Depression in Elderly Patients Attending the Psychiatry OPD: A Prospective Hospital Based Study

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common clinical issue among elderly patients suffering with depression and has a more obscure etiology. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression in geriatric patients attending Psychiatric OPD. Methods: This Prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on elderly people (n=110) attending the Psychiatry OPD of Govt Doon Medical college Dehradun (UK). The cognitive function and depression were assessed by applying standardized Mini-Mental State Examination of Folstein (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), respectively. Results: Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 35.71% (36.41% women, 24.5% men), whereas the prevalence of depression was 45.45% (51.02% women, 39.89% men) significant differences were observed. Conclusions: Cognitive impairment and depression were found to be more prevalent in the females than in the males. Hence, psychiatrist should pay special attention for early detection and treatment of depressive symptoms in elderly people with cognitive impairment.

A Prospective Study on Prevalence of Depression Among Elderly Patients Attending the Psychiatry OPD of a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India

Background: Cognitive impairment is a common clinical issue among elderly patients suffering with depression and has a more obscure etiology. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression in geriatric patients attending Psychiatric OPD. Methods: This Prospective cross-sectional study was carried out on elderly people (n=330) attending the Psychiatry OPD of Teerthanker Mahaveer Medical College and Hospital, Moradabad. The cognitive function and depression were assessed by applying standardized Mini-Mental State Examination of Folstein (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), respectively. Results: Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 35.71% (36.41% women, 24.5% men), whereas the prevalence of depression was 45.45% (51.02% women, 39.89% men) significant differences were observed. Conclusion: Cognitive impairment and depression were found to be more prevalent in the females than in the males. Hence, psychiatrist should pay special attention for early detection and treatment of depressive symptoms in elderly people with cognitive impairment.

Prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression among elderly patients attending the medicine outpatient of a tertiary care hospital in South India.

Background: Cognitive impairment is an important clinical issue among elderly patients with depression and has a more complex etiology. The aim of the present work was to examine the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression in elderly subjects above 60 years. Methods: A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of cognitive impairment and depression on elderly people (n=525) attending the General Medicine OPD of Sri Venkateswara Ram Narain Ruia Government General Hospital, Tirupati. Cognitive function and depression were assessed by applying standardized Mini-Mental State Examination of Folstein (MMSE) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), respectively. Results: Prevalence of cognitive impairment was 31.0% (34.7% women, 23.4% men); there were significant differences observed with reference to age, gender, literacy and economic status. Prevalence of depression was 44.8% (51.0% women, 39.6% men); with relation to age, gender, literacy and economic status, there were significant differences observed. Conclusion: Cognitive impairment and depression were present in elderly people and these disorders are more prevalent in the females than in the males. Hence, psychiatrist should pay special attention for early detection and treatment of depressive symptoms in elderly people with cognitive impairment.

Body composition, muscle strength and quality of active elderly women according to the distance covered in the 6-minute walk test

BACKGROUND: Changes arising from the aging process, particularly changes in body composition, contribute to the functional decline of the elderly. OBJECTIVE: To compare the body composition and muscle strength, mobility and quality in active elderly women according to the distance walked during the 6-minute walk test (6MWT). METHOD: The study included 77 active elderly women aged 65 to 80 years, who were divided into tertiles (A, B and C) according to the distance covered in the 6MWT. We performed anthropometric and clinical evaluations. Body composition was determined by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Handgrip strength (HGS) was measured with a portable dynamometer (Saehan), and knee extension strength (KES) was measured with the one repetition maximum test (1-RM). Functional mobility was assessed by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and body balance was assessed by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS). Muscle quality was defined by the ratio between muscle strength (kgf) and muscle mass (kg). RESULTS: The group that walked the shortest distance in the 6MWT had a higher BMI (A=30.8±7.0, B=27.2±4.2 and C=25.9±3.5 kg/m2), greater amount of fat mass (A=31.3±10.7, B=25.9±6.7 and C=23.81±6.46 kg) lower HGS (A=21.8±5.1, B=22.1±3.5 and C=25.5±5.1 kgf), lower knee extension strength (A=30.6±10.9, B=40.4±12.5 and C=47.2±10.1 kgf), lower arm muscle quality (A=10.1±3.7, B=11.6±2 and C=12.7±2.2 kg) and lower leg muscle quality (A=1.78±1, B=2.84±0.98 and C=3.31±0.77 kg). There was no significant difference between muscle mass (p=0.25) and lean mass (p=0.26). CONCLUSION: Body fat has a negative influence on functional performance, even among active elderly women. .

