Positive effects of lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy on balance, leg strength and dual-task ability in stroke patients: a longitudinal cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether high-intensity lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy can improve balance, leg strength, and dual-task ability. DESIGN: A longitudinal cohort study in a real-world outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: 147 community-dwelling participants in the subacute and chronic poststroke phases. METHODS: Participants received lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy for 6 hours/day during 2 consecutive weeks, including balance, strength, and functional training. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Single-Leg-Stance (SLS) bilaterally, one Repetition Maximum (1RM) in a leg press, symmetry of leg strength (Diff-1RM), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and the TUG Manual test were assessed before, after, and 3 months after lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy. RESULTS: Compared with preintervention data, statistically significant improvements after lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy (p < 0.001) were demonstrated for balance with an absolute value in BBS at 1.9 points (effect size 0.38) and SLS at 2.4 s (effect size 0.24), and for leg strength at 10.2 kg (effect size 0.54) for the affected leg. Diff 1RM decreased significantly at 5.8 kg (effect size 0.39) and improvements on dual-task ability at 2.7 s were significant (effect size 0.14). The effects persisted at the 3-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: High-intensity lower extremity constraint-induced movement therapy may be a feasible treatment option for middle-aged stroke patients to affect balance, leg strength, and dual-task ability positively in an out-patient clinical setting.

Feasibility of a person-centred multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme in community-dwelling people with dementia: a randomised controlled pilot trial.

BACKGROUND: A team-based, individualised rehabilitation approach may be required to meet the complex needs of people with dementia. This randomised controlled pilot trial evaluated the feasibility of a person-centred multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation programme for community-dwelling older people with dementia and their informal primary caregivers. METHODS: Participants with dementia were randomised to an intervention group (n = 31, mean age (SD) 78.4 (6.0) years) or usual care (n = 30, mean age 79.0 (7.1)). The rehabilitation programme consisted of a 20-week rehabilitation period containing assessments and interventions based on each individual's goals, and group-based physical exercise plus social interaction twice a week for 16 weeks at a rehabilitation unit. After 5 and 14 months, the interdisciplinary team followed up participants over two four-week periods. For both groups, dates of deaths and decision to move to nursing home over three years, as well as interventions for the relevant periods, were collected. Blinded assessors measured physical functions, physical activity, activities of daily living, cognitive functions, nutritional status, and neuropsychiatric symptoms at baseline and at 5, 12, 24, and 36 months. RESULTS: Participants in the intervention group received a mean of 70.7 (20.1) interventions during the 20-week rehabilitation period, delivered by all ten team professions. The corresponding figures for the control group were 5.8 (5.9). In the intervention group, all but one participated in rehabilitation planning, including goal setting, and attendance in the exercise and social interaction groups was 74.8%. None of the adverse events (n = 19) led to any manifest injury or disease. Cox proportional hazard regression showed a non-significant lower relative risk (HR = 0.620, 95% CI 0.27-1.44) in favour of the intervention for moving to nursing home or mortality during the 36-month follow-up period. Linear mixed-effect models showed non-significant but potentially clinically meaningful between-group differences in gait, physical activity, and neuropsychological symptoms in favour of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: The rehabilitation programme seems feasible among community-dwelling older people with dementia. The overall results merit proceeding to a future definitive randomised controlled trial, exploring effects and cost-effectiveness. One could consider to conduct the programme earlier in the course of dementia, adding cognitive training and a control attention activity. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol, ISRCTN59155421 , was registered online 4/11/2015.

Having Plans for the Future in Very Old People.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of having plans for the future among very old people and the factors associated with having such plans. A longitudinal population-based study with home visits for 85-, 90-, and ≥95-year-old participants in Sweden and Finland was used. Multivariate logistic regression and Cox proportional-hazards regression models with a maximum 5-year follow-up period were used. The prevalence of having plans for the future was 18.6% (174/936). More men than women and more people living in Sweden than in Finland had plans for the future. In multivariate models, having plans for the future was associated with speaking Swedish, being dentate, and living in the community in the total sample; speaking Swedish and being dentate among women; and speaking Swedish, having a lower Geriatric Depression Scale score, and urban residence among men. Having plans for the future was associated univariately, but not multivariately, with increased survival.

