The effect of design of residential homes in creating dependency among confused elderly residents: A study of elderly demented residents and their ability to find their way around homes for the elderly

A study of 13 homes for elderly people examining the effect of the environment on demented residents looked into the complexity of the design from the residents' point of view. Two principal tools were used in this investigation: ‘route diagrams’, which describe a resident's use of the home, and a measure devised to indicate each resident's ability to find her way around the home. These are described and the relationship between them explored. From this the following tentative conclusions are drawn:

• (i) The variables that influence a resident's ability to find her way around differ between group and communally designed homes.
• (ii) It would appear that group homes provide a more favourable design, especially in the case of physically frail demented elderly people.
• (iii) In group homes, the level of lighting is an important aid to a demented person in finding her way around.
• (iv) In communal homes, residents seem most able to find their way around homes that have been adapted from older premises.
• (v) In both types of home, ‘meaningful decision points’ can be seen as aids to a resident finding her way around.

     

社区老年期痴呆患者的随访研究

痴呆是一类高死亡率疾病 ,和心脏病、癌症及中风一起已成为威胁老年健康和生命的主要因素。本研究随访调查原有社区老年期痴呆患者 12 9例十年后的生存状况 ,现将资料报告如下。1　对象和方法1.1　对象1991年长沙市社区流调发现的 12 9例老年期痴呆患者[1] ,其中AD 116例 ,VD 13例。1.2　方法自编调查表 ,包括人口学资料 ,躯体疾病情况等。采用简易智力状态检查 (MMSE)、日常生活能力量表 (ADL)及功能活动调查表 (POD) [2 ] 对存活者进行功能评定。对于死者进一步了解死亡原因。2　结　　果2 .1　AD组和VD组生存时间频度分布病程≤ …     

米氮平与氟西丁治疗老年抑郁症患者的对照研究

目的探讨米氮平治疗老年抑郁症患者的疗效和副反应。方法46例符合CCMD-3抑郁症诊断标准的年龄〉60岁老年抑郁症患者，应用米氮平和氟西丁各23例进行随机对照研究，观察6周，采用汉密顿抑郁量表（HAMD）和副反应量表（TESS）观察患者对治疗的疗效和副反应的变化。结果两种药物疗效相仿，米氮平起效快，副反应少。结论米氮平治疗老年抑郁症患者安全有效，副反应小。     

帕罗西汀合用心理行为干预治疗老年期抑郁症的疗效

目的探讨帕罗西汀合用心理行为治疗对老年期抑郁症的疗效。方法将60例老年期抑郁症随机分成两组，进行为期6周的对照研究，出院后随访1年，分别用心理行为合并帕罗汀治疗（研究组）和帕罗西汀治疗（对照组）；采用汉密尔顿抑郁量表（HAMD）和临床疗效总评量表（CGI—SI）进行评定。结果研究组在治疗6周后HAMD评分（9．32±2．28）较对照组（13.17±3．39）有显著性差异（P〈0．01），研究组CGI—SI较对照组有显著性差异（P〈0．01），1年末随访时HAMD评分研究组（9.19±2．33）较对照组（13．98±4．96）有显著性差异（P〈0.01）。且研究组复发率低于对照组（P〈0.05）。结论帕罗西汀合用心理行为治疗对老年期抑郁症的疗效优于帕罗西汀，且复发率低。     

归因训练对老年性抑郁症康复的疗效观察

目的探讨归因训练对老年性抑郁症的增效作用。方法将老年抑郁症患者58例，随机分为归因训练合并西酞普兰组（研究组）和单纯西酞普兰组（对照组），进行对照研究，采用汉密顿抑郁量表（HAMD）和临床疗效总评量表（CGISI）于治疗前及治疗后6周末、半年末，进行评分比较。结果治疗6周末研究组同对照组评分比较有显著性差异（P〈0．01）。治疗半年末，研究组和治疗6周末同组比较有显著性差异（P〈0．01），而对照组无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。两组半年未复发率比较有显著性差异（X^2=6．44，P〈0．05）。结论归因训练能提高老年性抑郁症的近期和远期疗效，降低复发率。     

