Geriatrics News

The Picture-Based Memory Impairment Screen — a four-photo screening tool used to assess memory and mental acuity in clinical settings — detected cognitive impairment, according to findings recently published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Sleep disorders are highly prevalent and negatively impact quality of life in older adults with neurodegenerative disorders; however, they are also often underdiagnosed, data published in Psychiatric Annals showed.

Napping benefits cognitive function in older adults, according to findings presented at SLEEP 2018, the Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.

This year alone, Alzheimer’s and related dementias will cost the United States more than $250 billion, according to data from Alzheimer’s Association. Experts predict these costs, as well as the occurrence of the disease will go up in the future, due to the influx of U.S. residents already in, or about to enter, middle age.

Researchers found low-dose amisulpride was an effective and well-tolerated treatment for older patients with very late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis.

An advance care planning video did not impact preferences, do-not-hospitalize directives or burdensome treatments for patients with advanced dementia, according to findings published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Older age was associated with poorer major depressive disorder course, according to 2-year follow-up data published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Medical marijuana decreased pain and reduced analgesic use in older patients, according to findings presented at the American Geriatrics Society annual meeting.

Older adults who actively participated in intellectual activities — such as reading, playing card and board games and betting on horse racing — were at lower risk for dementia in later life, according to findings published in JAMA Psychiatry.

Among patients with declining Mini-Mental State Examination scores, administration of the Visual Association Test may help identify those at higher risk for dementia, according to findings that were just published in Annals of Family Medicine.