A focus groups study of staff team experiences of providing interdisciplinary rehabilitation for people with dementia and their caregivers-a co-creative journey.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization claims that rehabilitation is important to meet the needs of persons with dementia. Rehabilitation programmes, however, are not routinely available. Person-centred, multidimensional, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation can increase the opportunities for older adults with dementia and their informal primary caregivers to continue to live an active life and participate in society. To our knowledge, staff team experiences of such rehabilitation programmes, involving older adults with dementia and their informal caregivers has not been previously explored. METHODS: The aim of this qualitative focus group study was to explore the experiences of a comprehensive staff team providing person-centred multidimensional, interdisciplinary rehabilitation to community-dwelling older adults with dementia, including education and support for informal primary caregivers. The 13 staff team members comprised 10 professions who, during a 16-week intervention period, provided individualised interventions while involving the rehabilitation participants. After the rehabilitation period the staff team members were divided in two focus groups who met on three occasions each (in total six focus groups) and discussed their experiences. The Grounded Theory method was used for data collection and analysis. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in four categories: Achieving involvement in rehabilitation is challenging, Considering various realities by acting as a link, Offering time and continuity create added value, and Creating a holistic view through knowledge exchange, and the core category: Refining a co-creative process towards making a difference. The core category resembles the collaboration that the staff had within their teams, which included participants with dementia and caregivers, and with the goal that the intervention should make a difference for the participants. This was conducted with flexibility in a collaborative and creative process. CONCLUSIONS: The staff team perceived that by working in comprehensive teams they could provide individualised rehabilitation in creative collaboration with the participants through interaction, knowledge exchange, time and continuity, coordination and flexibility, and a holistic view. Challenges to overcome were the involvement of the person with dementia in goal setting and the mediating role of the staff team members. The staff pointed out that by refinement they could achieve well-functioning, competence-enhancing and timesaving teamwork.

Temporal Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Trends in the Very Old in the 21st Century.

BACKGROUND: Long-increasing dementia incidence and prevalence trends may be shifting. Whether such shifts have reached the very old is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To investigate temporal trends in the incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment and prevalence of dementia, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and unclassified dementia among 85-, 90-, and ≥ 95-year-olds in Sweden during 2000-2017. METHODS: This study was conducted with Umeå 85 + /Gerontological Regional Database data from 2182 85-, 90-, and ≥ 95-year-olds in Sweden collected in 2000-2017. Using logistic regression, trends in the cumulative 5-year incidences of dementia and cognitive impairment; prevalences of dementia, cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and vascular dementia; and Mini-Mental State Examination thresholds for dementia diagnosis were estimated. RESULTS: Dementia and cognitive impairment incidences decreased in younger groups, which generally showed more-positive temporal trends. The prevalences of overall dementia, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer's disease were stable or increasing; longer disease durations and increasing dementia subtype classification success may mask positive changes in incidences. Vascular dementia increased while unclassified dementia generally decreased. CONCLUSION: The cognitive health of the very old may be changing in the 21st century, possibly indicating a trend break.

Loneliness among very old people with and without dementia: prevalence and associated factors in a representative sample.

Loneliness and dementia are common among very old (aged ≥ 80 years) people, but whether the prevalence of loneliness differs between very old people with and without dementia is unknown and few studies have investigated associated factors. The aims of the present study were to compare the prevalence of loneliness between people with and without dementia in a representative sample of very old people, and to investigate factors associated with loneliness in the two groups separately. This population-based study was conducted with data on 1176 people aged 85, 90, and ≥ 95 years (mean age 89.0 ± 4.47 years) from the Umeå 85 + /Gerontological Regional Database study conducted in northern Sweden, during year 2000-2017. Structured interviews and assessments were conducted during home visits. Loneliness was assessed using the question "Do you ever feel lonely?." Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with loneliness in participants with and without dementia. The prevalence of loneliness did not differ between people with and without dementia (50.9% and 46.0%, respectively; p = 0.13). Seven and 24 of 35 variables were univariately associated with the experience of loneliness in participants with and without dementia, respectively. In the final models, living alone and having depressive symptoms were associated with the experience of loneliness in both study groups. In participants without dementia, living in a nursing home was associated with the experience of less loneliness. These findings contribute with important knowledge when developing strategies to reduce loneliness in this growing age group. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10433-022-00729-8.

Physical Activity in Late Middle- to Older-Aged People and Dementia, Cognitive, and Physical Function Two Decades Later.

