Biomedical subjects

K Engedal

Publications and source records attributed to K Engedal.

43 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1989

Electroencephalography, visual evoked potentials, and cerebral CAT-scan as diagnostic tools in senile dementia of Alzheimer type.

The usefulness of a cerebral computed tomogram (CAT-scan), an electro-encephalogram (EEG), and flash visual evoked responses (FVER) as diagnostic tools in dementia was studied in 36 mentally impaired and 32 unimpaired persons aged 75 yr and above, who were recruited from a random sample of elderly people living at home. The clinical diagnosis of dementia was made after a full psychogeriatric assessment supplemented by a follow-up 18 mo later. When the measures of cortical atrophy from a cerebral CAT-scan, the presence/absence of diffuse slow activity on a standard EEG, and FVER P200 and FVER P100 latencies were introduced in a logistic regression model, the clinical diagnoses being the dependent variable, an effective prediction of senile dementia of Alzheimer type (SDAT) was obtained (sensitivity 93%, specificity 86%, misclassification rate 12%). We conclude that the use of FVER, an EEG, and a cerebral CAT-scan may facilitate the diagnosis of senile dementia of Alzheimer type.

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PubMed1989

Day care for demented patients in general nursing homes. Effects on admissions to institutions and mental capacity.

A day centre programme for demented patients aged 75 years and over was evaluated in a controlled trial, emphasizing its effect on the use of institutional care and mental capacity. A cost-benefit analysis of the programme was also performed. Thirty-eight patients were offered day care, thirty-nine served as controls. The programme was cost-effective in the sense that it reduced the frequency of the admissions to the acute units of the City hospitals and the cost of care. However, admission to permanent stay in nursing home was not delayed. The mental capacity deteriorated at the same rate in the two groups.

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PubMed1989

Diagnostic evaluation of the mentally impaired elderly living at home.

Of 334 elderly persons aged 75 years and over, drawn from a random sample living at home, 38 were diagnosed as mentally impaired by a GP during an examination in the respondent's home. The GP also made diagnoses as to the cause of the mental impairment. These diagnoses agreed in 79% of cases with the final diagnoses after psychogeriatric assessment, including cerebral CAT-scan, EEG, and ECG investigation. The GP's diagnosis was changed in 8 cases; in 5 primarily due to the findings on the cerebral CAT-scan, and in 3 to the psychogeriatric assessment. The study showed that a GP with some experience in geriatric medicine was able to arrive at a correct clinical diagnosis regarding the cause of acquired mental impairment in elderly people in about 3/4 of the cases. A programme for the GP's diagnostic evaluation of the mentally impaired elderly is outlined.

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PubMed1988

An attempt to identify and describe a group of non-institutionalised elderly with the lowest nutrient score.

This report presents an attempt to identify the elderly with the least satisfactory diet (those with the 20% lowest total nutrient score (Group A)). Group A is compared with the elderly with the most satisfactory diet (those with the 20% highest total nutrient score (Group B)). The groups were compared according to demographical data, health problems, body mass index (BMI), social isolation and utilization of services. The sample, 201 women and 54 men, mean age 82 and 80 years, respectively, consisted of non-institutionalised elderly in Oslo. A food frequency interview method was used to collect information about diet. Other data were collected through interviews, observation and physical examinations. Group A had a higher percentage of women (87 vs 68%), were of higher age (83 vs 81 years), and a higher percentage had a BMI below 20 kg/m2 (36 vs 19%). The elderly in A, regardless of gender, had lower mobility function and were less often out of doors during the summer than those in B. No differences were seen in the percentages of those wearing dentures (81 vs 78%), living alone (83 vs 77%), duration of education (8.3 vs 8.4 years), and economic limitations on food purchases.

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PubMed1988

Efficacy of short mental tests in the detection of mental impairment in old age.

The usefulness, inter-rater reliability, and validity of six mental tests, the MMS, the GMS, the MSQ, the VRT, the OLT, and the DCT were studied in 81 patients over the age of 75 years. The patients were classified as being mentally impaired or unimpaired by psychogeriatric assessment. All tests had high reliability. The MMS, GMS, MSQ, and OLT were the most feasible and useful. The tests were validated by logistic regression analysis and the most efficient were the MMS, GMS, and OLT. Improvement was achieved when two or all three tests were used simultaneously. The three tests seem to be suitable tools for the detection of mental failure in patients of old age.

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PubMed1988

Dietary intakes and nutritional status of old people with dementia living at home in Oslo.

A nutritional study was carried out of 16 independent-living elderly (9 women, 7 men) suffering from dementia and a control group matched for sex and age. The study consisted of interview (with participants or relatives/home helps), a 3-d weighed dietary record and biochemical determinations of blood components. No significant difference in mean daily energy intake between demented elderly (women 7.2 +/- 2.0 MJ, men 8.6 +/- 1.2 MJ) and controls (women 6.9 +/- 0.7 MJ, men 9.4 +/- 2.0 MJ) was found. The women with dementia had lower dietary intakes of protein (P less than 0.05), thiamin (P less than 0.05) and vitamin C (P less than 0.01) than female controls. For both sexes in both groups the nutrients most lacking were vitamin D and thiamin. Dietary supplements were more frequently used among elderly with dementia (50 per cent) than among controls (13 per cent) (P less than 0.05). Except for vitamin D, supplements did not reduce the number of demented elderly with low intakes (less than two-thirds of the recommendations) because generally those in most need were non-users. The demented elderly had lower levels of haemoglobin and folic acid (blood and plasma) (P less than 0.05) but better thiamin status (alpha-transketolase) than controls (P less than 0.05). No difference in mean levels of protein, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, vitamin E, vitamin B12 in serum was found. Individuals with blood or serum levels of nutrients below reference values were more frequently found among the demented elderly than among controls. In the dementia group 2 individuals with low levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D also had clinical evidence of osteomalacia.

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PubMed1988

Prevalence of dementia in a Norwegian sample aged 75 years and over and living at home.

The prevalence of dementia in the age group 75 and over was studied in a random sample of elderly living at home. The MMS and the GMS were used as screening instruments, supplemented by medical history and a physical examination. The dementia diagnosis was confirmed by psychogeriatric assessment and a follow-up after 18 months. The prevalence of dementia in this sample was 10.5%; for severe dementia 3.8%, and for mild dementia 6.7%. Its occurrence was found to be unrelated to gender, marital status, domestic status, and duration of schooling.

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