Screening for neurocognitive impairment in HIV-positive adults aged 50 years and older: Montreal Cognitive Assessment relates to self-reported and clinician-rated everyday functioning

As the HIV+ population ages, the risk for and need to screen for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) increases. The aim of this study is to determine the utility and ecological validity of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) among older HIV+ adults. A total of 100 HIV+ older adults aged 50 years or over completed a comprehensive neuromedical and neurocognitive battery, including the MoCA and several everyday functioning measures. The receiver operating characteristic curve indicates ≤26 as the optimal cut-off balancing sensitivity (84.2%) and specificity (55.8%) compared to “gold standard” impairment as measured on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Higher MoCA total scores are significantly (p < .01) associated with better performance in all individual cognitive domains except motor abilities, with the strongest association with executive functions (r = ?0.49, p < .01). Higher MoCA total scores are also significantly (p <.01) associated with fewer instrumental activities of daily living declines (r = ?0.28), fewer everyday cognitive symptoms (r = ?0.25), and better clinician-rated functional status (i.e., Karnofsky scores; r = 0.28); these associations remain when controlling for depressive symptoms. HIV+ individuals who are neurocognitively normal demonstrate medium-to-large effect size differences in their MoCA performance compared to those with asymptomatic neurocognitive impairment (d = 0.85) or syndromic HAND (mild neurocognitive disorder or HIV-associated dementia; d = 0.78), while the latter two categories do not differ. Although limited by less than optimal specificity, the MoCA demonstrates good sensitivity and ecological validity, which lends support to its psychometric integrity as a brief cognitive screening tool among older HIV+ adults.     

Behavioral Ratings of Executive Functioning Explain Instrumental Activities of Daily Living beyond Test Scores in Parkinson’s Disease

Objective: Executive dysfunction is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), yet the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) is inconsistent. This inconsistency may be due to the limited relationship between EF test scores and behaviors. Rating scales provide a potential way to supplement test scores in predicting patient’s ability to complete IADLs by capturing a wide range of EF behaviors in their everyday environment. We hypothesized that informant-rated EF would provide incremental validity in predicting IADLs above and beyond EF test scores. Methods: Eighty-five patients were selected from a clinical neuropsychological database of PD patients evaluated for deep brain stimulation surgery at The Johns Hopkins Hospital between September 2006 and January 2015. Hierarchical regression was completed to determine the relationship between an EF behavioral rating scale (i.e., FrSBe), EF test scores, and IADLs. Results: The EF behavioral rating scale added incremental validity to neuropsychological test scores in predicting IADLs. Conclusions: Behavioral ratings of EF may provide additional information about how PD patients’ EF is influencing their everyday life.     

The effect of having a partner on activities of daily living in men and women aged 82-87 years

Background

Physical functioning is an important determinant of mortality and morbidity in older adults and there may be differences by gender and marital status. This study compared disability, measured by the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), between older men and women who are either partnered or not partnered.

Methods

Participants included 5497 women and 1072 men aged 82–87 years from cross sectional surveys conducted in 2008 (the Health in Men Study and the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health). Ordinal logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between disability and gender by marital status, adjusting for self-reported chronic conditions.

Results

Women reported a higher prevalence of most chronic conditions than men. Unpartnered men had significantly higher odds of reporting difficulty in dressing the lower body and doing heavy housework, and significantly lower odds of reporting difficulty managing money and preparing meals than partnered men. Unpartnered and partnered women had significantly lower odds of reporting difficulty in dressing the lower body, walking inside the house, using the toilet, preparing meals, taking medications, using the telephone and performing leisure activities than partnered men. However, unpartnered and partnered women had significantly higher odds of reporting difficulty with eating, shopping, and doing light or heavy housework than did partnered men.

Conclusions

Differences between partnered and unpartnered older men and women in difficulty with ADLs and IADLs were identified, with women reporting less difficulty overall, regardless of partner status.     

A 12-week open-label pilot study of donepezil for cognitive functioning and instrumental activities of daily living in late-life bipolar disorder

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether donepezil is effective in enhancing cognitive functioning and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) in older adults with bipolar disorder. METHODS: Twelve elderly patients with bipolar I or II disorder, with evidence of mild cognitive decrements, were administered donepezil 5-10 mg daily for 3 months. Participants had cognitive and functional evaluation pre-, on-, and 3-months post donepezil administration. RESULTS: Three subjects dropped out of the study. In the remaining nine subjects, no significant effects were observed in cognitive and functional measures. Seven of the nine participants asked to resume the medication after completion of the study because of the perceived beneficial effects. CONCLUSIONS: In this small pilot study of older adults with bipolar disorder, acute treatment with donepezil was not associated with improvements in cognitive and IADL functioning. Given limitations of the study design, placebo effects could not be ruled out in the subjects who asked to resume donepezil.     