INTRODUCTION: Low physical activity (PA) is a potential risk factor for dementia and cognitive impairment. However, few studies have focused on very old people (aged ≥80 years), the age group with highest prevalence of dementia. The aim was to investigate if PA associated with subsequent dementia, cognitive function, and gait speed (GS), in very old people. METHODS: A population-based survey was conducted in 1999 and followed-up between 2016 and 2019 in participants ≥80 years. Altogether 541 individuals (56.2% women), 64.9 ± 4.2 years of age at baseline participated. Self-rated baseline PA was categorized into low, medium, or high. Cognitive function was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), executive function with the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and GS (in meters/second) was measured over 2.4 m at follow-up. RESULTS: During a mean of 19.0 ± 1.1 years, 175 (32.3%) developed dementia. Low or medium PA compared to high PA did not associate with subsequent dementia, and PA did not associate with future cognitive function (MMSE). PA associated with executive function (FAB) (unstandardized beta [95% confidence interval]) (0.67 [0.07-1.27]), but not after adjustments. PA associated with subsequent GS in the unadjusted model and after adjustment for age, sex, smoking, and education (0.06 [0.02-0.09], and 0.04 [0.01-0.08], respectively), but not after adding adjustment for hypertension, obesity, and glucose intolerance. CONCLUSION: No support was found for the hypothesis that low PA is a potential risk factor for dementia in very high age. However, PA and executive function were associated in unadjusted analyses which indicate that PA may be important for at least one aspect of cognitive function. The association between PA and GS around 2 decades later seems attenuated by cardiometabolic risk factors. Future investigations regarding PA, dementia, and cognitive decline may consider cardiometabolic risk factors such as hypertension, obesity, and glucose intolerance, and include repeated measures of PA over the life course.

Concurrent validity of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire adapted for adults aged ≥ 80 years (IPAQ-E 80 +) - tested with accelerometer data from the SilverMONICA study.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity and sedentary behavior vary across the life span, and in very old people activity behavior can vary considerably over 24 h. A physical activity questionnaire adapted for this age group is lacking. This study was conducted to validate such a newly developed questionnaire suitable for use in very old people. RESEARCH QUESTION: Is the International Physical Activity Questionnaire adapted for adults aged ≥ 80 years (IPAQ-E 80 +) a valid measure of physical activity in very old people? METHODS: Seventy-six participants (55.3% women) with a mean age of 84.4 ± 3.8 years wore accelerometers for ≥ 5 consecutive days, and completed the IPAQ-E 80 +. Spearman's rho and Bland-Altman plots were used to analyze the validity of IPAQ-E 80 + against accelerometer measures. Analyses were conducted for the separate items sitting, laying down at daytime and nighttime, walking, moderate to vigorous (MV) walking, and moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and the summary measures: total inactive time, sedentary time (i.e. lying down at daytime + sitting), total active time, and total MVPA + MV walking. RESULTS: The IPAQ-E 80 + correlated with the accelerometer measures of total inactive- (r = 0.55, p < 0.001), sedentary- (r = 0.28, p = 0.015), walking- (r = 0.54 p < 0.001) and total active- (r = 0.60, p < 0.001) times, but not with measures of intensity of walking or physical activity; MV walking (r = 0.06, p = 0.58), MVPA (r = 0.17, p = 0.13). SIGNIFICANCE: In this study the IPAQ-E 80 + showed fair to substantial correlations with accelerometers, and it therefore seems able to rank very old people according to levels of PA (total inactive-, sedentary-, and total active time, and walking time). The IPAQ-E 80 + seems promising for use in studies investigating associations between activity behavior and health in this population. Further investigation is needed to determine whether the IPAQ-E 80 + can accurately measure PA intensity.

Experiences of community-dwelling older people with dementia participating in a person-centred multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation program.

