The Mex-Cog cognitive assessment battery: discriminant analysis of the cognitive performance profile in older adults.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the cognitive profile of a clinical sample using the Mex-Cog cognitive battery and establish which cognitive measures and domains contribute most to group separation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A group of 145 older adults previously diagnosed with dementia (n= 47), mild cognitive impairment MCI (n= 47), or as cognitively normal (n= 51) were assessed with the Mex-Cog cognitive battery. Six linear discriminant analyses (LDA) were estimated to compare dementia vs. cognitively normal, MCI vs. cognitively normal, and MCI vs. dementia, using ten individual measures and six cognitive domains. We used a leave-one-out cross-validation procedure to evaluate the predictive capacity of LDA models. RESULTS: Discriminant functions using individual measures and domains distinguished correctly 100% of dementia and cognitively normal groups showing a memory and executive function profile. The predictive group membership for MCI versus cognitively normal varied between 82 and 85%, with a cognitive profile associated with attention-executive function followed by memory. Group separation between MCI and dementia was between 80 and 87%, characterized by orientation, memory, and visuospatial abilities. CONCLUSIONS: The Mex-Cog cognitive battery is useful for identifying cognitive impairment in older adults.

The Social Vulnerability Index, Mortality and Disability in Mexican Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

The social vulnerability index (SVI) independently predicts mortality and others adverse outcomes across different populations. There is no evidence that the SVI can predict adverse outcomes in individuals living in countries with high social vulnerability such as Latin America. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of the SVI with mortality and disability in Mexican middle-aged and older adults. This is a longitudinal study with a follow-up of 47 months, the Mexican Health and Aging Study, including people over the age of 40 years. A SVI was calculated using 42 items stratified in three categories low (<0.36), medium (0.36-0.47), and high (>0.47) vulnerability. We examined the association of SVI with three-year mortality and incident disability. Cox and logistic regression models were fitted to test these associations. We included 14,217 participants (58.4% women) with a mean age of 63.9 years (±SD 10.1). The mean SVI was of 0.42 (±SD 0.12). Mortality rate at three years was 6% (n = 809) and incident disability was 13.2% (n = 1367). SVI was independently associated with mortality, with a HR of 1.4 (95% CI 1.1-1.8, p < 0.001) for the highest category of the SVI compared to the lowest. Regarding disability, the OR was 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.5, p = 0.026) when comparing the highest and the lowest levels of the SVI. The SVI was independently associated with mortality and disability. Our findings support previous evidence on the SVI and builds on how this association persists even in those individuals with underlying contextual social vulnerability.

Validez y confiabilidad del MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) para el tamizaje del deterioro cognoscitivo en México / Validity and Reliability of the Spanish Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for the Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Mexico

resumen Objetivo: Establecer la validez y confiabilidad del Montreal Evaluación Cognitiva en Español (MoCA-E) para identificar deterioro cognitivo leve (DCL) y demencia en adultos mayores mexicanos. Material y métodos: Se incluyó a 168 participantes en una clínica de memoria de la ciudad de México, en 3 grupos: 59 cognitivamente sanos (GCS), 52 con DCL (criterios del DSM-V) y 57 con demencia (criterios NINCDS-ADRDA). Se aplicó el MoCA-E y el Mini-Mental State Evaluation al inicio y en los últimos meses, para establecer la confiabilidad intraobservador. Se construyeron curvas ROC y un modelo de regresión multinomial para evaluar el efecto de la edad y la escolaridad en el desempeño del MOCA-E. Resultados: El promedio de edad de los participantes era 76 ± 8,1 años; la tasa de escolaridad, 10,7 ± 5,2. Las puntuaciones de MoCA-E por grupo fueron: GCS, 27,3 ± 1,9; DCL, 22,9 ± 2,9, y demencia, 13,7 ± 4,9 (p< 0,001). La confiabilidad del MoCA-E fue 0,89 con un coeficiente de correlación intraclase de 0,955. La sensibilidad fue del 80% y la especificidad, del 75% con el punto de corte de 26 puntos para DCL (área bajo la curva = 0,886; p< 0,001). Para demencia, la sensibilidad fue del 98% y la especificidad, del 93% con el punto de corte de 24 puntos (área bajo la curva = 0,998; p< 0,001). La regresión multinomial no mostró asociación con la escolaridad y la edad tanto para DCL como para demencia. Conclusiones: El MoCA-E es un instrumento con validez y confiabilidad para el cribado de DCL y demencia en la población mexicana, aun después de ajustar por edad y escolaridad.

