Pacing Rhythms of Wanderers with Dementia |
| |
Authors: | Koji Hori Toshiya Inada Itaru Tominaga Tatsuro Oda Hiroshi Teramoto Haruo Kashima |
| |
Affiliation: | *1National Shimofusa Hospital;*2National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry;*3Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keiogizyuku University School of Medicine |
| |
Abstract: | Background : As wandering in the demented is difficult to define qualitatively, we tride to define it quantitatively. We investigated the relationship between wandering and rhythm abnormalities. Methods : In order to study the pacing rhythms of wanderers observed in a subgroup of demented inpatients (dementia due to Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia), we assessed 115 inpatients in terms of steps during four parts of a day and total daily steps using a pedometer. As the mean+2 S.D. of total daily steps in the nondemented was 9,979, we defined 10,000 steps in a day as the cut off for defining demented wanderers versus nonwanderers. Then, the pacing rhythms (nadir part and amplitude) were compared among demented wanderers, demented nonwanderers and nondemented subjects. Results : That there were no statistically significant differences among the three groups. But wandering groups defined by pedometer exhibited many of the same characteristics in wanderers observed in other studies. Conclusion : The quantification of steps might provide a good hallmark of wandering behaviors in the demented, and these results might indicate hyperpacing rather than rhythm dysfunctions to be essential to wandering behavior. |
| |
Keywords: | wandering pacing dementia Alzheimer's disease |
|
|