BACKGROUND: There is great need for development of feasible rehabilitation for older people with dementia. Increased understanding of this population's experiences of rehabilitation participation is therefore important. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of community-dwelling older people with dementia participating in a person-centred multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. METHODS: Sixteen older people with dementia were interviewed about their experiences of participation in a person-centred multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation program. The program comprised assessments by a comprehensive team of rehabilitation professionals followed by a rehabilitation period of 16 weeks, including interventions based on individualized rehabilitation goals conducted with the support of the rehabilitation team. The rehabilitation was performed in the participants' homes, in the community and at an outpatient clinic, including exercise with social interaction in small groups offered twice a week to all participants. The interviews were conducted at the end of the rehabilitation period and analysed with qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The analysis resulted in one overarching theme: Empowered through participation and togetherness and four sub-themes: Being strengthened through challenges; Gaining insights, motives, and raising concerns about the future; Being seen makes participation worthwhile; and Feelings of togetherness in prosperity and adversity. The participants increased their self-esteem by daring and coping in the rehabilitation. The insights about themselves and their condition motivated them to continue with their prioritized activities, but also raised concerns about how the future would play out. Collaboration in the group and being seen and acknowledged by staff strengthened their own motivation and self-efficacy. CONCLUSION: According to community-dwelling older people with dementia, a person-centred multidimensional interdisciplinary rehabilitation program was experienced as viable and beneficial. The participants seemed empowered through the rehabilitation and expressed mostly positive experiences and perceived improvements. Providers of interdisciplinary rehabilitation programs for this group should consider aspects raised by the participants e.g. the positive experience of being challenged in both exercise and daily activities; the importance of being seen and feeling secure; the benefits and challenges of collaboration with others in the same situation; and the generation of new perspectives of current and future situation.

Measurement error of the Mini-Mental State Examination among individuals with dementia that reside in nursing homes.

Few studies have investigated the measurement error of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in the same unit of measurement, also known as absolute reliability. This measurement can help determine whether an observed score change for an individual is likely to represent true change. The aim of this study was to investigate the absolute reliability of the MMSE among individuals with dementia that reside in nursing homes. Among 88 participants, 19 (21.6%) were men, 35 (39.8%) had Alzheimer's disease, 35 (39.8%) had vascular dementia, and the mean age was 84.0 years (range 65-98). The participants were tested and retested with the MMSE within 1-6 days. Both tests were administered by the same assessor at the same time of day. The mean MMSE score was 13.7 (range 0-28). The absolute difference between MMSE scores varied from 0 to 6 points, and the differences did not correlate with the corresponding score means (p = 0.874). The smallest detectable change (SDC) between two measurements was 4.00. The SDC was independent of depression, impaired vision and hearing, delirium within the last week, dementia type and age. However, the SDC was 5.56 among men and 3.50 among women (p = 0.003). In conclusion, for individuals with dementia that reside in nursing homes, it seems like their MMSE score needs to change by four or more points between two measurements in order for their score change to be reliably higher than the measurement error.

Low or Declining Gait Speed is Associated With Risk of Developing Dementia Over 5 Years Among People Aged 85 Years and Over.

Improving dementia screening procedures beyond simple assessment of current cognitive performance is timely given the ongoing phenomenon of population aging. A slow or declining gait speed (GS) is a potential early indicator of cognitive decline scarcely investigated in very old people. Here, we investigated the 5-year associations of baseline GS, change in GS, and cognitive function with subsequent dementia development in people aged 85 years and older (n = 296) without dementia at baseline. Declining and a slow baseline GS were associated with higher odds of dementia development after adjusting for confounders (e.g., age, sex, and dependency in activities of daily living) and missing GS values at follow-up. The GS decline was associated with cognitive decline in participants who developed dementia. The results support the potential of GS tests to predict future cognitive decline among community- and nursing home-dwelling very old people.

The association between cognition and gait in a representative sample of very old people - the influence of dementia and walking aid use.

BACKGROUND: Cognition has been related with gait speed in older adults; however, studies involving the oldest age group, where many have mobility disability and cognitive impairment, are few. The aim was to investigate the association between global cognitive function and gait speed in a representative sample of very old people, and whether the association was affected by dementia, and walking aid use. METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 1317 participants, mean age 89.4 years, and 68% women, from the Umeå85+/Gerontological Regional Database. Self-paced gait speed was measured over 2.4 m, with or without walking aids, and global cognitive function with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). The association between cognition and gait speed was analyzed using multiple linear regression and stratified according to dementia. The influence of missing gait speed values was explored using multiple imputation. An interaction analysis was performed to investigate the influence of walking aid use. RESULTS: In comprehensively adjusted analyses, MMSE associated with gait speed (unstandardized ß (ß) 0.011 m/s, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 0.009, 0.013, p < 0.001) in the total sample. No association was found in people with dementia (ß 0.003 m/s, 95%CI = 0.000, 0.006, p = 0.058), until missing gait speed values were compensated for by multiple imputation (ß 0.007 m/s, 95% [CI] = 0.002, 0.011, p = 0.002). In interaction analysis the use of walking aids attenuated the association between cognition and gait speed (ß - 0.019 m/s, 95%CI = - 0.024, - 0.013, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Global cognitive function appears to associate with gait speed in very old people. However, in people with dementia selection bias was indicated since unless missing gait speed values were accounted for no association was observed. Walking aid use attenuated cognitive load, which may not apply to walking in daily activities, and requires further investigation.

