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Abstract General psychiatric symptoms may interfere with the ability of individuals to take care of their health, to get involved with activities and develop social abilities, thereby increasing risk of death. Objective: To evaluate general psychiatric symptoms as predictive factors for mortality in a community elderly cohort in Southern Brazil. Methods: 345 healthy elderly, aged ³60 years, from the catchment area of Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre were followed from 1996. Data for the present study were drawn from the period 1996-2004. General psychiatric symptoms (Self-Reporting Questionnaire - SRQ), depressive symptoms (Montgomery-Asberg depressive rating scale), and Mini Mental State Examination scores at baseline were included in the study. Socio-demographic, medical conditions, and functional capacity were also analyzed. The outcome was vital status at follow-up obtained from family members, hospital records and checked against official death registers. Results: Of the 345 baseline individuals, 246 were followed-up. The global mortality rate over the study period was 36.9% (N=90). Those who deceased during the period were older (73.5±7.5), more dependent overall, and more cognitively impaired than the living elderly (univariate analyses). In the logistic regression, only age (OR=0.93; p=0.003) and functional capacity (OR=0.22; p=0.007) remained significant in the final equation. Conclusion: Psychiatric symptoms presented no association with mortality in the present sample. Older age and functional incapacity were risk factors for mortality.

Abstract The aging of the population is a worldwide phenomenon, where 60% of elders live in developing areas of the world such as Brazil, regions in which few studies have been carried out. Objectives: The goal of this study was to evaluate the clinical and demographic profile of patients with dementing disorders seen at a specialized outpatient clinic in South Brazil. Methods: A sample of 105 demented patients seen at the Dementia Outpatient Clinic from Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Brazil between June 2004 and June 2008. Evaluation of patients consisted of medical history, cognitive testing, assessment of functional status (Activities of Daily Living Scale - ADL; Instrumental Activities Daily Living - IADL) and application of the Neuropsychiatry Inventory (NPI) for behavioral symptoms. Severity of dementia was evaluated based on the CDR scale. All patients underwent laboratory screening tests and brain imaging exams to define etiology of dementia. Results: Of the whole sample, 71% were female. Age was 79±8 years (mean±SD). Educational level was 4±3 years (mean±SD). Sixty-four patients (60%) presented the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Of the whole sample, 26.7% were classified as CDR=1, 44% as CDR=2 and 29. 3% as CDR=3. A significant difference on the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and functional status scores was observed among the CDR categories (severity). No significant association was found between severity and impairment on memory tests and behavioral symptoms. Conclusions: Alzheimer's disease was the most common etiology, followed by vascular dementia. At diagnosis, most patients presented mild to moderate severity of dementia, independent of cause.

Abstract Until better measures have been accepted for wider use, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) will continue to be utilized. In this context, knowledge on characteristics and determinants of its distribution for the Brazilian population are particularly valuable. The present study aimed to evaluate, based on multivariate analysis, the independent effect of age, educational level and sex, and their interactions, on MMSE scores in a healthy sample. Methods: Demographic data and scores on the MMSE of 1,553 healthy individuals were analyzed. The sample was grouped according to age and education. Results: The sample was composed of 963 females (62%), mean age ±SD was 49.6±20.7 yrs (range 20 to 92 yrs). The mean years of education ±SD was 8.9±5.5 yrs (range 0 to 28 yrs). The mean score ±SD on the MMSE was 27.3±2.7 (range 15 to 30). A significant effect of the interaction between education and sex (p=0.011), and also between education and age was observed (p=0.003). An independent effect of education (p

Abstract Caregiver burden is common in Alzheimer's disease (AD), decreasing the quality of life among caregivers and patients. Projections of aging and aging-related diseases such as AD in developing countries justify additional data about this issue because people living in these countries have shown similarly high levels of caregiver strain as in the developed world. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the association of AD caregivers' burden with patients' neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS), cognitive status, severity of dementia, functional capacity, caregiver sociodemographic characteristics, and the characteristics of care provided by caregivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 39 consecutive AD patients and their primary caregivers. NPS were evaluated using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). Severity of dementia was assessed with the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale. Functional capacity was assessed using the Katz and Lawton scales. The burden level was rated using the Burden Interview (BI). Sociodemographic characteristics of caregivers and the characteristics of care provided by them were evaluated. The Mann-Whitney U-test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's rho coefficient were performed. Results: The BI had a moderate correlation with NPI intensity (rho=0.563), p