Online information and support for carers of people with young-onset dementia: A multi-site randomised controlled pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: The European RHAPSODY project sought to develop and test an online information and support programme for caregivers of individuals diagnosed with young onset dementia. The objectives were to assess user acceptability and satisfaction with the programme and to test outcome measures for a larger effectiveness study. DESIGN: A pilot randomised controlled trial in England, France, and Germany was conducted with 61 caregivers for adults with young onset Alzheimer's disease or frontotemporal degeneration. Evaluations at baseline, week 6, and week 12 assessed user acceptability and satisfaction. Use of the programme was measured from online back-end data. Qualitative feedback on user experiences was collected via semi-structured interviews. Measures of caregiver well-being (self-efficacy, stress, burden, frequency of patient symptoms, and caregiver reactions) were explored for use in a subsequent trial. RESULTS: Participants logged in online on average once a week over a 6-week period, consulting approximately 31% of programme content. Seventy percent of participants described the programme as useful and easy to use. Eighty-five percent expressed intent to use the resource in the future. Reductions in reported levels of stress and caregivers' negative reactions to memory symptoms were observed following use of the programme. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicated that the RHAPSODY programme was acceptable and useful to caregivers. The programme may be complementary to existing services in responding to the specific needs of families affected by young onset dementia. Distribution of the programme is underway in England, France, Germany, and Portugal.

RHAPSODY - Internet-based support for caregivers of people with young onset dementia: program design and methods of a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Young Onset Dementia (YOD), defined by first symptoms of cognitive or behavioral decline occurring before the age of 65 years, is relatively rare compared to dementia of later onset, but it is associated with diagnostic difficulty and heavy burden on affected individuals and their informal carers. Existing health and social care structures rarely meet the needs of YOD patients. Internet-based interventions are a novel format of delivering health-related education, counseling, and support to this vulnerable yet underserved group. METHODS: The RHAPSODY (Research to Assess Policies and Strategies for Dementia in the Young) project is a European initiative to improve care for people with YOD by providing an internet-based information and skill-building program for family carers. The e-learning program focuses on managing problem behaviors, dealing with role change, obtaining support, and looking after oneself. It will be evaluated in a pilot study in three countries using a randomized unblinded design with a wait-list control group. Participants will be informal carers of people with dementia in Alzheimer's disease or behavioral-variant Frontotemporal degeneration with an onset before the age of 65 years. The primary outcome will be caregiving self-efficacy after 6 weeks of program use. As secondary outcomes, caregivers' stress and burden, carer health-related quality of life, caring-related knowledge, patient problem behaviors, and user satisfaction will be assessed. Program utilization will be monitored and a health-economic evaluation will also be performed. CONCLUSIONS: The RHAPSODY project will add to the evidence on the potential and limitations of a conveniently accessible, user-friendly, and comprehensive internet-based intervention as an alternative for traditional forms of counseling and support in healthcare, aiming to optimize care and support for people with YOD and their informal caregivers.

Availability of information on young onset dementia for patients and carers in six European countries.

OBJECTIVES: To identify information available in six European countries (England, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden) that addresses the specific needs of people with young onset dementia (YOD) and their carers, and identify gaps. METHODS: Search of websites of organisations with potential interest in dementia. Narrative synthesis and comparative analysis. RESULTS: 21 sources of information were identified (Netherlands 6, England 6, France 3, Germany 2, Portugal 2, Sweden 2); 11 were from voluntary sector organisations. Sources dedicated to YOD were limited (4 websites, 4 books); all other YOD information was sub-entries in generic dementia sources, difficult to locate and with limited coverage of relevant topics. Gaps related to implications of living with YOD in Germany, Portugal and Sweden. CONCLUSION: Availability of information varies among countries, some having no dedicated source and incomplete coverage of issues of importance to YOD. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Information is an important means of supporting carers; their needs change as the condition progresses. A comprehensive resource collating key information is needed so that the issues that differentiate the specific needs of people living with YOD from those of people with dementia in older age are available and easily located.

Efficacy and safety of human parathyroid hormone-(1-84) in increasing bone mineral density in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Daily sc injections of N-terminal analogs of PTH increase bone mass and decrease fractures in osteoporotic women. We investigated the efficacy and safety of human PTH-(1-84) (full-length PTH) in the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The women (n = 50-53/group) self-administered PTH (50, 75, or 100 microg) or placebo by daily sc injection for 12 months. PTH treatment induced time- and dose-related increases in lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD). The 100-microg dose increased BMD significantly at 3 months (+2.0%) and 12 months (+7.8%). BMD underestimated the anabolic effect of PTH in lumbar spine (bone mineral content, +10.0%) because bone area increased significantly (+2.0%). A nonsignificant decrease (-0.9%) in total hip BMD occurred during the first 6 months with the 100-microg dose, but this trend reversed (+1.6%) during the second 6 months. Bone turnover markers increased during the first half of the study and were maintained at elevated levels during the second 6 months. Protocol compliance was excellent (95-98%), and treatment was generally safe and well tolerated. Dose-related incidences of transient hypercalcemia occurred, but only one patient (100-microg group) was withdrawn because of repeated hypercalcemia. Thus, full-length PTH was efficacious and safe over 12 months.

Defining a noncarcinogenic dose of recombinant human parathyroid hormone 1-84 in a 2-year study in Fischer 344 rats.

The carcinogenic potential of human parathyroid hormone 1-84 (PTH) was assessed by daily subcutaneous injection (0, 10, 50, 150 microg/kg/day) for 2 years in Fischer 344 rats. Histopathological analyses were conducted on the standard set of soft tissues, tissues with macroscopic abnormalities, selected bones, and bones with abnormalities identified radiographically. All PTH doses caused widespread osteosclerosis and significant, dose-dependent increases in femoral and vertebral bone mineral content and density. In the mid-and high-dose groups, proliferative changes in bone increased with dose. Osteosarcoma was the most common change, followed by focal osteoblast hyperplasia, osteoblastoma, osteoma and skeletal fibrosarcoma. The incidence of bone neoplasms was comparable in control and low-dose groups providing a noncarcinogenic dose for PTH of 10 microg/kg/day at a systemic exposure to PTH that is 4.6-fold higher than for a 100 microg dose in humans. The ability of PTH to interact with and balance the effects of both the PTH-1 receptor and the putative C-terminal PTH receptor, may lead to the lower carcinogenic potential observed with PTH than reported previously for teriparatide.