Poor physical performance and dementia in the oldest old: the 90+ study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the cross-sectional relationship between physical performance and dementia in the oldest old (those ≥ 90 years of age). DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: The 90+ Study is a population-based, longitudinal, epidemiologic study of aging and dementia performed at the University of California, Irvine, from January 1, 2003, through November 30, 2009. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 629 participants from The 90+ Study were included in the study. The mean age was 94 years, and most (72.5%) were women. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: All-cause dementia, based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria, was the main outcome measure. The independent variables were physical performance measures, including 4-m walk, 5 chair stands, standing balance, and grip strength, each scored from 0 to 4 (0, unable to perform; 4, best performance). Odds of dementia in relation to the physical performance measures were estimated by logistic regression after adjustment for age and sex. RESULTS Poor physical performance in all measures was significantly associated with increased odds of dementia (P< .001). Odds ratios for every unit decrease in physical performance score were 2.1 for 4-m walk, 2.1 for chair stands, 1.9 for standing balance, and 1.7 for grip strength. CONCLUSIONS: We found a strong cross-sectional relationship between poor physical performance and dementia in people 90 years and older. Our findings suggest that dementia is a complex neurodegenerative process that may affect physical performance and cognition. Additional research is necessary to determine the temporal relationship between poor physical performance and cognitive dysfunction.

The spectrum of neurological complications in Pakistani patients with malignancies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the incidence and nature of neurological complications related to malignancy in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients with malignancy, having neurological symptoms, admitted to The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. RESULTS: There were a total of 178 admissions among 152 patients, with more than half (50.5%) of them above the age of 50, with a male to female ratio of 1.34:1. Most admissions (60%) occurred within the first year of diagnosis of the malignancy. Neurological problems were the second commonest cause for admission (20%) in our study group following admissions for chemotherapy/transfusions (52%). The most common primary tumour was Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (16.3%), followed by breast (15.7%), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), (12.9%) and carcinoma of unknown primary site (9%). The 3 most common symptoms were altered mental status (45.3%), lower-limb weakness (27.9%) and seizures (17.3%). Fifteen percent of admissions were secondary to a neurological symptom as an initial presentation of the primary tumour. The commonest neurological diagnoses were brain metastasis (27%), followed by spinal cord compression (16.9%), intracerebral haemorrhage (11.2%) and metabolic encephalopathy (9%). Head imaging revealed abnormalities in 77% of patients. The most common neurological diagnosis for mortality (25.8%) was intracerebral haemorrhage (34.8%), followed by brain metastasis (26.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This descriptive study on neurological complications amongst cancer patients from Pakistan, defines the various neurological symptoms and diagnoses in patients with malignant disorders, highlights the common tumour types, the associated characteristics and determinants of mortality in this Asian population.