| 1. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, et al.
(författare)
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Sex differences in the prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia.
- 2009
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Ingår i: International psychogeriatrics. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 21:3, s. 469-475
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: When a person has dementia, non-cognitive behaviors and symptoms might constitute a greater problem than the cognitive decline itself. Male or female sex might be a predisposing factor for certain types of behavior disturbances and symptoms. The aim of the present analysis was to explore the correlation between sex and the prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. METHOD: A total of 3395 people with cognitive impairment (1056 men and 2339 women) were selected from two large cross-sectional surveys of those in geriatric care settings, conducted in 1982 and 2000 in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Symptoms were assessed using the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale (MDDAS), and prevalence was compared using multivariate logistic regression. Drug data were obtained from prescription records. RESULTS: For 17 out of 39 behaviors and symptoms, the prevalence differed significantly between men and women. Men more often exhibited aggressive behavior and regressive behaviors, and women more often exhibited depressive symptoms. There were no sex differences for passiveness and hallucinations. The prevalence of antipsychotic drug use was higher among men (35.5% compared to 28.9%, p < 0.001) and antidepressant drug use higher among women (30.1% compared to 25.6%, p = 0.006). The prevalence of use of anxiolytics, hypnotics and sedatives did not differ. CONCLUSION: There are some differences in the prevalence of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia between men and women. These different symptom profiles might possibly explain some of the differences found in the pharmacological treatment of men and women with a dementia disorder.
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| 2. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, et al.
(författare)
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Poor staff awareness of analgesic treatment jeopardises adequate pain control in the care of older people
- 2006
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Ingår i: Age and Ageing. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0002-0729 .- 1468-2834. ; 35:3, s. 257-261
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: undertreatment of pain is a common problem in geriatric care. The aim of this study was to compare the caring staff 's answers concerning the resident's pain treatment with actual pharmacological pain treatment in a cross-sectional survey of the geriatric care population in the county of Vasterbotten, Sweden. Methods: a cross-sectional study in all geriatric care units in the county of Vasterbotten, Sweden, including 3,724 inhabitants aged 65 years and over. The mean age was 83.3 and the number of cognitively impaired 2,047 (55.0%). Medication data were obtained from prescription records. The member of staff who knew the resident best judged their pain based on observations the preceding week. Results: the reported pain prevalence in the sample was 56.7%. Of those residents reported to suffer from pain, 27.9% received no analgesics as regular medication. In 72.7% of those cases with reported pain and no pharmacological treatment, the staff member who knew the resident best still thought that the resident was receiving treatment for her/his pain. Conclusion: a large proportion of the old people in geriatric care settings suffer from pain, and undertreatment of pain appears to be a significant problem. Even when the resident was not receiving pharmacological treatment for their pain, the assessor, who was expected to know the resident best, still believed in a majority of cases that the resident was receiving treatment. This highlights the need for better communication between the various professional categories involved in geriatric care.
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| 3. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, 1981-
(författare)
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Psychotropic and analgesic drug use among old people : with special focus on people living in institutional geriatric care
- 2008
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Old people in general, and those affected by dementia disorders in particular, are more sensitive to drug side effects than younger people. Despite this, the use of nervous system drugs and analgesics among old people is common, and has increased in recent years.Institutional geriatric care accommodates people who need round-the-clock supervision and care, due to somatic, psychiatric, cognitive or behavioral symptomatology. A majority of those living in institutional geriatric care suffers from dementia disorders.This thesis is based on three different data collections. Two large cross-sectional studies, the AC1982 and AC2000 data collections, including all those living in institutional geriatric care in the county of Västerbotten in May 1982 and 2000 respectively (n=3195 and n=3669) and one study, the GERDA/Umeå 85+ data collection, including a sample of very old people, living at home and in institutions (n=546), in the municipalities of Umeå, Sweden and Vaasa and Mustasaari, Finland, in 2005-2006.The use of psychotropic drugs and analgesics was common among old people living in geriatric care and among very old people in general. A higher proportion of people with dementia received certain nervous system drugs, such as antipsychotic drugs. The use of antipsychotic drugs among people with cognitive impairment living in geriatric care was found to be correlated to several behaviors and symptoms that are not proper indications for antipsychotic drug use, and also factors related more to the staff and the caring situation.Over the course of eighteen years, from 1982 to 2000, there has been a manifold increase in the use of antidepressants, anxiolytics and hypnotics in geriatric care, but the use of antipsychotics had decreased slightly. During the same time, the prevalence of several depressive symptoms decreased significantly, correcting for demographical changes. One analysis of calculated numbers needed to treat, however, indicated poor remission rates, suggesting that even better results might be achievable. The prevalence of depressive symptoms among people with moderate cognitive impairment remained unchanged between 1982 and 2000, despite the fact that about 50% were receiving treatment with antidepressants in 2000. One possible explanation might be that depressive symptoms have different etiologies in different stages of a dementia disorder.Approximately a quarter of the people experiencing pain in geriatric care were not receiving any regular analgesic treatment. One possible reason might be misconceptions among the caring staff regarding whether or not the residents were receiving analgesic treatment. Such misconceptions were found to be common.In conclusion, psychotropic and analgesic drug use among old people in geriatric care, and very old people in general, was found to be common and in many cases possibly inappropriate. The use of antipsychotics among people with dementia deserves particular concern, because of the high risk of severe adverse events and the limited evidence for positive effects. The use of antidepressants, on the other hand, might have contributed to a lower prevalence of depressive symptoms among old people.
