Senile Dementia of Extreme Aging: A Common Disorder of Centenarians

Powell, Artiss L.

doi:10.1159/000106704

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…One major consequence of an ongoing demographic aging is a substantial increase in the occurrence of dementia [13,32], in Germany as well as in other countries. Different studies conclude that senile dementia is strongly age-related [28,33,34], Depending on the specific instruments to diagnose dementia, the prevalence rates of dementia among the oldest old is esti mated to be between 16 and 43% in Germany [28], With respect to this observation the low frequency of dementia among elderly hospital patients is remarkable. The low prevalence rate of dementia in our sample may be seen as an indirect sign of a general underestimation of this diag nosis, which has already been described in the literature [10,11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Dementia in German Acute Care Hospitals

Dinkel

Lebok²

1997

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

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In this study a representative sample of German acute care hospitals is used to describe the effects of dementia within acute care hospitals. Data from hospital patients above age 60 with the diagnosis dementia (ICD 290, 293, 294 and 310), collected over an observation period of 12 years, are compared with nondemented hospital patients at the same ages. The differences in the average length of stay between demented and nondemented patients are only relatively small in German acute care hospitals. The degree of multimorbidity is higher and hospital infections are more frequent for demented patients. The main differences occur with mortality: demented inpatients of both sexes experience a hospital mortality which is about twice as high as for nondemented patients at the same ages.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Dementia in German Acute Care Hospitals

Dinkel

Lebok²

1997

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

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“…SST has been widely accepted for the healthy elderly [19] and whether it applies to AD (which some researchers see as extreme aging, (e.g. [20]) is, I believe, worthwhile as we move towards more individual-based treatments.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the individual with Alzheimer’s disease: Can socioemotional selectivity theory guide us?

Mark¹

2012

AAD

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Individuals often get lost behind the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) while widespread differences between these patients are more common than similarities. Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST) suggests that as we age our goals change from future-oriented (acquiring new information) to present-oriented (enhancing the emotional, especially positive, meaning of encounters). The goal of the current article is to examine whether the principles of SST might also apply for people with AD. Some aspects of SST are found especially in the early stages of AD when awareness is often intact and cognitive impairment is relatively limited. This review has clinical significance for the treatment of AD because it focuses on what is important to the individual rather than treating patients as a homogenous group. It also highlights the importance of social networks and emphasizes the role of the proxy in AD care. Lastly, it suggests that if those with AD (like the healthy elderly) have a positivity bias then positive emotional stimuli/ wording/instructions could usefully be employed in their daily treatment. I suggest that SST may be a useful starting point when attempting to address what matters to individuals with AD and conclude by providing a few suggestions for future studies.

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“…Cognitive function and dementia have been examined in a number of centenarian studies (30,59,62,63,(108)(109)(110)(111)(112)(113)(114)(115). It can be very difficult to diagnose mild dementia in centenarians because of the frequent incidence of reduced vision and hearing.…”

Section: Do Healthy Centenarians Exist?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Living longer — but better?

Jeune

2002

Aging Clin Exp Res

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The highest attained age has increased by about 20 years since the beginning of the 19th century. In the course of the 1990s, more than ten individuals reached 115 years or more, including Jeanne Calment who attained the age of 122 years. In low-mortality countries, the number of centenarians has doubled every decade since 1950. This dramatic increase was mainly due to periodical effects related to the drastic fall in mortality among the elderly. The fact that centenarians are survivors does not mean that they are healthy. A high prevalence of comorbidity is found, and many centenarians have survived major diseases thanks to medical treatment and surgery. It is, however, possible that the comorbidity is less serious than in younger elderly. Certain personality traits may also be important in surviving health-threatening conditions. Furthermore, a number of biological and cognitive functions seem to be well-preserved in several centenarians. The influence of the apoE-gene and other genes involved in fundamental mechanisms illustrates that with advancing age and increasing mortality even small risks may have a substantial effect on survival to 100 years. A small proportion of long-livers may be considered as relatively autonomous, and this proportion will probably increase in the future. We are living longer and seem to postpone the terminal dependent phase to higher ages. Longevity may thus be perceived as part of our postmodern condition with its mix of pleasure and suffering.

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Senile Dementia of Extreme Aging: A Common Disorder of Centenarians

Cited by 16 publications

References 9 publications

The Effects of Dementia in German Acute Care Hospitals

The Effects of Dementia in German Acute Care Hospitals

Understanding the individual with Alzheimer’s disease: Can socioemotional selectivity theory guide us?

Living longer — but better?

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