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Biomedical subjects

D D Von Dras

Publications and source records attributed to D D Von Dras.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

The clock drawing test is a poor screen for very mild dementia.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether performance on the clock drawing test varies as a function of dementia severity and particularly whether it differentiates cognitively normal older adults from those with very mild dementia. METHODS: Clock drawings were obtained during the initial clinical assessments of 75 participants in a longitudinal study of healthy aging and dementia of the Alzheimer type (15 cognitively normal, 25 with very mild dementia, 21 with mild dementia, and 14 with moderate to severe dementia, as staged by the Clinical Dementia Rating). Each clock drawing later was judged blindly and independently by two raters according to six commonly used sets of scoring criteria. RESULTS: The same pattern of results was obtained for all six scoring methods. Inter-rater reliability was consistently high. Spearman correlations indicated that as dementia severity increased, clock drawing performance decreased. Analyses of variance revealed that although those with mild or moderate/severe dementia performed significantly worse on the clock drawing test than did individuals who had very mild dementia or who were cognitively normal, the latter two groups did not differ significantly. Sensitivity and specificity analyses revealed that all methods could distinguish between normal aging and dementia of at least mild severity. However, sensitivity for detecting very mild dementia was poor. CONCLUSION: Although the clock drawing test can be scored reliably and can differentiate cognitively normal older adults from those with at least mild dementia of the Alzheimer type, it does not appear to be a useful screening instrument for detecting very mild dementia.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

Coronary catherization patient and wife's perceptions of social support: effects due to characteristics of recipient, provider, and their interaction.

This investigation explored relationships between coronary catherization patient and wife's characteristics and their perceptions of social support. Participants were 124 male patients undergoing diagnostic catherization to detect coronary artery disease (CAD) and their wives. Patients and wives' mean ages were fifty-nine and fifty-six years, respectively. While visiting the hospital both patient and wife independently completed a brief questionnaire that assessed psychological and physical health characteristics and perceptions of social support. Congruent with the interdependent and overlapping contexts, and reciprocal relationships assumptions of Revenson's (1994) ecological/contextual framework, results suggested characteristics of patients and wives (e.g., age, mental health, social functioning, hostility, depression, general perceived health) to interactively moderate their perceptions of social support. Overall, perceptions of social support were found to be influenced by characteristics of the perceiver, the support provider, and their interaction. Concerns for supportive and helpful caregiving are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Temporal memory for remote events in healthy aging and dementia.

Memory for the temporal order of term of office of 7 past U.S. presidents was examined in healthy older adults and individuals in the early stages of dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). Among those individuals who recognized all 7 presidents, bow-shaped serial-position effects for temporal order similar to those seen in studies of short-term memory were observed for both the healthy group and the groups of individuals with dementia. Accuracy of temporal ordering decreased with increasing dementia severity. Thus, DAT affects 1 aspect of "old" memory (i.e., temporal information) even in the very early stages of the disease. Theoretical models of serial-position effects need to address remote memory as well as short-term memory.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Surrogate assessment of coronary artery disease patients' functional capacity.

An investigation of the surrogate assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) patients' functional capacity was conducted using 193 patient and surrogate rater dyads. Mean age of patients and surrogate raters were 60.4 and 54.4 years, respectively. Patients and surrogates independently completed a brief questionnaire that assessed health and psychosocial factors. The Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) was contained in the patients' questionnaire, while a similar form modified to assess patients' functional capacity was imbedded in the surrogates' questionnaire. Results indicated similar psychometric characteristics and clinical validity for patients' self-report and surrogates' ratings, suggesting that the Surrogate Rating Form of the Duke Activity Status Index (DASI-SRF) is a reliable and valid proxy method of assessing patient's functional capacity when this information may not be obtained directly from the patient. Further, while there were no effects of surrogates' health and psychological characteristics on their ratings of patients' functional capacity, in comparison with other surrogates, spouses were more likely to rate patients higher in functional capacity. Exploration of the patient/care provider relationship via concurrent use of the DASI and DASI-SRF is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Stability in extraversion and aspects of social support at midlife.

This investigation used participants from the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study in an exploration of extraversion and aspects of social support at midlife. Results indicated that extraversion measured at college entry and at midlife was positively correlated with social activity and perceived social support measured later in middle adulthood. Multiple regression correlational analyses suggested that both the stable and changing components of extraversion influence structural and functional aspects of social support. Further, the changing component of extraversion was found to be significantly associated with greater social activity, perceived social support, and an increased likelihood of seeking support when faced with a stressful problem in middle adulthood. Overall, the development of sociability and outgoingness in interpersonal relationships during adolescence and young adulthood is suggested to be an important antecedent of the structural characteristics and functional dynamics of social support at midlife.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1997

Age differences in self-appraisal motivation.

One hundred and eight young (mean age 29 years) and 108 older adults (mean age 69 years) participated in a laboratory investigation of self-appraisal motivation. Participants were recruited via media advertisement to take part in a study of two novel and different thinking abilities and randomly assigned to either a similar others, dissimilar others, or temporal-self comparison referent condition. Each participant was administered two tests purported to measure different thinking abilities and received experimenter-controlled test feedback intended to manipulate participants' level of uncertainty about these abilities. Motivation to self-appraise was assessed via behavioral choice measures collected following the inducement of uncertainty about ability status. Results indicated that older adults were less likely than the young to initiate behaviors that would reduce uncertainty about ability. Subsequent post-hoc analyses suggested that self-appraisal motivation in young adulthood is not moderated by level of perceived efficacy, while in later adulthood an attenuation of self-appraisal motivation occurs as a result of low efficacy or heightened uncertainty about one's capabilities.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Correlates of perceived social support and equality of interpersonal relationships at mid-life.

An investigation into the correlates of perceived social support and the equality of interpersonal relationships at mid-life was conducted using a sample of 3954 adults from the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study (UNCAHS). Participants ranged in age from forty to fifty years. Results suggested that while the number of family roles and social activities are the same for men and women, women perceive a greater availability of social support and report they give more than they take in relationships with family. There was no association found between the perceived availability of social support and global indices of equality of interpersonal relationships; suggesting an independence between these two psychological aspects of social support. Further, multiple regression correlational analyses indicated gender, level of social activity, and self-esteem as significant predictors of perceived social support; with self-esteem being the best single predictor. Relatedly, gender and number of children were found to be significant predictors of the perceived equality of relationships with family. These findings suggest differences in mid-life men and women's psychological perception of the availability of social support, and the give and take of relationships with family.

Adult↗