Insomnia in neurological diseases.

Insomnia is defined as difficulties of initiating and maintaining sleep, early awakening and poor subjective sleep quality despite adequate opportunity and circumstances for sleep with impairment of daytime performance. These components of insomnia - namely persistent sleep difficulties despite of adequate sleep opportunity resulting in daytime dysfunction - appear secondary or co-morbid to neurological diseases. Comorbid insomnia originates from neurodegenerative, inflammatory, traumatic or ischemic changes in sleep regulating brainstem and hypothalamic nuclei with consecutive changes of neurotransmitters.

Online information and support for carers of people with young-onset dementia: A multi-site randomised controlled pilot study.

Objectives: The European RHAPSODY project sought to develop and test an online information and support programme for caregivers of individuals diagnosed with young onset dementia. The objectives were to assess user acceptability and satisfaction with the programme and to test outcome measures for a larger effectiveness study.

Design: A pilot randomised controlled trial in England, France, and Germany was conducted with 61 caregivers for adults with young onset Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal degeneration.

RHAPSODY - Internet-based support for caregivers of people with young onset dementia: program design and methods of a pilot study.

Background: Young Onset Dementia (YOD), defined by first symptoms of cognitive or behavioral decline occurring before the age of 65 years, is relatively rare compared to dementia of later onset, but it is associated with diagnostic difficulty and heavy burden on affected individuals and their informal carers. Existing health and social care structures rarely meet the needs of YOD patients. Internet-based interventions are a novel format of delivering health-related education, counseling, and support to this vulnerable yet underserved group.

[Dementia in Germany: results of an interdisciplinary expert workshop].

In the aging population of Germany the consequences of Dementia for the society and the health care sector are complex and solutions require a multidisciplinary approach. The aim of the two-day interdisciplinary expert conference was to consider dementia from different perspectives, to identify dementia-related problems and to discuss integrative solutions under consideration of complementary therapies. In different working groups the experts developed solutions and recommendations with regards to political need, health care and future research priorities.

Occurrence of hypercementosis in a German population.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the occurrence of hypercementosis in a selected German dental school patient population.

Methods: A total of 800 full-mouth periapical radiographic series were screened. The radiographs were evaluated under optimal conditions by using double magnifying glasses.

Evaluation of a brief educational program for dementia carers: the AENEAS study.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of a practical, easily implemented, educational intervention in group format for informal carers of persons with dementia.

Methods: Multi-centre, randomised, controlled, single-blind trial involving 292 family caregivers of patients with moderate dementia in Alzheimer's disease.

Results: Participants valued program components which had a practical impact on their caring role.

Alzheimer's disease in real life--the dementia carer's survey.

Background: Informal care from relatives provides the foundation of care for people with Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is important to understand the conditions under which carers perform their, often neglected, task. The dementia carer's survey aimed to identify carers' needs, differences between countries with regard to dementia care and the level of satisfaction of carers with utilised services.