Electroconvulsive therapy for the acute management of severe agitation in dementia (ECT-AD): A modified study protocol.

OBJECTIVE: This study began as a single-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) to investigate the efficacy and safety of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for severe treatment-refractory agitation in advanced dementia. The aims are to assess agitation reduction using the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI), evaluate tolerability and safety outcomes, and explore the long-term stability of agitation reduction and global functioning. Due to challenges encountered during implementation, including recruitment obstacles and operational difficulties, the study design was modified to an open-label format and other protocol amendments were implemented. METHODS: Initially, the RCT randomized participants 1:1 to either ECT plus usual care or simulated ECT plus usual care (S-ECT) groups. As patients were enrolled, data were collected from both ECT and simulated ECT (S-ECT) patients. The study now continues in an open-label study design where all patients receive actual ECT, reducing the targeted sample size from 200 to 50 participants. RESULTS: Study is ongoing and open to enrollment. CONCLUSION: The transition of the ECT-AD study design from an RCT to open-label design exemplifies adaptive research methodologies in response to real-world challenges. Data from both the RCT and open-label phases of the study will provide a unique perspective on the role of ECT in managing severe treatment-refractory agitation in dementia, potentially influencing future clinical practices and research approaches.

Potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on everyday preferences for persons with cognitive impairment.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing guidelines and restrictions brought on changes in the everyday experiences of older adults. It is not clear, however, to what extent the pandemic has impacted the importance of everyday preferences for persons with cognitive impairment (CI) or the proxy ratings of those preferences. The sample of this study included 27 dyads of persons with CI and their care partners. The Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory was used to assess importance of preferences among persons with CI; care partners completed concurrent proxy assessments. Mixed random and fixed effects longitudinal models were used to evaluate changes in ratings and concordance levels between persons with CI and care partners prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Persons with CI rated autonomous choice preferences as significantly more important during the COVID-19 pandemic than before; there was no association between the COVID-19 pandemic and change in other everyday preferences domains or discrepancy in proxy assessments of everyday preferences. Identifying avenues to support and provide for autonomy in the decision-making of older adults with CI may offer a way forward in mitigating the psychological and behavioral impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in this population.

Antipsychotic Medication Use Among Older Adults Following Infection-Related Hospitalization.

Importance: There are limited data on discontinuation rates of antipsychotic medications (APMs) used to treat delirium due to acute hospitalization in the routine care of older adults. Objective: To investigate discontinuation rates and patient characteristics of APMs used to treat delirium following infection-related hospitalization among older US adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using US claims data (Optum's deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart database) for January 1, 2004, to May 31, 2022. Patients were aged 65 years or older without prior psychiatric disorders and had newly initiated an APM prescription within 30 days of an infection-related hospitalization. Statistical analysis was performed on December 15, 2022. Exposures: New use (no prior use any time before cohort entry) of oral haloperidol and atypical APMs (aripiprazole, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, etc). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was APM discontinuation, defined as a gap of more than 15 days following the end of an APM dispensing. Survival analyses and Kaplan-Meier analyses were used. Results: Our study population included 5835 patients. Of these individuals, 790 (13.5%) were new haloperidol users (mean [SD] age, 81.5 [6.7] years; 422 women [53.4%]) and 5045 (86.5%) were new atypical APM users (mean [SD] age, 79.8 [7.0] years; 2636 women [52.2%]). The cumulative incidence of discontinuation by 30 days after initiation was 11.4% (95% CI, 10.4%-12.3%) among atypical APM users and 52.1% (95% CI, 48.2%-55.7%) among haloperidol users (P < .001 for difference between haloperidol vs atypical APMs). We observed an increasing trend in discontinuation rates from 2004 to 2022 (5% increase [95% CI, 3%-7%] per year) for haloperidol users (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.05 [1.03-1.07]; P < .001) but not for atypical APM users (1.00 [0.99-1.01]; P = .67). Prolonged hospitalization and dementia were inversely associated with the discontinuation of haloperidol and atypical APMs. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this cohort study suggest that the discontinuation rate of newly initiated APMs for delirium following infection-related hospitalization was lower in atypical APM users than in haloperidol users, with prolonged hospitalization and dementia as major associated variables. The discontinuation rate was substantially higher in recent years for haloperidol but not for atypical APMs.

Projection of Care Partners' Preferences in the Proxy Assessments of Everyday Preferences for Persons With Cognitive Impairment.

