Association between serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cognitive dysfunction after acute ischemic stroke: a cross-sectional study

This study aimed to explore the association between serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) and cognitive dysfunction risk in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). This cross-sectional study enrolled 583 AIS patients. Biochemical markers and lipid profile were collected after admission. AIS patients were classified into high group (non-HDL-C ≥3.4 mM) and normal group (non-HDL-C <3.4 mM). Mini-Mental State Examination scale (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MoCA), Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scale, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and Hamilton Depression scale 21 version (HAMD-21) were applied on the third day after admission. Compared with the control group, patients of the high group had higher body mass index and higher frequency of intracranial artery stenosis, and exhibited higher levels of non-HDL-C, total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, homocysteine, fasting blood glucose, and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, patients of the high group had significantly lower MMSE and MoCA scores (MMSE: 26.01±4.17 vs 23.12±4.73, P<0.001; MoCA: 22.28±5.28 vs 20.25±5.87, P<0.001) and higher scores on the NPI and HAMD-21 (both P<0.001). MMSE (r=-0.306, P<0.001) and MoCA scores (r=-0.251, P<0.001) were negatively associated with non-HDL-C level. Multivariate regression analysis revealed that non-HDL-C level (OR=1.361, 95%CI: 1.059-1.729, P=0.016) was independently associated with the presence of cognitive dysfunction after adjusting for confounding factors. High serum non-HDL-C level might significantly increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction after AIS.

A cross-sectional study on behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia in elderly and its impact on quality of life in a tertiary care hospital

Background: Historically, the word dementia was derived from Latin word ‘dementatus’, which means ‘out of one’s mind’. There were 24.3 million people with dementia in the world and 4.6 million are being added every year. Present study was done to evaluate the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in elderly patients and its impact on their quality of life.Methods: It was a hospital based descriptive, cross-sectional study. 100 cognitively impaired patients in the age group of 60 years and above were enrolled. The socio-demographic profile, severity of dementia on MMSE; behavioral disturbances on BPSD; psychiatric illness on NPI; agitation on CMAI and their impact on quality of life, and disability were assessed on WHOQOL-Bref and WHO DAS 2.0 scales, respectively.Results: Out of 110 patients that were screened, 100 participated in the study (response rate 91%). Majority of subjects (53%) were illiterate and belongs to rural background (57%). Mean dementia severity score was 17.01±4.439 SD which was of mild to moderate level. Overall mean age was 68.16±8.16 SD and negatively related (r= -0.652; F=27.044, p<0.001) but weakly associated to severity of dementia. There was a statistically significant increase in the NPI scores with increase in dementia severity (Item score F=91.754, p<0.001 and distress score F=81.647, p<0.001). There was significant increase in agitation/aggression (CMAI) with an increase in severity of dementia. BPSD on NPI item score was weakly related (r=0.757) and caused increase in disability but decrease in quality of life. Dementia severity as per MMSE score was negatively related to WHO DAS disability (r= -0.863), BPSD on NPI item (r= -0.797) and agitation/aggression on CMAI (r= -0.587). WHOQOL-Bref decreases with increase in severity of dementia and disability.Conclusions: Dementia severity was of mild to moderate level and it increased with age. Most common psychiatric symptom was agitation/aggression (76%) and least common was hallucinations (12%). BPSD causes significant decrease in quality of life and an increase in severity of disability.