| 1. |
- Kadir, Ahmadul, et al.
(author)
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Effect of phenserine treatment on brain functional activity and amyloid in Alzheimer's disease.
- 2008
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In: Annals of neurology. - : Wiley. - 1531-8249 .- 0364-5134. ; 63:5, s. 621-31
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The effects of (-)-phenserine (phenserine) and placebo/donepezil treatment on regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (rCMRglc) and brain amyloid load were investigated by positron emission tomography in 20 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease in relation to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma biomarkers, and cognitive function. METHODS: The first 3 months of the study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase, during which 10 patients received phenserine (30 mg/day) and 10 patients the placebo. Three to 6 months was an open-label extension phase, during which the placebo group received donepezil (5 mg/day) and the phenserine group remained on phenserine. After 6 months, all patients received phenserine treatment up to 12 months. The patients underwent positron emission tomography examinations to measure rCMRglc (8F-FDG) and amyloid load (11C-PIB) at baseline and after 3 and 6 months of the treatment. Neuropsychological and biomarker data were collected at the three times of positron emission tomography imaging. RESULTS: Statistically significant effects on a composite neuropsychological test score were observed in the phenserine-treated group compared with the placebo and donepezil group at 3 and 6 months, respectively. Values of rCMRglc were significantly increased in several cortical regions after 3 months of phenserine treatment, compared with baseline, and correlated positively with cognitive function and CSF beta-amyloid 40 (Abeta40). Cortical Pittsburgh Compound B retention correlated negatively with CSF Abeta40 levels and the ratio Abeta/beta-secretase-cleaved amyloid precursor protein. In CSF, Abeta40 correlated positively with the attention domain of cognition. INTERPRETATION: Phenserine treatment was associated with an improvement in cognition and an increase in rCMRglc.
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| 2. |
- Arnetz, Judith E., et al.
(author)
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Development and evaluation of a questionnaire for measuring patient views of involvement in myocardial infarction care
- 2008
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In: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 1474-5151 .- 1873-1953. ; 7:3, s. 229-238
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Patients' involvement in their healthcare has been associated with improved treatment outcomes in chronic illness. Less is known about the affects of patient involvement on the outcomes of acute illness, such as myocardial infarction. A better understanding of patients' views and behaviour during hospitalization might improve clinical practice and enhance patient involvement. AIM The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire for measuring patients' perceptions of their involvement during hospitalization for myocardial infarction care. METHODS Focus groups with myocardial infarction patients provided the basis for the construction of the questionnaire. Questionnaire validity and reliability were evaluated in a small pilot study and a larger cross-sectional study among myocardial infarction patients at eleven Swedish hospitals. RESULTS The questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability, with six factors measuring patient views and behaviour regarding involvement. CONCLUSION The questionnaire appears to be a useful tool for evaluating the perceptions and behaviour of patients regarding patient involvement in myocardial infarction care. Use of this questionnaire may provide insight regarding areas of patient-staff interaction that need improvement. Pinpointing such areas may lead to improved patient involvement, satisfaction with care, and treatment outcomes.
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| 3. |
- Arnetz, Judith E., et al.
(author)
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Staff views and behaviour regarding patient involvement in myocardial infarction care : development and evaluation of a questionnaire
- 2008
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In: European Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing. - : Elsevier. - 1474-5151 .- 1873-1953. ; 7:1, s. 27-35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND Healthcare legislation in several nations now dictates the responsibility of health care professionals to involve patients in decisions concerning care and treatment. However, few studies have examined the impact of patient involvement on the work of health care professionals. A better understanding of staff views and behaviour might enhance patient involvement. AIM The aim of this study was to develop and validate a questionnaire for measuring views and behaviour regarding patient involvement among physicians and nursing staff caring for patients with myocardial infarction. METHODS Focus groups among cardiology staff provided the basis for the construction of the questionnaire. Questionnaire validity and reliability were evaluated in a small pilot study and a larger cross-sectional study among cardiology staff at twelve Swedish hospitals. RESULTS The questionnaire demonstrated good validity and reliability, with two factors measuring staff views and four measuring behaviour. CONCLUSION The questionnaire appears to be a useful tool for evaluating the perceptions and behaviour of physicians and nursing staff regarding patient involvement in myocardial infarction care. Use of this questionnaire may provide insight regarding areas of staff-patient interaction that need improvement, as well as implications of patient involvement for the work of each professional group on cardiology wards.