OBJECTIVE: Bias in surrogate decision-making can occur when proxy decision-makers overestimate the degree to which their preferences are shared by others, resulting in a projection of their beliefs onto others. The purpose of this study is to assess projection of care partners' preferences onto surrogate assessments of everyday preferences for persons with cognitive impairment (CI) and to address clinical and demographic factors as predictors of projection. METHODS: The sample included 116 dyads of persons with CI (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score ≥ 0.5) and their care partners. The Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI) was used to assess importance of preferences among persons with CI. Care partners completed two separate PELI assessments: one from the perspective of the persons with CI (i.e., acting as a surrogate decision-maker) and one from their own perspective. To assess for projection of care partners' preferences onto surrogate assessments of preferences for persons with CI, two-step regression with multivariable-adjusted general linear models was used. RESULTS: Significant projection was noted within the PELI domains of autonomous choice, personal growth, and keeping a routine (p < 0.005). More significant cognitive impairment was associated with increased projection within the PELI domains of autonomous choice and personal growth (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that projection of care partners' own preferences may be a significant source of bias in proxy decision-making regarding everyday preferences for persons with CI, particularly for those with more significant CI.

Longitudinal Changes in Neuropsychiatric Symptoms: Impact of Discrepancy in Everyday Preferences Between Persons With Cognitive Impairment and Their Care Partners.

OBJECTIVES: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia are common and may be driven by inability of persons with cognitive impairment (CI) to communicate needs. We addressed the relevance of this unmet-needs model to burden of NPS among persons with milder CI. METHODS: The sample included 48 dyads of persons with CI and their care partners. NPS were measured at baseline and follow-up (mean 486 days +/-107 SD). Mixed random and fixed effects longitudinal models were used to evaluate impact of discrepancies between persons with CI and their care partners in everyday preferences (baseline) on changes in NPS over time. RESULTS: Higher levels of underestimation of "social engagement" preferences of persons with CI by care partners were associated with a higher average burden of NPS across all follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that unmet-needs may be a useful construct for understanding etiology for NPS across the spectrum of severity of cognitive impairment.

Predictors of the importance of everyday preferences for older adults with cognitive impairment.

OBJECTIVES: Among older people with cognitive impairment and mild dementia, relatively little is known about the factors that predict preferences for everyday living activities and experiences and that influence the relative importance of those activities and experiences. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Participants were recruited from the Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (MADRC) Clinical Core longitudinal cohort. PARTICIPANTS: The sample included 62 community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating global score ≥ 0.5). MEASUREMENTS: We used the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI) to assess preferences for activities and lifestyle experiences among persons with cognitive impairment. Within-subjects analysis of variance was used to test for significant differences in the mean ratings of importance for four domains of the PELI ("autonomous choice," "social engagement," "personal growth," and "keeping a routine"). Multiple regression models were used to relate predictors, including neuropsychiatric symptoms, to importance ratings for each domain. RESULTS: Significant differences were noted in the mean importance ratings of the preferences domains: "social engagement" preferences were rated as most important, followed by "autonomous choice," "personal growth," and "keeping a routine." For the "social engagement" preferences domain, female sex was significantly associated with higher importance of "social engagement," while depressive symptoms (Geriatric Depression Scale-15 scores) were significantly associated with lower importance. CONCLUSIONS: This study adds novel insight into the everyday preferences of community-dwelling older adults with cognitive impairment and highlights the impact of a number of factors, particularly level of depression, on how important various everyday experiences are perceived.

Reconsidering Gold Standards for Surrogate Decision Making for People with Dementia.

As dementia progresses and cognitive function declines, surrogate decision making becomes increasingly prevalent. By convention, there is a hierarchical approach to proxy decision making beginning with known wishes, followed by a substituted judgment standard, and then a best-interests standard. For people with dementia, discrepancy in proxy assessments is common and associated with negative behavioral outcomes. Therefore, optimal approaches to proxy decision making for people with dementia should instead prioritize and implement options that encourage direct participation of persons with dementia and standards that explicitly rely on consideration of longitudinal changes in values and preferences for persons with dementia.

Study rationale and baseline data for pilot trial of dronabinol adjunctive treatment of agitation in Alzheimer's dementia (THC-AD).

Agitation is a common complication of Alzheimer's dementia (Agit-AD) associated with substantial morbidity, high healthcare service utilization, and adverse emotional and physical impact on care partners. There are currently no FDA-approved pharmacological treatments for Agit-AD. We present the study design and baseline data for an ongoing multisite, three-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial of dronabinol (synthetic tetrahydrocannabinol [THC]), titrated to a dose of 10 mg daily, in 80 participants to examine the safety and efficacy of dronabinol as an adjunctive treatment for Agit-AD. Preliminary findings for 44 participants enrolled thus far show a predominately female, white sample with advanced cognitive impairment (Mini Mental Status Examination mean 7.8) and agitation (Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Clinician Agitation subscale mean 14.1). Adjustments to study design in light of the COVID-19 pandemic are described. Findings from this study will provide guidance for the clinical utility of dronabinol for Agit-AD. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02792257.

Longitudinal differences in everyday preferences: Comparisons between people with cognitive impairment and their care partners.

