Geriatrics News

The evidence base for pharmacologic strategies for Lewy body dementia is lacking, according to a meta-analysis in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Amyloid positron emission tomography scans provide clearer diagnosis and earlier, more effective treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, according to study findings presented at the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Annual Meeting.

Autolysosomnal proteins may be a significant Alzheimer’s disease biomarker, as study findings in Neurology show patients with the disease exhibited higher levels of the proteins than healthy controls.

According to a data brief from the National Center for Health Statistics, women are more likely to experience serious psychological distress compared with men, regardless of age.

TORONTO — In older patients with HIV, increased cerebrovascular risk factors, as measured by the Framingham Risk Score for Stroke, may be associated with increased HIV-associated neurocognitive impairment, according to data presented at the American Psychiatric Association Annual Meeting.

Patients with gout may have a lower risk for developing dementia, according to recently published results of a study of patients in Taiwan.

Analysis of a nationwide study cohort indicated diagnosed depression significantly increased risk for subsequent Parkinson’s disease.

Surviving spouses of hospice care users may face less depressive symptoms following their spouse’s death compared with those who did not use hospice services, according to recently published data in JAMA Internal Medicine. 

The development of Alzheimer’s disease pathology may begin as early as 30 years of age, leaving a significant amount of time, approximately 20 to 30 years, between amyloid positivity and the onset of dementia, according to recently published data in JAMA.

TORONTO — Data from a population-based, time-series analysis conducted in Ontario demonstrate the prescribing rate of antipsychotropic medications among elderly patients with dementia living in long-term care facilities decreased, while the prescribing rate of sedative and non-sedative antidepressants in this population more than doubled.