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| 4. |
- Belin, Andrea Carmine, et al.
(author)
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Association study of two genetic variants in mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
- 2007
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In: Neuroscience letters. - : Elsevier BV. - 0304-3940. ; 420:3, s. 257-62
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction has been implicated in Alzheimer's (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). Mitochondrial transcription factor A (TFAM) is needed for mtDNA maintenance, regulating mtDNA copy number and is absolutely required for transcriptional initiation at mtDNA promoters. Two genetic variants in TFAM have been reported to be associated with AD in a Caucasian case-control material collected from Germany, Switzerland and Italy. One of these variants was reported to show a tendency for association with AD in a pooled Scottish and Swedish case-control material and the other variant was reported to be associated with AD in a recent meta-analysis. We investigated these two genetic variants, rs1937 and rs2306604, in an AD and a PD case-control material, both from Sweden and found significant genotypic as well as allelic association to marker rs2306604 in the AD case-control material (P=0.05 and P=0.03, respectively), where the A-allele appears to increase risk for developing AD. No association was observed for marker rs1937. We did not find any association in the PD case-control material for either of the two markers. The distribution of the two-locus haplotype frequencies (based on rs1937 and rs2306604) did not differ significantly between affected individuals and controls in the two sample sets. However, the global P-value for haplotypic association testing indicated borderline association in the AD sample set. Our data suggests that the rs2306604 A-allele could be a moderate risk factor for AD, which is supported by the recent meta-analysis.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Edvardsson, David, et al.
(author)
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Person-centred care of people with severe Alzheimer's disease : current status and ways forward
- 2008
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In: Lancet Neurology. - New York : Elsevier. - 1474-4422 .- 1474-4465. ; 7:4, s. 362-367
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- When caring for people with severe Alzheimer's disease (AD), the concept of the person being central is increasingly advocated in clinical practice and academia as an approach to deliver high-quality care. The aim of person-centred care, which emanates from phenomological perspectives on AD, is to acknowledge the personhood of people with AD in all aspects of their care. It generally includes the recognition that the personality of the person with AD is increasingly concealed rather than lost; personalisation of the person's care and their environment; offering shared decision-making; interpretation of behaviour from the viewpoint of the person; and prioritising the relationship as much as the care tasks. However, questions remain about how to provide, measure, and explore clinical outcomes of person-centred care. In this Review, we summarise the current knowledge about person-centred care for people with severe AD and highlight the areas in need of further research.
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| 7. |
- Fonad, Edit, et al.
(author)
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Falls and fall risk among nursing home residents
- 2008
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In: Journal of Clinical Nursing. - Oxford : Wiley. - 0962-1067 .- 1365-2702. ; 17:1, s. 126-134
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Aim and objectives. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for falls in older people living in nursing homes. Background. Impaired cognitive function and a poor sense of orientation could lead to an increase in falls among those with impaired freedom of movement. Many accidents occur while an older person is walking or being moved. Method. The study was carried out over four years (2000-2003) and 21 nursing home units in five municipal homes for older people in Stockholm, Sweden, participated. A questionnaire was sent to staff nurses, including questions on fall risk assessments, falls, fractures, medication and freedom-restricting measures, such as wheelchairs with belts and bed rails. The data were aggregated and not patient-bound. The study covered 2343 reported incidents. Results. There was a significant correlation between falls and fractures (r = 0.365, p = 0.004), fall risk and use of wheelchairs (r = 0.406, p = 0.001, safety belts (r = 0.403, p = 0.001 and bed rails (r = 0.446, p = 0.000) and between the occurrence of fractures and the use of sleeping pills with benzodiazepines (r = 0.352, p = 0.005). Associations were also found between fall risk and the use of anti-depressants (r = 0.412, p = 0.001). Conclusions. In clinical practice, patient safety is very important. Preventative measures should focus on risk factors associated with individuals, including their environment. Wheelchairs with safety belts and bed rails did not eliminate falls but our results support the hypothesis that they might be protective when used selectively with less anti-depressants and sleeping pills, especially benzodiazepines.
