Gallagher-Thompson, Dolores, Wang, Peng-Chih, Liu, Weiling, Cheung, Vinnie, Peng, Rebecca, China, Danielle, Thompson, Larry W.

Prior research (Gallagher-Thompson, D., Gray, H., Tang, P., Pu, C.-Y., Tse, C., Hsu, S., et al. (2007). Impact of in-home intervention versus telephone support in reducing depression and stress of Chinese caregivers: Results of a pilot study. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15, 425-434.) found that an in-home behavioral management program, derived conceptually from cognitive […]

Flynn Longmire, Crystal V., Drye, Lea T., Frangakis, Constantine E., Martin, Barbara K., Meinert, Curtis L., Mintzer, Jacobo E., Munro, Cynthia A., Porsteinsson, Anton P., Rabins, Peter V., Rosenberg, Paul B., Schneider, Lon S., Weintraub, Daniel, Lyketsos, Constantine G.

Objective: We wanted to assess if sertraline treatment (versus placebo) or remission of depression at 12 weeks (versus nonremission) in Alzheimer patients is associated with improved caregiver well being.; Methods: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the efficacy and safety of sertraline for the treatment of depression in individuals with Alzheimer disease […]

Fan, Jue-Ting, Chen, Kuei-Min

Background: This study aimed to test the effects of yoga exercises on the physical and mental health of elderly people with dementia living in long-term care facilities.; Methods: A quasi-experimental, pretest-post-test design was used. A convenience sample of 68 residents in long-term care facilities in southern Taiwan, aged 60 years and above with mild to […]

Eggermont, Laura H.P., Knol, Dirk L., Hol, Elly M., Swaab, Dick F., Scherder, Erik J.A.

Background: Physical activity such as walking may exert a positive impact on cognition and behaviour in older persons with dementia, but due to the frailty of the population it may be worthwhile to consider other motor activities as well.; Objective: Examining the effects of hand motor activity on cognition, mood and the rest-activity rhythm in […]

Davis, Jennifer Duncan, Tremont, Geoffrey, Bishop, Duane S., Fortinsky, Richard H.

Objective: Study the preliminary efficacy of a telephone intervention, Family Intervention: Telephone Tracking-Nursing Home (FITT-NH) for improving dementia caregivers’ adjustment following nursing home placement.; Methods: Caregivers were enrolled on average 6 weeks following the care-recipients’ placement in a nursing home. Baseline assessment included self-report measures of caregiver emotional functioning, staff-caregiver interactions, placement satisfaction, health-related quality […]

Czaja, Sara J., Loewenstein, David, Schulz, Richard, Nair, Sankaran N., Perdomo, Dolores

Background/objectives: Available services and intervention programs for dementia caregivers are often underutilized because of issues such as cost, logistics, lack of knowledge about available services, or insufficient support from others. Information technologies offer the potential of removing these barriers and facilitating the ability of caregivers to access needed support. This project evaluated the feasibility and […]

Conradsson, Mia, Littbrand, Håkan, Lindelöf, Nina, Gustafson, Yngve, Rosendahl, Erik

Objectives: To evaluate the effects of a high-intensity functional exercise programme on depressive symptoms and psychological well-being among older people dependent in activities of daily living (ADL) and living in residential care facilities.; Method: Cluster-randomized controlled study. Participants were 191 older people, aged 65-100, dependent in ADL and with Mini Mental State Examination scores between […]

Chu, H., Yang, C.-Y., Lin, Y., Ou, K.-L., Lee, T.-Y., O'Brien, A. P., Chou, K.-R.

Objective: The aims of this study were to determine the effectiveness of group music therapy for improving depression and delaying the deterioration of cognitive functions in elderly persons with dementia.; Method: The study had a prospective, parallel-group design with permuted-block randomization. Older persons with dementia (N = 104) were randomly assigned to the experimental or […]

Buettner, Linda L., Fitzsimmons, Suzanne

This project tested a 12-week health promotion course for older adults with early-stage dementia. In a quasi-experimental design, participants were assigned by site to intervention group or control group and evaluated at two time points. Mini-Mental State Examination scores, Geriatric Depression Scale scores, health behaviors, plus several measures of psychological well-being were used in this […]

Barnes, Lisa L., Mendes de Leon, Carlos F., Bienias, Julia L., Wilson, Robert S., Everson-Rose, Susan A., Evans, Denis A.

Objective: To test whether the level of hostility predicted the rate of cognitive decline in a community of older blacks and whites and whether the association varied as a function of race.; Methods: Over 4800 persons from a defined community in Chicago completed up to three structured interviews at approximately 3 year intervals over a […]