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Patients in Australian Memory Clinics: baseline characteristics and predictors of decline at six months

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2011

Henry Brodaty ,
Michael Woodward ,
Karyn Boundy ,
David Ames  and
Robert Balshaw
Henry Brodaty*
Affiliation:
Dementia Collaborative Research Centre, School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney, Australia Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia
Michael Woodward
Affiliation:
Austin Health, Heidelberg Repatriation Hospital, Heidelberg, VIC, Australia
Karyn Boundy
Affiliation:
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Woodville South, SA, Australia
David Ames
Affiliation:
National Ageing Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia Ageing and Health, University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Robert Balshaw
Affiliation:
Syreon Corporation, Vancouver, Canada
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Professor Henry Brodaty, School of Psychiatry, University of NSW, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Phone: +61 2 9385 2585; Fax: +61 2 9385 2200. Email: h.brodaty@unsw.edu.au.
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Abstract

Background: The Prospective Research In MEmory clinics (PRIME) is a three-year non-prescriptive, observational study identifying and measuring relationships among predictor and outcome variables.

Methods: Patients from nine memory clinics, diagnosed with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), living in the community with <40 hours/week nursing care were divided into diagnostic groups defined at baseline as Alzheimer's disease (AD) early or late onset, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), vascular dementia (VaD), mixed (AD and VaD) and other dementia. To achieve outcome measures, baseline and change over six months in all measures by diagnostic group, and predictors of change at six months were examined.

Results: Of the 970 patients enrolled, 967 were eligible for analysis. The most common disorder was AD (late onset) accounting for 46.5% of this population. Patients had an overall slight worsening on all assessment scales over the six-month period. Patients with FTD had a more marked change (decline) in cognition, function and behavior over six months compared to other diagnostic groups. However, in the regression analysis the difference was not significant between groups. Predictors of decline in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores were not robust at six months, and longer follow-up is required. Patients with FTD were more likely to be prescribed psychotropics.

Conclusion: The PRIME study is continuing and will provide important data on predictors of decline along with differences between diagnosis groups on the rate of change.

Keywords

dementiamild cognitive impairmentpredictorsAlzheimer's diseaseprospective study
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 23 , Issue 7 , September 2011 , pp. 1086 - 1096
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2011

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