Training cognition in older male prisoners: lessons learned from a feasibility study.

With increasing numbers of older prisoners, effective strategies for preventing and treating age-associated diseases, such as cognitive disorders, are needed. As pharmacological therapies are limited, non-pharmacological interventions are increasingly recognized as potential treatment strategies. One approach is cognitive training (CT).

Development and implementation of quality indicators in a group of nine psychiatric hospitals.

Quality indicators (QI) are becoming increasingly important in mental healthcare in Germany. QI can be used for various purposes, such as for creating transparency as well as for benchmarking between hospitals. QI themselves are subject to high quality standards.

Lithium Therapy in Old Age: Recommendations from a Delphi Survey.

Introduction: While lithium (Li) has been well established for the treatment of bipolar disorder, geriatric patients require special attention when it comes to issues of drug safety. Declining renal function, amongst other medical conditions, and polypharmacy may pose increased risks. Only a few previous studies have addressed the management of Li in geriatric patients.

[Lithium treatment for affective disorders in old age].

Background: Lithium is considered the gold standard for the treatment of bipolar affective disorder for the prevention of recurrence of manic and depressive episodes and for augmentation treatment in unipolar severe depressive episodes. The indications for treatment with lithium do not differ for older or younger patients. Nevertheless, there are a number of aspects to be considered with respect to drug safety in the group of old patients.

Cognitive function in patients undergoing cystectomy for bladder cancer - results from a prospective observational study.

Background: Impaired cognitive function of bladder cancer patients plays a role in coping with the kind of urinary diversion and may impact perioperative morbidity. In this study we therefore aimed to assess the prevalence of mild cognitive impairment in patients undergoing radical cystectomy. Secondary objectives included correlation of common cognition tests, assessment of the admitting physician, and perioperative complication rates.

Characteristics of antipsychotic drug-induced hypothermia in psychogeriatric inpatients.

Objective: Hypothermia is a potentially lethal adverse reaction to typical and atypical antipsychotic drugs (APD). Among predisposing factors are advanced age and comorbid somatic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of hypothermia and quantify risk factors.

Association of Cerebrospinal Fluid S100B Protein with Core Biomarkers and Cognitive Deficits in Prodromal and Mild Alzheimer's Disease.

Background: Increased expression of the astroglial Ca2+-binding protein S100B has been observed in various neurodegenerative diseases and also seems to play a role in the unfolding of pathophysiological events at early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Objective: To examine the association of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of S100B with 1) established CSF core biomarkers total tau (tau), hyperphosphorylated tau (p-tau), and amyloid β1-42 (Aβ1-42) as well as neuron-specific enolase (NSE) CSF levels and 2) cognition in early AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD (MCI-AD).

Methods: Retrospective study assessing 49 pooled charts of Memory Clinic and inpatients diagnosed with AD (N = 26) and MCI-AD (N = 23) according to the National Institute of Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Association (NIA-AA) criteria.

Longitudinal progression of posterior cortical atrophy over 11 years: Relationship between lesion topology and clinical deficits.

Posterior cortical atrophy (PCA) is a rare form of dementia primarily characterized by slowly progressing deterioration of visual processing corresponding to atrophy in the posterior parietal and occipital cortices with less prominent memory loss than are usually seen in other forms of dementia such as Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In the present case report, we describe longitudinal data over a period of 11 years regarding clinical and neuropsychological impairments and their relation to the location and extent of cortical changes related to higher order visual processing in a patient with posterior cortical atrophy. In our patient, visual processing deficits concerning space, motion and object perception emerged at the age of 50 and continued to worsen.

A systematic evaluation of impulsive-aggressive behavior in psychogeriatric inpatients using the staff observation aggression scale-revision (SOAS-R).

Background: Impulsive-aggressive behavior is a significant challenge in geriatric psychiatry and requires professional evaluation and management.

Methods: SOAS-R scales (Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revision) completed by medical staff on three secure psychiatric wards were analyzed during a period of 12 months. Patients were subdivided into the following two diagnostic subgroups: dementia and other diagnoses.

Repressive Coping Does Not Contribute to Anosognosia in First-Diagnosis Patients With Alzheimer Disease.

Anosognosia is common in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) even in early stages. Although neural correlates and the impact of cognitive dysfunctions have been described, possible psychodynamic processes such as a repressive coping style as described in other illnesses, have not been examined. Our study aimed to examine possible psychological influence factors on illness perception embracing a repressive coping style and cognitive functions in AD patients in the diagnostic process.

Epidemiology, symptoms, and treatment characteristics of hyponatremic psychiatric inpatients.

Hyponatremia is a common phenomenon in psychiatry occurring as an adverse effect to drugs or following polydipsia. We performed a retrospective in-depth analysis of hyponatremia cases in a large unselected population of psychiatric inpatients. During a 3-year period, all cases of hyponatremia were identified among patients admitted to a large psychiatric state and university hospital by the institution's electronic laboratory database.

Multielectrode array analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer's disease versus mild cognitive impairment: a potential diagnostic and treatment biomarker.

Pathological cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) alterations like changes in amyloid-β1-42 and tau protein concentration are typical in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear, if the composition of known or unknown pathological factors in native CSF has a functional significance in AD. In this pilot study, we used multielectrode array (MEA) neurochips to determine whether CSF of individuals with AD (AD-CSF) may have distinct neurofunctional properties that may distinguish it from that of individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) - a differential diagnosis of high clinical importance.

[Integrating patients with dementia and anosognosia into community care by a psychogeriatric consultation service].

Objective: Patients with dementia and anosognosia were to be integrated into a dementia-network.

Methods: Home visits were performed during a period of two years. Socio-demographic variables, degree of severity of dementia and recommended measures were documented and evaluated.