PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

Anne Braekhus

Publications and source records attributed to Anne Braekhus.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2007

Seven minute screen performance in a normal elderly sample.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The Seven Minute Screen (7MS) is a brief cognitive case-finding instrument for dementia. The test is composed of four subtests that assess performance with regard to orientation, memory, visuospatial ability and language. The objective of this study was to describe 7MS performance in a normal sample of people aged 65 years and older. METHOD: The subjects were 66 Norwegian community-dwellers who met selection criteria modified from the Mayo Older American Normative Studies standard. Mean age was 73.2 years, age range was 65-93 years, and mean Mini-Mental State Examination score was 29.06, range 26-30. RESULTS: Analysis of the 7MS subtests revealed relatively modest influence of age, education and gender on test performance. The composite 7MS performance scores were associated with education. Normal performance was expressed as means, standard deviations and percentile values for the age groups 65-74 years and 75 + years. CONCLUSION: 7MS performance is described for a normal sample. These data have the potential to increase the clinicians' ability to interpret 7MS test results.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

[Vascular dementia--an ill-defined concept].

BACKGROUND: Vascular dementia is defined as dementia caused by cerebrovascular disease and is seen as the most common cause of dementia after Alzheimer's disease. In our opinion, vascular dementia is an ill-defined term; this proposition is discussed in this article. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The concept of vascular dementia is discussed based on the literature and our own clinical experience. RESULTS: The prevalence of vascular dementia varies markedly across different studies and several clinical diagnostic criteria are used. There has been an ongoing debate as to which radiological changes are associated with vascular dementia; we question the use of neuropathological changes as a diagnostic gold standard. Several studies have shown similarities between dementia of the Alzheimer type and vascular dementia regarding risk factors and symptomatology. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that the concept of vascular dementia should be re-evaluated. It is important to establish valid and reliable criteria for vascular dementia, especially in the light of the therapeutic consequences.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2002

The psychosocial burden on spouses of the elderly with stroke, dementia and Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the psychosocial burden on spouses living with the elderly suffering from mild dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease, and to identify patient characteristics associated with it. Materials and methods Data on patient-spouse couples came from three studies of patients with stroke (36 couples), mild dementia (92 couples) and Parkinson's disease (58 couples). The psychosocial burden was recorded by the 15-item Relatives' Stress Scale (RSS). A factor analysis of this instrument produced a one-factor solution (CFI = 0.98) consisting of eight items with good face validity and acceptable reliability within each diagnostic group (Cronbach's alpha range 0.66-0.69). Covariates of this factor were identified using structural equation modeling (SEM) by regression on patient's age, gender, cognitive function (MMSE), activities of daily living (ADL) and depressive symptoms (MADRS). RESULTS: Disorganization of household routines, difficulties with going away for holidays, restrictions on social life, and the disturbances of sleep were the most frequently reported problems in all three groups. According to the mean sumscore on the RSS, the perceived psychosocial burden was similar across the diagnostic groups. In the final SEM model, a lower cognitive function of the patient was associated with a higher psychosocial burden on the spouses of patients with stroke (beta = -1.3, p = 0.01) and Parkinson's disease (beta = -0.89, p < 0.01), while in the dementia group, only an insignificant trend was demonstrated. In the dementia group, a significantly higher burden was identified on female spouses (beta = -0.56, p = 0.04). A heavier burden of care was also associated with depressive symptoms in the patients with Parkinson's disease. In neither group did the final model disclose any effect of ADL function on the spouse's psychosocial burden. CONCLUSION: Spouses caring for patients with dementia, stroke and Parkinson's disease perceive a similar type and level of psychosocial burden, independent of the disease. The cognitive functioning of the patient is a particularly important factor in this, especially when caring for patients with stroke or Parkinson's disease.

Activities of Daily Living↗