Wancata Johannes, Benda Norbert, Meise Ullrich, Windhaber Johann
University of Vienna, Dept. of Psychiatry, Division of Social Psychiatry and Evaluation Research, Währinger Gürtel 18-20, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2003 Nov;38(11):637-43. doi: 10.1007/s00127-003-0683-7.
Since most studies concerning the frequency of non-cognitive symptoms of dementia are based on samples of psychiatric services, the results of these studies may be influenced by their selection procedure. For this reason, we investigated the frequency of non-cognitive dementia symptoms based on an epidemiological nursing home study.
The sample consisted of 249 nursing home residents in Austria who were interviewed with the Clinical Interview Schedule within 2 weeks after admission (T1) and again 6 months later (T2). For the analyses of the non-cognitive symptoms among the demented, only manifest clinical abnormalities observed during the interview were included. Further, mobility and impaired self-care were assessed.
At admission, dementia was found in 63.9% of the sample. At T1, 38%, and at T2, 36.1% of the demented suffered from any non-cognitive symptoms. Flattened or incongruous affect, suspiciousness or aggressiveness, and anxiety were found most frequently. Multiple regression analyses showed that non-cognitive symptoms increase the risk for impaired self-care.
Despite the fact that the frequency of several non-cognitive symptoms found in our survey is lower than reported from studies based on psychiatric samples, a high proportion of the demented in nursing homes suffer from such symptoms. Non-cognitive symptoms of dementia increase the risk for an impaired self-care, which supports the assumption that they raise the costs of caring.
由于大多数关于痴呆非认知症状发生率的研究是基于精神科服务样本，这些研究结果可能会受到其选择程序的影响。因此，我们基于一项养老院流行病学研究调查了痴呆非认知症状的发生率。
样本包括奥地利的249名养老院居民，他们在入院后2周内（T1）接受了临床访谈量表访谈，6个月后（T2）再次接受访谈。对于痴呆患者非认知症状的分析，仅纳入访谈期间观察到的明显临床异常。此外，还评估了活动能力和自理能力受损情况。
入院时，样本中63.9%的人患有痴呆。在T1时，38%的痴呆患者，在T2时，36.1%的痴呆患者存在任何非认知症状。情感平淡或不协调、猜疑或攻击性以及焦虑最为常见。多元回归分析表明，非认知症状会增加自理能力受损的风险。
尽管我们调查中发现的几种非认知症状的发生率低于基于精神科样本的研究报告，但养老院中很大一部分痴呆患者患有此类症状。痴呆的非认知症状会增加自理能力受损的风险，这支持了它们会增加护理成本的假设。