The Applicability of a High-Intensity Functional Exercise Program Among Older People With Dementia Living in Nursing Homes.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Exercise programs for people with dementia need to be optimized. We therefore evaluated the applicability of a high-intensity functional exercise program among people with dementia in nursing homes with regard to attendance, achieved exercise intensity, adverse events, a focus on dementia type, and whether symptoms of dementia or other medical conditions common in this population were associated with program applicability. METHODS: The Umeå Dementia and Exercise study, a cluster-randomized controlled trial set in 16 nursing homes in Umeå, Sweden. Ninety-three people with dementia (mean [SD] Mini-Mental State Examination score of 15.4 [3.4]) were randomized to the exercise intervention. Thirty-four participants had Alzheimer's disease (AD) and 59 non-Alzheimer's dementia (non-AD). High-Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) program was conducted in groups of 3 to 8 participants. Two physiotherapists led 5 sessions (45 minutes each) per fortnight for 4 months (total 40 sessions). RESULTS: Median attendance rate was 82.5%. Lower limb strength exercises were performed at high or medium intensity at a median interquartile range of 94.7% (77.8%-100%) of attended sessions. Participants with non-AD performed more sessions with high intensity in strength exercises than participants with AD (median interquartile range, 53.8% [25.7%-80%] vs 34.9% [2.02%-62.9%]; P = .035). Balance exercises were performed at high intensity at a median interquartile range of 75% (33.3%-88.6%). Adverse events (all minor and temporary, mostly musculoskeletal) occurred during the exercise sessions in 16% of attended sessions. Low motivation was the most common barrier for attendance. Buildup period, low motivation, and pain were common barriers for achieving high intensity in balance and strength exercises, and fear was a barrier in balance exercises. Of medical conditions, only behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, including apathy, were negatively associated with applicability. CONCLUSION: A group-based, supervised, and individualized high-intensity functional exercise program seems to be applicable with regard to attendance, achieved intensity, and adverse events during the exercise sessions, in people with mild to moderate dementia in nursing homes. Effective strategies to enhance motivation to participate in exercise, as well as prevention and treatment of pain and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, are important when promoting exercise participation in this population.

The Effects of Exercise on Falls in Older People With Dementia Living in Nursing Homes: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate exercise effects on falls in people with dementia living in nursing homes, and whether effects were dependent on sex, dementia type, or improvement in balance. A further aim was to describe the occurrence of fall-related injuries. DESIGN: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The Umeå Dementia and Exercise study was set in 16 nursing homes in Umeå, Sweden and included 141 women and 45 men, a mean age of 85 years, and with a mean Mini-Mental State Examination score of 15. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized to the high-intensity functional exercise program or a seated attention control activity; each conducted 2-3 times per week for 4 months. MEASURES: Falls and fall-related injuries were followed for 12 months (after intervention completion) by blinded review of medical records. Injuries were classified according to severity. RESULTS: During follow-up, 118 (67%) of the participants fell 473 times in total. At the interim 6-month follow-up, the incidence rate was 2.7 and 2.8 falls per person-year in exercise and control group, respectively, and at 12-month follow-up 3.0 and 3.2 falls per person-year, respectively. Negative binomial regression analyses indicated no difference in fall rate between groups at 6 or 12 months (incidence rate ratio 0.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.5-1.7, P = .838 and incidence rate ratio 0.9, 95% CI 0.5-1.6, P = .782, respectively). No differences in exercise effects were found according to sex, dementia type, or improvement in balance. Participants in the exercise group were less likely to sustain moderate/serious fall-related injuries at 12-month follow-up (odds ratio 0.31, 95% CI 0.10-0.94, P = .039). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: In older people with dementia living in nursing homes, a high-intensity functional exercise program alone did not prevent falls when compared with an attention control group. In high-risk populations, in which multimorbidity and polypharmacy are common, a multifactorial fall-prevention approach may be required. Encouraging effects on fall-related injuries were observed, which merits future investigations.

Motivation to participate in high-intensity functional exercise compared with a social activity in older people with dementia in nursing homes.

