-year longitudinal study of adults with Down syndrome with and without Alzheimer's disease was undertaken. Age-associated weight loss…

Most studies of vision in persons with Alzheimer's disease either exclude those with advanced dementia or are unable to assess their vision adequately, and therefore, improperly report these persons' visual acuity status. In this study, visual acuity was assessed using the ETDRS Snellen-type acuity chart and Teller Acuity Cards. The Teller Acuity…

Background: Numerous studies have documented that persons with Downs syndrome (DS) are at an increased risk of Alzheimers disease (AD). However, at present it is still not clear whether or not all persons with DS will develop dementia as they reach old age. Methods: We studied 506 people with DS, aged 45 years and above. A standardized assessment…