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| 4. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, et al.
(författare)
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Changes between 1982 and 2000 in the prevalence of behavioral symptoms and psychotropic drug treatment among old people with cognitive impairment in geriatric care.
- 2009
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Ingår i: International psychogeriatrics. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 21:5, s. 941-948
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: People with a dementia disorder often live in institutional care facilities, particularly when the dementia disorder becomes severe or complicated by various behavioral disturbances. The aim of the present study was to analyze and compare the one-week prevalence of various behavioral symptoms and psychotropic drug treatment among people with cognitive impairment living in institutional care, in two large, comparable samples from 1982 and 2000. METHODS: A comparison was made between two cross-sectional samples, collected in 1982 and 2000 respectively, comprising 3404 participants with cognitive impairment living in geriatric care units in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Behavioral symptoms were measured using the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale (MDDAS) and cognition was measured using Gottfries' cognitive scale. RESULTS: Eight out of 25 behavioral symptoms had become less common, and six more common, after controlling for demographic changes. Regressive behavior, resistance to care and passiveness became less common, while certain aberrant motor behaviors showed an increased prevalence. Antidepressant drug use increased from 6.8% to 43.2%, antipsychotic drug use decreased from 38.0% to 26.2% and anxiolytics, hypnotic and sedative drug use increased from 12.7% to 38.5%. CONCLUSION: One-week prevalence of regressive symptoms and resistance to care had decreased and there were signs of a generally increased activity level among old people with cognitive impairment living in institutional geriatric care in 2000 compared to 1982. These changes may be an effect of the extensive changes in pharmacological treatments and in the organization of institutional geriatric care.
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| 5. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, et al.
(författare)
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Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in relation to level of cognitive impairment.
- 2008
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Ingår i: International psychogeriatrics. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 20:4, s. 777-789
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Many people with dementia exhibit some behavioral or psychological symptoms, e.g. aggressive or aberrant motor behavior, depression or hallucinations, at some time during the course of the disorder. The aim of the present study was to describe the probability of the occurrence of these symptoms of dementia in relation to the level of cognitive impairment.METHODS: 3404 people with cognitive impairment were selected from two large cross-sectional surveys of those in geriatric care settings, conducted in 1982 and 2000 in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Symptoms were assessed using the Multi-Dimensional Dementia Assessment Scale (MDDAS), subsumed with a rotated factor analysis, and investigated in relation to level of cognitive impairment, measured using the Gottfries cognitive scale.RESULTS: The passiveness factor had an almost linear correlation to the level of cognitive impairment (r2 = 0.237). Non-linear correlations, with highest prevalences in middle-stage cognitive impairment, were found for aggressive behavior (r2 = 0.057), wandering behavior (r2 = 0.065), restless behavior (r2 = 0.143), verbally disruptive/attention-seeking behavior (r2 = 0.099), regressive/inappropriate behavior (r2 = 0.058), hallucinatory symptoms (r2 = 0.021) and depressive symptoms (r2 = 0.029).CONCLUSION: The relations between the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia and level of cognitive impairment were non-linear, with higher prevalence rates in the middle stages of dementia, apart from the symptom of passiveness, which increased almost linearly with the severity of cognitive impairment.
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| 6. |
- Lövheim, Hugo, et al.
(författare)
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Relationship between antipsychotic drug use and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in old people with cognitive impairment living in geriatric care.
- 2006
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Ingår i: International psychogeriatrics. - 1041-6102 .- 1741-203X. ; 18:4, s. 713-726
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) commonly occur among cognitively impaired people in geriatric care. BPSD are often managed with antipsychotic drugs, despite the associated serious health risks. The aim of the present study was to discover factors associated with the use of antipsychotics.METHODS: A cross-sectional study in all geriatric care units in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden, which included 2017 residents aged 65 years and over with cognitive impairment (mean age was 83.5 years). Data were collected from prescription records and observations made by care staff of BPSD among residents during the preceding week. A multivariate regression model was constructed to find factors independently associated with antipsychotic drug use.RESULTS: Eleven factors were independently associated with the use of antipsychotics. Aggressive, verbally disruptive and wandering behavior, hallucinatory and depressive symptoms, male sex, living in a group dwelling for people with dementia, imposed mental workload, the ability to rise from a chair, activities of daily living (ADL) dependency and lower age all correlated significantly.CONCLUSIONS: Antipsychotic drug treatment of old people with cognitive impairment in geriatric care is common, and determined not only by the patient's symptoms but also by factors related more closely to the caregiver and the caring situation. These findings raise important questions about the indications for drug treatment in relation to the patient's quality of life.
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