BACKGROUND: Motivation to participate in exercise among people with dementia has not been well studied. The symptoms of dementia, including apathy, may lead to low motivation to participate in exercise. The aim of this study was to evaluate the motivation of older people with dementia to participate in a high-intensity exercise program compared with motivation of those participating in a social group activity. METHODS: The Umeå Dementia and Exercise Study (UMDEX) was a cluster-randomized controlled intervention trial including 186 people (mean age; 85, 75% female) with dementia in nursing homes. Participants were randomized to participate in the High-Intensity Functional Exercise (HIFE) Program (n = 93) or a seated social group activity (n = 93). The activities were conducted in groups of 3-8 participants for 45 minutes, five times per two-week period, for 4 months (40 sessions in total). Participants' motivation to go to and during activity sessions were assessed by the activity leaders and nursing homes staff using a five-point Likert scale. Data were analyzed using cumulative link mixed models. RESULTS: Motivation was high or very high during 61.0% of attended sessions in the exercise group and 62.6% in the social activity group. No overall significant difference between groups was observed, but motivation increased over time in the exercise group and decreased in the social activity group (p < 0.05). Motivation during the sessions was significantly higher than motivation to go to the sessions, especially in the exercise group [OR 2.39 (95% CI 2.38-2.40) and 1.50 (95% CI 1.32-1.70), respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Among older people with dementia in nursing homes, motivation to participate in a high-intensity functional exercise program seems to be high, comparable to motivation to participate in a social activity, and increase over time. Since motivation during activity sessions was higher than motivation to go to sessions the promotion of strategies to encourage people with dementia to join exercise groups is of great importance.

Cognitive function and walking velocity in people with dementia; a comparison of backward and forward walking.

How forward and backward walking, both central to everyday life, relate to cognition are relatively unexplored in people with dementia. This study aimed to investigate if forward and backward walking velocity respectively, associated with global cognition and executive function in people with dementia, and whether the association differed according to walking aid use or dementia type. Using a cross-sectional design, 161 participants (77% women), a mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 15, and mean age of 85.5years and living in nursing homes were included. Self-paced forward walking (FW) and backward walking (BW) velocity over 2.4m was measured. Global cognitive outcome measurements included MMSE and Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). Executive function was measured using Verbal Fluency (VF). In comprehensively adjusted multivariate linear regression analyses, FW was independently associated with VF (p=0.001), but not MMSE (p=0.126) or ADAS-Cog (p=0.818). BW was independently associated with VF (p=0.043) and MMSE (p=0.022), but not ADAS-Cog (p=0.519). Interaction analyses showed that the association between BW velocity and executive function were stronger in participants who walked without a walking aid. No associations differed according to dementia type. In conclusion, executive function appears important to walking velocity, both forward and backward, in people with dementia with mild to moderately severe cognitive impairment. Global cognitive function was associated with backward walking only, perhaps due to it being more challenging. The association between BW velocity and executive function differed according to use of walking aids, which appeared to attenuate the association.

Effects of Exercise on Cognitive Function in Older People with Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Although physical exercise has been suggested to influence cognitive function, previous exercise studies show inconsistent results in people with dementia. OBJECTIVES: To investigate effects of exercise on cognitive function in people with dementia. METHOD: The Umeå Dementia and Exercise (UMDEX) study, a cluster-randomized controlled trial, was set in 16 nursing homes in Umeå, Sweden. One hundred-and-forty-one women and 45 men with dementia; mean age of 85 y and mean Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of 15, were randomized to a High-Intensity Functional Exercise program or a seated attention control activity. Blinded assessors measured global cognitive function using the MMSE and the Alzheimer's disease Assessment Scale - Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog), and executive function using Verbal fluency (VF) at baseline and 4 months (directly after intervention completion), and MMSE and VF at 7 months. RESULTS: Linear mixed models showed no between-group effects in mean difference from baseline (95% confidence intervals, CI) at 4 months in MMSE (-0.27; 95% CI -1.4 to 0.87, p = 0.644), ADAS-Cog (-1.04, 95% CI -4 to 1.92, p = 0.491), or VF (-0.53, 95% CI -1.42 to 0.35, p = 0.241) or at 7 months in MMSE (-1.15, 95% CI -2.32 to 0.03, p = 0.056) or VF (-0.18, 95% CI -1.09 to 0.74, p = 0.707). CONCLUSION: A 4-month, high-intensity functional exercise program had no superior effects on global cognition or executive function in people with dementia living in nursing homes when compared with an attention control activity.

