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Biomedical subjects

D Davidoff

Publications and source records attributed to D Davidoff.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

A pilot program of improved methods for community-based screening for dementia.

The authors examined the effectiveness of a voluntary memory impairment-screening program for community-dwelling older persons, assessing three factors: appropriateness of screening instrument, reliability of complaints of cognitive difficulties, and adherence to screening recommendations. Two cognitive screening instruments, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Seven-Minute Screen (7MS) were compared in 59 participants. Twenty-nine percent showed signs of impairment on the 7MS. Results suggested that the 7MS and the MMSE may have different sensitivities and specificities for the detection of early dementia. Failure on the 7MS was not predicted by cognitive or functional complaints. The study identified and addressed factors affecting compliance with screening recommendations.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Selective attention skills in Alzheimer's disease: performance on graded cancellation tests varying in density and complexity.

Nine selective cancellation tasks were administered to nine subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD), nine elderly control, and eight depressed subjects. Each task consisted of an 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper containing line drawings of geometric shapes that were identified as either targets or distractors. The nine forms of the task varied along two independent graded dimensions: (1) the total number of items in the field (Density: 3 levels) and (2) the number of different distractors in the surround (Complexity: 3 levels). Performance of the AD group was worse than that of the other groups, and performance for all groups declined with density. Error analysis of the impaired performance of the AD subjects showed that they made errors of omission that differed significantly as a function of density. There was no evidence that they could adopt a chunking strategy to accommodate the increased load.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

New criteria for sensory nerve conduction especially useful in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.

This article reports a technique for determining new standard values for median sensory nerve latencies, amplitudes, and durations. Use of these values should significantly improve the ability to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome and to reduce the number of false negative results. Forty-five median sensory nerves of 30 neurologically healthy subjects were evaluated with rigid techniques and temperature control at stimulation and recording points. Latencies for antidromic and orthodromic conduction from wrist-to-thumb, wrist-to-index finger, wrist-to-middle finger, and wrist-to-ring finger (all 14 cm distances) are reported. Conduction time for nerve impulses through the transcarpal segment via ulnar and radial nerves was also measured for comparison with median nerve latencies. In addition to latency measurements, characteristics of electrical responses evoked by stimulation were described. These include amplitude of the recorded response measured from baseline to negative peak and from negative peak to positive peak, duration of the negative response wave (from baseline to return to baseline) and duration measured from onset of the negative wave to the positive peak. According to our data, a distal median nerve sensory latency of more than 3.3 ms (the mean of 2.9 ms plus two standard deviation values of 0.18 ms) when measured to the peak of the negative wave is indicative of abnormality.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Domestic care dependency in the aged: a total community survey in Israel.

Two hundred and sixty elderly residents of 10 rural Israeli communities were screened for the presence of a variety of domestic disabilities using the Domestic Care Dependency Index. The Index measures ability to function without help in shopping, cooking, laundering, housekeeping, reaching a source of primary medical care and identifying doctor-prescribed medication. Sixty-four per cent of the population screened showed dependency in at least one category. Dependency increased with age and was much more common in men (94.7 per cent) than women (33.3 per cent). We emphasize the importance of identifying domestic needs in the elderly, both real and potential, so that family members or community workers can provide help where it is needed and the necessity for prolonged professional or institutional care can be avoided or postponed.

Activities of Daily Living↗