Village characteristics and health of rural Chinese older adults: Examining the CHARLS Pilot Study of a rich and poor province

Community (or village) characteristics have received growing attention as researchers have sought factors affecting health. This study examines the association between a variety of environmental, economic, and social village characteristics and health of Chinese older rural adults with health measured in terms of physical limitations. The Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS) Pilot Study data were used. Older villagers from a low-income province (Gansu) and a relatively wealthy province (Zhejiang) were surveyed between July and September, 2008. The sample included 1267 respondents in 73 villages age 45 and older. The relationship between a variety of village characteristics and physical limitations of older adults was examined using negative binomial regression (NBR) with standard errors adjusted to account for non-independence of respondents in a village. A comparison of means/percentages shows that Gansu and Zhejiang were significantly different on the dependent and most independent variables. The NBR models show that at the personal-level, decreased risk of physical limitations was associated with being male, less than 60 years old, married, higher in education, and higher in household expenditures (proxy for income). At the village-level, decreased risk of limitations was associated with a continuous supply of electricity, not using coal in the household, the existence of a sewage system, low cost of electricity, and village wealth. Decreased risk of physical limitations was also associated with various characteristics of China's New Cooperative Medical Scheme (NCMS), an insurance program for rural older adults. Policy implications for improved health of rural older adults include: (1) continued use of China's NCMS, (2) establishment of village sewage systems, (3) ending the use of coal in the home, and (4) increased educational opportunities focused on health.     

Further Validation of the Pillbox Test in a Mixed Clinical Sample

Objective: The purpose of this research was to provide further criterion and construct validation of the Pillbox Test, a brief, ecologically valid measure designed to assess executive functioning(EF). Method: Participants were 179 older male veterans who completed the Pillbox Test as part of a neuropsychological evaluation. Results: Performance on the Pillbox Test differed significantly between patients with and without dementia, with total error scores of ≥5 and ≥7 showing similar levels of sensitivity and specificity at 67% and at or near 70%, respectively. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that measures of EF predicted performance on the Pillbox Test above and beyond measures of processing speed, but not above and beyond measures in other cognitive domains. Conclusions: Findings suggest the Pillbox Test is a promising new performance-based measure of executive functioning that can discriminate between patients with and without dementia.     

Point and Interval Estimates of Percentile Ranks for Scores on the Texas Functional Living Scale

Point and interval estimates of percentile ranks are useful tools in assisting with the interpretation of neurocognitive test results. We provide percentile ranks for raw subscale scores on the Texas Functional Living Scale (TFLS; Cullum, Weiner, & Saine, 2009) using the TFLS standardization sample data (N?=?800). Percentile ranks with interval estimates are also provided for the overall TFLS T score. Conversion tables are provided along with the option of obtaining the point and interval estimates using a computer program written to accompany this paper (TFLS_PRs.exe). The percentile ranks for the subscales offer an alternative to using the cumulative percentage tables in the test manual and provide a useful and quick way for neuropsychologists to assimilate information on the case's profile of scores on the TFLS subscales. The provision of interval estimates for the percentile ranks is in keeping with the contemporary emphasis on the use of confidence intervals in psychological statistics     

Cognition in older adults with bipolar disorder versus major depressive disorder

Gildengers AG, Butters MA, Chisholm D, Anderson SJ, Begley A, Holm M, Rogers JC, Reynolds CF III, Mulsant BH. Cognition in older adults with bipolar disorder versus major depressive disorder. Bipolar Disord 2012: 14: 198–205. © 2012 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Objectives: Bipolar disorder (BD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are associated with cognitive dysfunction in older age during both acute mood episodes and remitted states. The purpose of this study was to investigate for the first time the similarities and differences in the cognitive function of older adults with BD and MDD that may shed light on mechanisms of cognitive decline. Methods: A total of 165 subjects with BD (n = 43) or MDD (n = 122), ages ≥ 65 years [mean (SD) 74.2 (6.2)], were assessed when euthymic, using comprehensive measures of cognitive function and cognitive–instrumental activities of daily living (C‐IADLs). Test results were standardized using a group of mentally healthy individuals (n = 92) of comparable age and education level. Results: Subjects with BD and MDD were impaired across all cognitive domains compared with controls, most prominently in Information Processing Speed/Executive Function. Despite the protective effects of having higher education and lower vascular burden, BD subjects were more impaired across all cognitive domains compared with MDD subjects. Subjects with BD and MDD did not differ significantly in C‐IADLs. Conclusion: In older age, patients with BD have worse overall cognitive function than patients with MDD. Our findings suggest that factors intrinsic to BD appear to be related to cognitive deterioration and support the understanding that BD is associated with cognitive decline.     

The Impact of Stigma on Community Reintegration of Veterans With Traumatic Brain Injury and the Well-Being of Their Caregivers

Objective

To assess the association between perceived stigma and discrimination and caregiver strain, caregiver well-being, and patient community reintegration.