OBJECTIVES: Persons with progressive cognitive impairment (CI) increasingly rely on surrogate decision-makers for everyday activities. Yet, little is known about changes in everyday preferences over time or about concordance between persons with CI and their care partners regarding longitudinal changes. METHODS: The sample included 48 dyads of persons with CI (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale score ≥0.5) and their care partners. The Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory was used to assess importance of preferences among persons with CI at baseline and follow-up (mean 486 days). Care partners separately completed concurrent proxy assessments. Mixed random and fixed effects longitudinal models were used to evaluate changes in ratings and concordance levels between persons with CI and care partners. RESULTS: There were significant gender differences regarding importance ratings of "autonomous choice" and "social engagement" preferences over time: women with CI rated these preferences as more important across time as a whole. Higher levels of neuropsychiatric symptoms were associated with less importance of "social engagement" preferences across time as a whole for persons with CI and a more negative discrepancy between persons with CI and care partner proxy assessments as time went on. CONCLUSION: This study yields new insights into predictors of longitudinal change in everyday preferences among persons with CI and their care partners. Although preferences were largely stable over time, there is increasing support for the relationship between differences in "social engagement" preferences and neuropsychiatric symptoms, which may have implications for monitoring and/or treatment in the context of cognitive impairment.

Characterization of Prenylated C-terminal Peptides Using a Thiopropyl-based Capture Technique and LC-MS/MS.

Posttranslational modifications play a critical and diverse role in regulating cellular activities. Despite their fundamentally important role in cellular function, there has been no report to date of an effective generalized approach to the targeting, extraction, and characterization of the critical c-terminal regions of natively prenylated proteins. Various chemical modification and metabolic labeling strategies in cell culture have been reported. However, their applicability is limited to cell culture systems and does not allow for analysis of tissue samples. The chemical characteristics (hydrophobicity, low abundance, highly basic charge) of many of the c-terminal regions of prenylated proteins have impaired the use of standard proteomic workflows. In this context, we sought a direct approach to the problem in order to examine these proteins in tissue without the use of labeling. Here we demonstrate that prenylated proteins can be captured on chromatographic resins functionalized with mixed disulfide functions. Protease treatment of resin-bound proteins using chymotryptic digestion revealed peptides from many known prenylated proteins. Exposure of the protease-treated resin to reducing agents and hydro organic mixtures released c-terminal peptides with intact prenyl groups along with other enzymatic modifications expected in this protein family. Database and search parameters were selected to allow for c-terminal modifications unique to these molecules such as CAAX box processing and c-terminal methylation. In summary, we present a direct approach to enrich and obtain information at a molecular level of detail about prenylation of proteins from tissue and cell extracts using high-performance LC-MS without the need for metabolic labeling and derivatization.

Differences in Assessment of Everyday Preferences Between People With Cognitive Impairment and Their Care Partners: The Role of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: As cognitive impairment progresses, people with dementia increasingly rely on surrogate decision-makers for everyday activities. Yet, little is known about concordance on everyday preferences between persons with cognitive impairment and their care partners. METHODS: The sample included 69 dyads of persons with cognitive impairment (Clinical Dementia Rating Scale ≥0.5) and their care partners. We used the Preferences for Everyday Living Inventory (PELI) to assess preferences for activities and lifestyle choices among persons with cognitive impairment. The PELI was concurrently but separately administered to care partners, who answered as surrogate decision-makers. Factor analysis was used to ascertain factor structure of the PELI; reliability measures were computed within the sample. Paired sample t-tests were used to estimate differences in scores of corresponding PELI items for each factor. Multiple regression models were used to relate predictors, including neuropsychiatric symptoms, to agreement levels. RESULTS: Four factors were identified from the PELI: autonomous choice, social engagement, personal growth, and keeping a routine. Significant participant-care partner discrepancy was found in "social engagement" preferences (e.g., regular contact with family, meeting new people, volunteering). Geriatric Depression Scale-15 score and care partner sex were significantly associated with participant-care partner discrepancies in "social engagement" preferences. CONCLUSION: This study yields new insights regarding the most important preferences for persons with cognitive impairment and clarifies a path to optimizing surrogate decision-making around everyday preferences by highlighting areas of apparent disagreement and identifying potential predictors of discrepancy.

Characteristics of Hospice Referrals From an Inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry Unit.

OBJECTIVE: Geriatric psychiatrists who treat neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia are in the unique position of offering palliation to people with terminal illness in whom neuropsychiatric symptoms may be indicators of the illness's end stage (e.g., feeding problems). Little is known, however, about the characteristics of hospice referrals from inpatient geriatric psychiatry units. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of patients with dementia admitted to an inpatient geriatric psychiatry unit and referred to hospice on discharge. RESULTS: Patients were referred to hospice because of feeding problems, with oral intake insufficient to sustain life. Most patients (78%) died within 31 days of discharge, and all patients (100%) died within 6 months of discharge. CONCLUSION: The results from this study support a symptom-based approach to hospice referral for people with dementia, as opposed to prognostic estimation, where certain symptom clusters may indicate a more rapidly progressing course.