A study offering insights into understanding and managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias led by a team of UTHealth Houston researchers has been published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
Carolyn Pickering, PhD, RN, professor and Isla Carrol Turner Chair in Gerontological Nursing at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston and a noted expert in dementia family caregiving, led the research applying an innovative framework to identify patterns of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Her research distinguishes between general profiles of symptoms common among different people, known as subsyndromes, and the way symptoms group together based on daily variations in symptoms experienced by individuals, referred to as symptom clusters.
The study followed 68 family members who live with and care for family members living with dementia. Caregivers reported daily on their loved ones’ 23 different symptoms related to dementia, including eating difficulties, uncooperativeness, delusions, depression, anxiety, apathy, and wandering, producing a total of 443 daily reports over the course of eight days. To analyze the data, Pickering and her team used a novel statistical method that considered the variation within each person and between different people.
Researchers noted a high occurrence of possible delirium in home care settings, usually associated with hospitals. The finding highlights the need for better awareness and education on how caregivers can manage delirium at home.
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston release on Newswise
