Centre for Policy on Ageing



Which factors influence cognitive decline in older adults suffering from dementing disorders?
Author(s)	Martina Schäufele, Horst Bickel, Siegfried Weyerer
Journal title	International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 17, no 11, November 2002
Pages	pp 1055-1063
Keywords	Cognitive impairment ; Dementia ; Evaluation ; Longitudinal surveys ; Germany.
Annotation	Although extensive research has been done on dementing disorders in recent decades, their natural course and prognosis are not yet well understood. This 28-month study is part of a research project on the early detection, diagnosis and course of dementia conducted with a random sample of 407 older primary care patients in Mannheim, Germany. At baseline, 117 of the patients were identified as having mild, moderate or severe dementia. A 2-year follow-up of these patients revealed high mortality rates (53/117). The surviving patients showed significant cognitive decline, although the rate varied considerably between individuals. The rate of progression was strongly related to the initial degree of severity, but also to the use of psychotropic medication, which was associated with a more rapid deterioration. (RH).
Accession Number	CPA-021216233 A
Classmark	E4: EA: 4C: 3J: 767
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