Association between physical performance and electrocardiographic heart rate corrected-QT interval in elderly subjects / 体力科学

It is well known that decreased physical performance induces the decreased activity of daily living and increment of mortality rate in elderly subjects. On the other hand, a prolonged heart rate corrected-QT (QTc) interval is associated with an increased risk of cardiac sudden death and cardiac autonomic dysfunction. We investigated the associations between physical performance and QTc interval in elderly subjects. The subjects included 605 elderly persons (274 men and 331 women, age; 71.2±4.7 years) without a history of cardiovascular disease and taking cardioactive drugs. Resting 12-leads electrocardiography was measured after more than 5 minutes of rest. The QTc interval was calculated according to Bazett’s formula. The physical fitness test was performed to determine the physical performance (muscle strength, balance and walking abilities). The subjects were divided into four categories, which were defined as equally quantile distributions of QTc interval. The physical performance levels were significantly lower in the longest QTc interval group compared to the shortest QTc interval group in both men and women (p<0.05, respectively). Moreover, after adjusting for the age, the physical performance levels were significantly lower in the longest QTc interval group compared to the shortest QTc interval group, especially, this relationship was observed in late-stage elderly group (p<0.05, respectively). These results suggest that decreased physical performance levels were also associated with prolonged QTc interval in elderly subjects.

Figuras complexas de Rey para idosos / Rey complex figures for the elderly

Objetivou-se criar dados normativos para a população idosa no teste das figuras complexas de Rey (FCR), avaliar a relação entre as estratégias de cópia e a reprodução de memória, e verificar a inclusão da evocação após 30 minutos da figura. O FCR foi aplicado em 70 idosos que realizaram a cópia e as evocações após três minutos e após 30 minutos da Figura Complexa de Rey dentro do sistema avaliativo de Osterrieth. Na cópia da figura Percentil 50 (P50)= 30,5 pontos, Memória após 3 minutos P50= 12 pontos e após 30 minutos P50= 12,5. Predominaram as estratégias do tipo IV (“justaposição de detalhes”) na cópia da figura. Os resultados atuais mostraram-se inferiores aos obtidos na adaptação brasileira. O predomínio do tipo IV revela estratégias de cópia pouco desenvolvidas que possivelmente influenciaram a reprodução de memória. Não foram observadas diferenças entre as memórias de curto (após 3 minutos) e longo prazo (após 30 minutos) para esses participantes.

The objective of the present study was to create normative data for the elderly population in the Rey complex figure test, to assess the relationship between the copying strategies and memory reproduction, and to determine the inclusion of figure retrieval after 30 minutes. The FCR was applied to 70 elderly subjects who copied the Rey complex figure and performed evocation after three and 30 minutes within the Osterrieth evaluation system. In the copy of the figure, the 50th percentile (P50) was = 30.5 points, in the Memory after 3 minutes, P50 = 12 points and in the memory after 30 minutes, P50 = 12.5. Type IV (additive details approach) strategies predominated in the copy of the figure. The present results were lower than those obtained by the Brazilian version. The predominance of type IV revealed poorly developed copying strategies that possibly influenced the reproduction of memory. Differences between short-term (3 minutes) and long-term (30 minutes) memory for these individuals were not found.

Effects of Indirect Moxibustion on Common Cold Symptoms in Elderly Subjects Lived in Nursing Home: Single-case Experimental Design / 全日本鍼灸学会雑誌

[Objective] The effect of indirect moxibustion on cold symptoms was examined in elderly subjects living in a nursing home.<BR>[Design] A single-case experimental design that enables clinical trials in small a number of subjects was used in this study.<BR>[Methods] Two elderly subjects living in a nursing house participated for 16 weeks. The experimental periods were allocated at random as treatment periods and control periods of eight weeks each. During the treatment periods, subjects were treated with indirect moxibustion GV 14 and BL 12 (both sides) 3 units each, 3 times a week. Rating scores with 4 and/or 5 grades were used to evaluate common cold symptoms.<BR>[Results] Concerning the presence of common cold, there were no significant differences between the treatment and control periods. Moreover, concerning common cold symptoms, there were no significant differences between treatment and control periods.<BR>[Conclusion] Effects of an indirect moxibustion on the common cold symptoms were not detected in this study. We speculated that the living environment of these subjects and the intensity of stimulation were factors. Furthermore, we suspected that a single-case experimental design was unsuitable for common cold research.