Authors of study

Discovery/N
ews

Division of
psychiatry,
Professor of general
adult psychiatry
and medical
education,
University of
Nottingham

Stroke
and Dementia Rese
arch Centre (R.L.B.,
V.H., A.J.L.), St
George's,
University of
London; University
of Cambridge

SVD and
stroke
increase the
likelihood of
developing
dementia.

Aim/Purpo
se
Determine if
its possible
to measure
the mental
status
progression
of patients
sufferings
from
Alzheimers
dementia.

Participan
ts
Alzheimer
patients

Determine
whether
Cerebral
Small Vessel
Disease
(SVD) is a
specific risk
factor for
dementia.

Division of
neurology,
University Medical
Centre Ljubljana,
Zaloska 2, Slovenia

Verify the
improvemen
t of
behavioural
symptoms
and
cognitive
functions in
patients
undergoing
rivastigmine
treatment
suffering
from
Huntington
disease

HD
patients

Department of
Public Health and
Primary Care,
Leiden University
Medical Center,
Netherlands

Symptoms
and
treatment
when death
is expected
in dementia
patients in

Patients
suffering
from
dementia
in their last
day of life.

Groups
16 patients
suffering
from mildmoderate
Alzheimers
dementia
and 11 aged
matched
healthy
control.

Patients
with
dementia
and
radiologicall
y confirmed
lacunar
stroke;
Patients
with
dementia
only;
Healthy
older adults
18 HD
patients

Twenty-four
participants
(median age
91 years; 23
females)

Methods/Sour
ces
The study group
is given a false
believe task, in
order to
determine if
patients
suffering from
Alzheimers
dementia
preserve the
theory of
mind.
The loss of this
mental ability is
associated with
a decrease in
mental function,
thus dementia.

Results/Concl
usion
This research
has many
biases that
influence the
final result:

Using path
analysis in cross
sectional data
relationships
between
dementia and
SVD have been
modeled

Reduced QoL
(quality of life)
was associated
with dementia
in patients with
SVD

The patients
were given a
neuropsychologi
cal assessment
test prior to the
beginning of the
treatment; later
they were
randomly
assigned to
rivastigmine
and placebo
group.
Follow up was
done after 6
months were
the
neuropsychologi
cal assessment
test was
repeated.
24 participant
were given pain
assessment in
advanced
dementia tests
and mini
suffering state

No statistically
significant
effect of
rivastigmine
treatment in
HD patients
was detected.

Small sample
size: the result
suggests that
there is no
measurable
specific theory
of mind deficit
in people with
Alzheimer
dementia.
Test itself: its
difficult to
assess theory
of mind deficit
using a test
that need
cognitive
function of
patients whose
disease
includes lack of
cognitive
function.

The research
detected an
improvement
of pain with the
administration
of morphine
along the

long-term
care
facilities

Centre for research

in primary and
community care,
university of
Hertfordshire,
Hatfield

Assess the
correct
procedure
of
emergency
services in
patients
suffering
from
dementia
living in
residential
care homes.

Dementia
patients
with
limited life
expectancy
and limited
mental
capacity.

133
residents
with
dementia
across 6
care homes
in the East
of England
were
tracked for
a year.

examination;
these tests
were repeated
daily until
death.
During this
research,
patients were
given morphine,
antibiotics and
rehydration.
This paper
reports, on a
prospective
study, data that
track the
involvement of
emergency
ambulances
personnel in the
support of older
people.
The paper
examines the
frequency and
reasons for
emergency
ambulance callouts.

study; this
allows doctors
to increase the
quality of life in
these patients
with expected
death.

56% of
residents used
ambulance
services; in
addition to
trauma
following a fall
in the home;
result suggests
that at least a
reasonable
proportion of
ambulance
contacts are for
ambulatory
care sensitive
conditions.