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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Primary care physicians' attitudes related to cognition enhancers in early dementia
— a representative eight-year follow-up study in Lower Saxony, Germany | | Author(s) | Lienhard Maeck, Sebastian Haak, Anita Knoblauch |
| Journal title | International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, vol 23, no 4, April 2008 |
| Pages | pp 415-421 |
| Source | http://www.interscience.wiley.com |
| Keywords | Dementia ; Early ; Attitude ; General practitioners ; Longitudinal surveys ; Germany. |
| Annotation | Changes in family physicians' (FPs) attitudes towards cognitive enhancers in early dementia were investigated during 1993 and 2001. 122 FPs (response rate 71.8%) in Lower Saxony, Germany were randomly assigned to one of two written case samples presenting a patient with cognitive decline suggestive of early Alzheimer's disease (DAT, case A female patient vs case B male patient). Using a structured face-to-face interview, they were asked to suggest their potential drug treatment. FPs' readiness to start antidementia drug treatment decreased from 70.4% in 1993 to 43.3% at follow-up, although underlying DAT was significantly more frequently suggested (11% vs 26.2%). Substances with questionable efficacy such as Piraceteme were prescribed less frequently in 2001, whereas evidence-based medication like cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) failed to compensate for this drop. Compared to 1993, when 55.2% of FPs expected no therapeutic impact, at follow-up, 75.4% expected slowdown of disease progression, stabilisation or improvement of symptoms. These results demonstrate a significant decrease of therapeutic nihilism in primary care within 8 years. However, in patients with suspicions of DAT, this is not reflected accordingly in potential treatment. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-080430211 A |
| Classmark | EA: 4J: DP: QT6: 3J: 767 |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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