abstract Objective: To establish the validity and reliability of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Spanish (MoCA-S) to identify mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in the Mexican elderly population. Material and methods: 168 participants from a memory clinic in Mexico City were enrolled and divided into 3 groups: 59 cognitively healthy (CHG), 52 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (DSM-5 criteria) and 57 with dementia (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria). The MoCA-S and Mini-Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) were applied at baseline and during the last months to establish intra-observer reliability. ROC curves and a multinomial regression model were constructed to evaluate the effect of age and education on MoCA-S performance. Results: The mean age of the participants was 76 ± 8.1 years and the education rate was 10.7 ± 5.2. The MoCA-S scores by group were: CHG, 27.3 ± 1.9; MCI, 22.9 ± 2.9; and dementia, 13.7 ± 4.9(p< 0.001). The reliability of the MoCA-S was 0.89 and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.955. Sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 75%, with a cut-off point of 26 points for MCI (area under the curve, 0.886; p< 0.001). For the dementia group, the sensitivity was 98% and specificity was 93%, with a cut-off point of 24 points (area under the curve, 0.998; p< 0.001). The multinomial regression showed no association with education and age for both the MCI and dementia groups. Conclusions: The MoCA-S is a valid and reliable instrument for MCI and dementia screening in the Mexican population, even after adjusting for age and education.

Validity and Reliability of the Spanish Version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) for the Detection of Cognitive Impairment in Mexico. / Validez y confiabilidad del MoCA (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) para el tamizaje del deterioro cognoscitivo en méxico.

OBJECTIVE: To establish the validity and reliability of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in Spanish (MoCA-S) to identify mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia in the Mexican elderly population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 168 participants from a memory clinic in Mexico City were enrolled and divided into 3 groups: 59 cognitively healthy (CHG), 52 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (DSM-5 criteria) and 57 with dementia (NINCDS-ADRDA criteria). The MoCA-S and Mini-Mental State Evaluation (MMSE) were applied at baseline and during the last months to establish intra-observer reliability. ROC curves and a multinomial regression model were constructed to evaluate the effect of age and education on MoCA-S performance. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 76±8.1 years and the education rate was 10.7±5.2. The MoCA-S scores by group were: CHG, 27.3±1.9; MCI, 22.9±2.9; and dementia, 13.7±4.9 (p<0.001). The reliability of the MoCA-S was 0.89 and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.955. Sensitivity was 80% and specificity was 75%, with a cut-off point of 26 points for MCI (area under the curve, 0.886; p<0.001). For the dementia group, the sensitivity was 98% and specificity was 93%, with a cut-off point of 24points (area under the curve, 0.998; p<0.001). The multinomial regression showed no association with education and age for both the MCI and dementia groups. CONCLUSIONS: The MoCA-S is a valid and reliable instrument for MCI and dementia screening in the Mexican population, even after adjusting for age and education.

Association between employee benefits and frailty in community-dwelling older adults.

AIM: The phenotype of frailty has been associated with an increased vulnerability for the development of adverse health-related outcomes. The origin of frailty is multifactorial and financial issues could be implicated, as they have been associated with health status, well-being and mortality. However, the association between economic benefits and frailty has been poorly explored. Therefore, the objective was to determine the association between employee benefits and frailty. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 927 community-dwelling older adults aged 70 years and older participating in the Mexican Study of Nutritional and Psychosocial Markers of Frailty was carried out. Employee benefits were established according to eight characteristics: bonus, profit sharing, pension, health insurance, food stamps, housing credit, life insurance, and Christmas bonus. Frailty was defined according to a slightly modified version of the phenotype proposed by Fried et al. Multinomial logistic regression models were run to determine the association between employee benefits and frailty adjusting by sociodemographic and health covariates. RESULTS: The prevalence of frailty was 14.1%, and 4.4% of participants rated their health status as "poor." Multinomial logistic regression analyses showed that employee benefits were statistically and independently associated with the frail subgroup (OR 0.85; 95% CI 0.74-0.98; P = 0.027) even after adjusting for potential confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Fewer employee benefits are associated with frailty. Supporting spreading employee benefits for older people could have a positive impact on the development of frailty and its consequences. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 606-611.

[Specific needs in the care of elderly with diabetes mellitus]. / Necesidades específicas en el cuidado de los ancianos con diabetes mellitus.

The management of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the elderly is a complex process. In the perspective of improving glycemic control and postponing complications, lifestyle changes (diet and exercise) are often prescribed. Pharmacologic intervention is common and must be accompanied with adequate teaching on drug and hypoglycaemia management. Ideally, this process is multidisciplinary and objectives must be shared by all members of the diabetic team. The transmission and application of diabetic management strategies must be adapted to each individual in the context of his limits and capacities. Even in presence of interventions to control glycaemia, blood pressure and lipids, the micro and macro vascular complications are still very frequent in elderly patients with DM. Vascular interventions such as percutaneous arterial angioplasty and/or arterial bypass are frequently proposed even in very old diabetic patients. These patients are still at high risk of lower limb amputation with subsequent dramatic alteration in functional status and mortality. We will attempt to make a brief overview of the very diverse needs observed in older diabetic patients.