Conducted baseline interviews with 642 caregivers of aged Alzheimer's disease patients, then assigned one-half to formal respite care. Over 12 months, families with respite care maintained Alzheimer's patient significantly longer in community than did caregivers without respite. Respite care was ineffective for caregiver burden and mental health,…

Analyzed bereavement adaptation among family caregivers to dementia patients. Bereavement group, as compared with active caregivers, dropped substantially in overload and increased in mastery and guilt. Depression showed curvilinear trend, declining from time of death, rising to preloss levels by end of year. Caregiver stressors, baseline…

Examined violence among 184 Alzheimer patients and their caregivers. Analysis of severe violence subscale of Conflict Tactics Scale indicated that 15.8 percent of patients had been violent in year since diagnosis; 5.4 percent of caregivers had been violent toward patient; and prevalence of violence was 17.4 percent. Variables most associated with…

Conducted longitudinal study of 196 caregiver/care receiver dyads to determine variables predictive of caregiver decision to institutionalize dependent with dementia. Use of services, enjoyment of caregiving, caregiver burden and health, caregiver rating and reaction to care receiver behavior and memory problems, and presence of troublesome…

This report describes the status of 70 adults (ages 22 to 60 at the longitudinal study's beginning) with Down syndrome who are being followed for signs of dementia. After 10 years, 12 met all criteria for dementia, 40 met subsets of criteria, and 18 met no criteria. Information is provided on choice and revision of instruments and dementia…

The utility of the Test for Severe Impairment was studied with 60 older persons who had Down Syndrome. Construct validity, test-retest reliability, and interrater reliability were established for the full study group and for subgroups based on degree of mental retardation and dementia status. Some possible applications and limitations of the test…

We assessed verb fluency vs. noun and letter-based fluency in 199 subjects referred for cognitive complaints including Subjective Cognitive Impairment, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer's disease. ANCOVAs and factor analyses identified verb, noun, and letter-based fluency as distinct tasks. Verb fluency performance in Mild Cognitive…

Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects, healthy elderly, and young adults interpreted a series of novel noun-noun expressions composed of familiar object words. Subjects interpreted each item by selecting one of three possible definitions: a definition in which the referents of each noun were associated together in a particular context (e.g., rabbit…

What do poker and bridge have in common? Both are card games that originated in Europe (although poker's modern form developed in the frontier towns of the American West, while bridge still reflects its British heritage). Both use a regular 52-card playing deck, both involve bidding, and both have experienced renewed popularity in recent years.…

Similar to the state of the broader intellectual disabilities field, many gaps exist in the research and treatment of mental health concerns in people with Down syndrome. This review summarizes key findings on the type and prevalence of behavior and emotional problems in children, adolescents, and adults with Down syndrome. Such findings include…

Describes the demographic features and clinical diagnoses in a sample of 58 demented urban black outpatients. Results indicate that probable Alzheimer's disease was the most common cause of dementia whereas probable vascular dementia was uncommon. A multiple etiology dementia was identified in more than one-third of the patients. (RJM)

Compared caregivers (N=31) in telephone peer support network and caregivers (N=35) listening to telephone informational lectures. Both groups showed increases in information, perceived social support, satisfaction with social supports. Lecture participants showed greater information gain and more frequent emotional support from family and friends;…

Primary caregivers to Alzheimer disease patients (N=60) twice completed Caregiving Hassles Scale and reported on their well-being. Scale provided reliable and psychometrically sound instrument for assessing hassles associated with assistance in basic and instrumental activities of daily living, care-recipient cognitive status and behavior, and…

Conducted longitudinal follow-up to previously published experimental study of effectiveness of group intervention for dementia family caregivers. Found methodological and clinical issues relevant to future studies included issues of differential attrition from treatment, selection of participants,and need for measures appropriate to long-term…

Emotional factors were studied in 30 adults with Down's syndrome, 18 controls with Alzheimer disease, and 25 elderly controls without mental retardation. Primary emotional factors separating Down's syndrome and Alzheimer disease groups from elderly control subjects without mental retardation were indifference, pragnosia, and inappropriateness.…