Psychotropic drug use and mortality in old people with dementia: investigating sex differences.

BACKGROUND: Psychotropic drugs are common among old people with dementia, and have been associated with increased mortality. Previous studies have not investigated sex differences in this risk. This study was conducted to analyse associations between the use of antipsychotics, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines and 2-year mortality in old people with dementia, and to investigate sex differences therein. METHODS: In total, 1037 participants (74% women; mean age, 89 years) with dementia were included from four cohort studies and followed for 2 years. Data were collected through home visits and medical records. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyse associations between ongoing baseline drug use and mortality. Multiple possible confounders were evaluated and adjusted for. RESULTS: In fully adjusted models including data from the whole population, no association between baseline psychotropic drug use and increased 2-year mortality was seen. Significant sex differences were found in mortality associated with antidepressant use, which was protective in men, but not in women (hazard ratio [HR] 0.61, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-0.92 and HR 1.09, 95% CI 0.87-1.38, respectively). The interaction term for sex was significant in analyses of benzodiazepine use, with a higher mortality risk among men than among women. CONCLUSIONS: Among old people with dementia, ongoing psychotropic drug use at baseline was not associated with increased mortality in analyses adjusted for multiple confounders. Sex differences in mortality risk associated with antidepressant and benzodiazepine use were seen, highlighting the need for further investigation of the impact of sex.

Walking Aids Moderate Exercise Effects on Gait Speed in People With Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effects of exercise on gait speed, when tested using walking aids and without, and whether effects differed according to amount of support in the test. DESIGN: A cluster-randomized controlled trial. SETTING: The Umeå Dementia and Exercise (UMDEX) study was set in 16 nursing homes in Umeå, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-one women and 45 men (mean age 85 years) with dementia, of whom 145 (78%) habitually used walking aids. INTERVENTION: Participants were randomized to the high-intensity functional exercise program or a seated attention control activity. MEASUREMENTS: Blinded assessors measured 4-m usual gait speed with walking aids if any gait speed (GS), and without walking aids and with minimum amount of support, at baseline, 4 months (on intervention completion), and 7 months. RESULTS: Linear mixed models showed no between-group effect in either gait speed test at 4 or 7 months. In interaction analyses exercise effects differed significantly between participants who walked unsupported compared with when walking aids or minimum support was used. Positive between-group exercise effects on gait speed (m/s) were found in subgroups that walked unsupported at 4 and 7 months (GS: 0.07, P = .009 and 0.13, P < .001; and GS test without walking aids: 0.05, P = .011 and 0.07, P = .029, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In people with dementia living in nursing homes exercise had positive effects on gait when tested unsupported compared with when walking aids or minimum support was used. The study suggests that the use of walking aids in gait speed tests may conceal exercise effects.

High blood pressure as a risk factor for incident stroke among very old people: a population-based cohort study.

INTRODUCTION: High blood pressure (BP) increases the risk of stroke, but there is limited evidence from studies including very old people. The aim was to investigate risk factors for incident stroke among very old people. METHODS: A prospective population-based cohort study was performed among participants aged at least 85 years in northern Sweden. The 955 participants were tested at their homes. BP was measured manually after 5-min supine rest. Incident stroke data were collected from medical charts guided by hospital registry, death records, and 5-year reassessments. Cox proportional hazards models were used. RESULTS: The stroke incidence was 33.8/1000 person-years (94 stroke events) during a mean follow-up period of 2.9 years. In a comprehensive multivariate model, atrial fibrillation [hazard ratio 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.07-3.19] and higher SBP (hazard ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.08-1.30 per 10-mmHg increase) were associated with incident stroke overall. However, higher SBP was not associated with incident stroke in participants with SBP less than 140 mmHg (hazard ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.53-1.53 per 10-mmHg increase). In additional multivariate models, DBP at least 90 mmHg (hazard ratio 2.45, 95% CI 1.47-4.08) and SBP at least 160 mmHg (vs. <140 mmHg; hazard ratio 2.80, 95% CI 1.53-5.14) were associated with incident stroke. The association between BP and incident stroke was not affected by interactions related to sex, dependence in activities of daily living, or cognitive impairment. CONCLUSION: High SBP (≥160 mmHg) and DBP (≥90 mmHg) and atrial fibrillation appeared to be risk factors for incident stroke among very old people.