Lanza Claudia, Knörzer Oliver, Weber Michael, Riepe Matthias W
Division of Mental Health & Old Age Psychiatry, Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Günzburg, Germany.
Department of Media Informatics, Ulm University, Günzburg, Germany.
J Alzheimers Dis. 2014;42(3):879-84. doi: 10.3233/JAD-140063.
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Spatial orientation declines early in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is a major cause for institutionalization of patients.
Use of either an aerial map or an assistive device to get from start to goal zone, both located on the campus of the hospital (distance between start and goal zone 300 m to 500 m). Use of the assistive device was trained for 15 minutes prior to the task.
We assessed 14 patients with mild to moderate AD (DSM-IV and NINCDS-ADRDA criteria; 9 female patients, 5 male patients; age 71.9 ± 7.4 years; MMSE 21.7 ± 2.9 (mean ± SD), range 16-26). Each patient had to find the way for three different routes with different start and goal zones. None of the patients found their way to the goal zone for any of the routes when using an aerial map in which the way was highlighted. With use of the assistive device, patients found their way from start to goal zones autonomously for 20 of 42 routes (3 routes each for 14 patients). For 22 of 42 routes intermediate re-assurance was necessary, but herewith routes were completed.
This study lays ground for the use of mobile technical devices in patients with mild to moderate AD. Mobile assistive devices may enable patients with mild to moderate AD to maintain autonomous spatial orientation in unfamiliar environments. Improvement of the familiarization of patients with the device and further sophistication of assistive cues is likely to further improve autonomous use of navigational devices in patients with mild to moderate AD.
背景/目的：阿尔茨海默病（AD）患者的空间定向能力在疾病早期就会下降，这是患者被送入机构照料的主要原因。
使用航拍地图或辅助设备从起点到达目标区域，起点和目标区域均位于医院校园内（起点与目标区域之间的距离为300米至500米）。在任务开始前，对辅助设备的使用进行了15分钟的培训。
我们评估了14例轻度至中度AD患者（符合DSM-IV和NINCDS-ADRDA标准；9例女性患者，5例男性患者；年龄71.9±7.4岁；MMSE为21.7±2.9（均值±标准差），范围为16 - 26）。每位患者必须找到三条不同的路线，起点和目标区域各不相同。当使用突出显示路线的航拍地图时，没有一位患者能找到任何一条路线的目标区域。使用辅助设备时，42条路线中的20条（14名患者每人3条路线）患者能自主从起点找到目标区域。对于42条路线中的22条，需要中途给予提示，但这些路线最终都完成了。
本研究为在轻度至中度AD患者中使用移动技术设备奠定了基础。移动辅助设备可能使轻度至中度AD患者在不熟悉的环境中保持自主空间定向能力。提高患者对设备的熟悉程度以及进一步完善辅助提示可能会进一步改善轻度至中度AD患者对导航设备的自主使用。