Aβ40 is a major form of β-amyloid in nonhuman primates

Because aged nonhuman primates show β-amyloid (Aβ) deposition in senile plaques and blood vessels similar to that seen in human aging and AD, we used C-terminal specific antibodies to Aβ₄₀ and Aβ₄₂ to investigate Aβ peptide length in the brains of 11 aged rhesus monkeys and a 59-year-old chimpanzee. In contrast to AD, where the earliest and most prominent form of Aβ in senile plaques is Aβ₄₂, in the monkey, Aβ₄₀-positive plaques predominated. The ratio of Aβ₄₎: Aβ₄₂-positive plaques averaged 2.08 in the monkey, as compared to a mean ratio of 0.37 in 68 human AD subjects (p < 0.001). Aβ₄₀ was also more prominent in the chimpanzee than in humans. Possible explanations for these findings include species differences in the cleavage of Aβ from the amyloid precursor protein or in the activity of a putative carboxy peptidase forming Aβ₄₀ from Aβ₄₂ in situ.     

杜仲对D-半乳糖所致衰老小鼠睾丸的形态学研究

目的 本实验以D－半乳糖所致衰老小鼠为研究对象，研究了杜仲的抗衰老作用。方法 应用光镜电镜技术观察小鼠睾丸的重量、生精小管直径、生精上皮细胞数、间质细胞数的随龄变化，同时观察了杜仲对上述指标的影响。结果 1、随增龄，睾丸重量减轻，生精小管直径缩小。衰老时生精细胞缺如，仅剩支持细胞或见散在分布，间质细胞随龄递减。2、杜仲具有一定的抗衰老作用，使生精过程活跃，生精细胞增多，间质细胞增多不明显，生精小管直径改变不显著。结论 杜仲具有一定的抗衰老作用。     

Abnormal distribution of cathepsins in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease

Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded hippocampal sections of brains with early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's disease were studied immunohistochemically with antisera against cathepsin D and cathepsin B. In addition to the staining of neuronal perikarya, some of the senile plaques visualized by Bielshowsky silver staining and some of reactive astrocytes were positively stained with the antisera against cathepsin D and cathepsin B in brains with Alzheimer's disease. Abnormal localization of cathepsin D and cathepsin B immunoreactivity in neuronal perikarya was observed in brains with early-onset Alzheimer's disease. These findings demonstrate that the distribution of lysosomal proteases was altered in brains with Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the primary and/or secondary involvement of the lysosomal proteases in the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease.     

老年腔隙性脑梗死患者抑郁情绪及影响因素的研究

脑梗死后抑郁状态是脑卒中常见的并发症之一 ,其发生率为 2 3%～ 6 5 % [1] 。脑梗死后抑郁不仅严重影响患者的生活质量 ,而且可直接影响其康复和预后。随着医学影像学的发展 ,腔隙性脑梗死(Ｌａｃｕｎａｒｃｅｒｅｂｒａｌｉｎｆａｒｃｔｉｏｎ ,ＬＩ)的诊断率逐渐增高。为探讨老年ＬＩ患者抑郁的临床特点 ,我们收集老年ＬＩ病人 12 6例 ,对其抑郁的特点、抑郁症状与ＬＩ的关系及影响因素进行了研究 ,现报告如下。1　资料与方法1.1　研究对象为 1998年 1月至 2 0 0 0年 12月在本院及济宁市一院精神科住院的ＬＩ病人 12 6例 ,年龄 6 0～ 82…     

心达康对老年高血压病人血清一氧化氮的影响

目的：观察老年高血压一氧化氮（NO）的水平变化及心达康对其的影响。方法：应用比色法测定52例老年高血压病人和30例正常人的血清（NO）水平,其中20例在应用心达康,26例用非洛地平治疗2－4周后,复查血清（NO）水平。结果：老年高血压病人血清（NO）水平较对照组明显降低（P＜0．01）,Ⅱ-Ⅲ级病人明显低于I级病人（P＜0．01）,经心达康治疗后血清NO水平明显升高（P＜0．01）,非洛地平治疗后血清NO无明显变化（P＞0．05）。结论：老年高血压病人体内（NO）水平显降低,且随病情加重而更为显。心达康治疗后（NO）水平明显升高。