The Sweet 16 to clinicians' diagnoses of cognitive impairment
(16 representing the best score)
Please Help Support Alzheimer's Research Today!
Your Alzheimer's donation will help billions live without it.
A new cognitive assessment tool with 16 items appears potentially useful for identifying problems in thinking, learning and memory among older adults, according to a report posted online today that will be published in the March 14 print issue ofArchives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archivesjournals.
An estimated 3.4 million older adults in the United States have dementia, and an additional 5.4 million have milder forms of cognitive impairment, according to background information in the article. "For many older adults, cognitive impairment contributes to loss of independence, decreased quality of life and increased health care costs," the authors write. "While the public health impact of cognitive impairment is clear, this condition is often under-recognized. A simple, rapid cognitive assessment instrument is therefore a valuable tool for use in both clinical and research settings."
An estimated 3.4 million older adults in the United States have dementia, and an additional 5.4 million have milder forms of cognitive impairment, according to background information in the article. "For many older adults, cognitive impairment contributes to loss of independence, decreased quality of life and increased health care costs," the authors write. "While the public health impact of cognitive impairment is clear, this condition is often under-recognized. A simple, rapid cognitive assessment instrument is therefore a valuable tool for use in both clinical and research settings."
The most widely known and used measure of cognitive impairment is the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); however, scores on this assessment may be influenced by education level, and the copyright limits its widespread availability. Tamara G. Fong, M.D., Ph.D., of Hebrew SeniorLife, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues developed a new instrument called the Sweet 16 to rapidly assess cognitive status in older adults. To develop the questions, the researchers used information from a group of 774 patients who completed the MMSE as part of a screening process for a large randomized trial of a method to decrease delirium. They then validated their results among 709 participants in another study that also used two different dementia and cognitive decline rating scales. Read more: medicalnewstoday.com
TODAY'S PHOTO
High alpha carotene levels linked to longer life
High alpha carotene levels linked to longer life
High blood levels of the carotenoid alpha-carotene may reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and all other causes by up to 39 percent, suggest results from a 14 year study. Read more: nutraingredients.com
No comments:
Post a Comment