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| 8. |
- Fonad, Edit, et al.
(author)
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Falls in somatic and dementia wards at Community Care Units
- 2009
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In: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. - Oxford : Wiley. - 0283-9318 .- 1471-6712. ; 23:1, s. 2-10
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Falls and fall injuries are common problems for patients at nursing homes in Sweden. Impaired cognitive function, a poor sense of orientation and a high intake of medicine, can lead to an increase in falls among older people. The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between falls and: fall risks, fractures, the use of physical restraints and the use of certain medications in somatic and dementia wards, respectively. The study design is ecological, and aggregated data regarding falls, fall risk assessments, fractures, the use of physical restraints and medication were collected between 2000 and 2003. The Pearson correlation analysis and regression analyses were used to investigate associations between fall risks, medication, fractures, wheelchair-bound situations, bed rails and falls. The total number of reported fall incidents was 2651; of these, 737 incidents were registered in dementia wards and 1914 in somatic wards. Dementia wards and somatic wards differed regarding falls and fractures, as it was only in dementia wards that falls were associated with fractures. There was also a significant correlation between falls and assessed risk of falling, the use of certain medication, and physical restraints such as wheelchairs and bed rails in dementia wards. Falls at somatic wards were associated with the use of sleeping pills with benzodiazepines. For dementia wards there were associations between falls and fractures, physical restraints and the use of certain medications. Fractures were associated with the use of neuroleptics, sleeping pills and sleeping pills with benzodiazepines. At somatic wards, falls correlated with the use of sleeping pills with benzodiazepines, and with the use of wheelchairs and bed rails.
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| 9. |
- Fratiglioni, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Prevention of Alzheimer's disease and dementia : Major findings from the Kungsholmen Project
- 2007
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In: Physiology and Behavior. - : Elsevier. - 0031-9384 .- 1873-507X. ; 92:1-2, s. 98-104
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The aging of the population is a worldwide phenomenon, and studying age-related diseases has become a relevant issue from both a scientific and a public health perspective. This review summarises the major findings concerning prevention of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias from a population-based study, the Kungsholmen Project. The study addresses risk- and protective factors for AD and dementia from a lifetime perspective: at birth, during childhood, in adult life, and in old age. Although many aspects of the dementias are still unclear, some risk factors have been identified and interesting hypotheses have been suggested for other putative risk or protective factors. At the moment it is also possible to delineate some preventative strategies for dementia.
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| 10. |
- Frisoni, Giovanni B, et al.
(author)
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The pilot European Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative of the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium.
- 2008
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In: Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association. - : Wiley. - 1552-5279. ; 4:4, s. 255-64
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- BACKGROUND: In North America, the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) has established a platform to track the brain changes of Alzheimer's disease. A pilot study has been carried out in Europe to test the feasibility of the adoption of the ADNI platform (pilot E-ADNI). METHODS: Seven academic sites of the European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (EADC) enrolled 19 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), 22 with AD, and 18 older healthy persons by using the ADNI clinical and neuropsychological battery. ADNI compliant magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood samples were shipped to central repositories. Medial temporal atrophy (MTA) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were assessed by a single rater by using visual rating scales. RESULTS: Recruitment rate was 3.5 subjects per month per site. The cognitive, behavioral, and neuropsychological features of the European subjects were very similar to their U.S. counterparts. Three-dimensional T1-weighted MRI sequences were successfully performed on all subjects, and cerebrospinal fluid samples were obtained from 77%, 68%, and 83% of AD patients, MCI patients, and controls, respectively. Mean MTA score showed a significant increase from controls (left, right: 0.4, 0.3) to MCI patients (0.9, 0.8) to AD patients (2.3, 2.0), whereas mean WMH score did not differ among the three diagnostic groups (between 0.7 and 0.9). The distribution of both MRI markers was comparable to matched US-ADNI subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Academic EADC centers can adopt the ADNI platform to enroll MCI and AD patients and older controls with global cognitive and structural imaging features remarkably similar to those of the US-ADNI.
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