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INTRODUCTION: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Lewy body dementia (LBD) are two common forms of dementia. There are still controversies regarding whether LBD patients have a worse clinical course than AD patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all biomarkers that supported AD and LBD patients presenting to the Memory Clinic of Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong, between 1 January 2008 and 30 December 2016. Diagnoses of AD and LBD were supported by clinical diagnostic criteria and biomarkers. LBD patients included those with dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease dementia (PDD). Baseline demographics, presenting clinical features, degree of cognitive impairment and specified clinical outcomes were compared. RESULTS: We recruited 31 AD and 25 LBD patients (18 DLB, 7 PDD). When measured from disease onset, LBD patients were noted to have shorter overall survival (p = 0.02) with earlier occurrence of falls (p < 0.001), dysphagia (p < 0.001), pneumonia (p = 0.01), pressure injuries (p = 0.003) and institutionalisation (p = 0.03) than AD patients. Cox regression analyses showed that LBD predicted falls (hazard ratio [HR] 5.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.29–15.01, p < 0.001), dysphagia (HR 10.06, 95% CI 2.50–40.44, p = 0.001), pressure injuries (HR 17.39, 95% CI 1.51–200.10, p = 0.02), institutionalisation (HR 2.72, 95% CI 1.12–6.60, p = 0.03) and death (HR 2.96, 95% CI 1.18–7.42, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: LBD patients had shorter overall survival with earlier occurrence of pre-specified long-term events compared with AD patients. LBD also independently predicted pre-specified long-term events.

Introduction Cognitive impairment is common among patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). We hypothesize that cognitive impairment has a negative impact on the outcome of patients on PD, especially with regard to peritonitis. Methods This was a single-center 2-year prospective cohort study involving 206 patients at 1 PD unit. Cognitive impairment was defined by the latest Hong Kong Montreal Cognitive Assessment Score (HK-MoCA) multiple cut-offs as determined by age and years of education. Eighty percent of patients had come back for interval HK-MoCA. The HK-MoCA was performed at baseline and after 1 year on PD. Potential risk factors for cognitive impairment and peritonitis were studied separately for the first and second year. Results For cognitive impairment at baseline, multivariate analyses showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 1.003, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.003 – 1.065, p = 0.03), female sex (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.60 – 7.97, p = 0.002), peripheral vascular disease (PVD) (OR 3.46, 95% CI 1.33 – 9.01, p = 0.01), and hemoglobin level (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.43 – 0.84, p = 0.003) were statistically significant factors. For cognitive impairment at 1 year, multivariate analyses showed that age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02 – 1.012, p = 0.007), female sex (OR 5.87, 95% CI 1.86 – 18.5, p = 0.003), and PVD (OR 3.68, 95% CI 1.07 – 12.84, p = 0.04) were statistically significant independent factors for cognitive impairment at 1 year. For self-care PD patients in the second year, patients with cognitive impairment had a higher rate of peritonitis and proportionately more patients suffered from both peritonitis and exit-site infection than non-cognitively impaired patients in the second year (0.50 vs 0.27 episodes per year, p = 0.048; 25% vs 7.2%, p = 0.049). Logistic regression showed that only HK-MoCA-defined cognitive impairment and HK-MoCA scores at 1 year were factors predicting peritonitis (risk ratio [RR] 3.2 [95% CI 1.03 – 9.95], p = 0.04 and RR 0.92 [95% CI 0.86 – 0.995], p = 0.04 respectively). Conclusions In summary, increasing age, female sex, anemia, and presence of PVD are risk factors for cognitive impairment in PD patients. Self-care PD with cognitive impairment at 1 year has a higher risk for PD-related peritonitis in the second year. Interval HK-MoCA assessment is recommended to detect cognitive impairment in our local PD patients.

Aim To study the prevalence and risk factors of delirium and subsyndromal delirium (SSD) in Chinese older adults with acute medical illnesses. Methods A prospective cohort study was carried out in acute general medical wards in a university-affiliated hospital in Hong Kong. Patients were assessed by the confusion assessment method by geriatricians within 6 h after admission and classified into three mutually exclusive groups, namely delirium, SSD and those without both conditions. Predisposing factors and precipitating factors of delirium and SSD were retrieved from collateral information, clinical charts and electronic clinical records. Results A total of 575 patients with mean age of 80.8 years were recruited. A total of 73% of the patients did not have delirium, 15.8% of patients had delirium and 11.3% of patients had SSD. On multivariate analysis, patients with delirium or SSD were more likely to be current users of psychotropic medications, had hearing and visual impairment, had a major neurocognitive disorder as defined by the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, and with a lower Barthel Index 20 points version than those without both conditions. Significant predisposing and precipitating factors of delirium included psychotropic medications, acute stroke and other causes of organic brain syndromes. Predisposing and precipitating factors of delirium and SSD were almost identical. Conclusions Delirium and SSD are common among Chinese older adults with acute medical illnesses, with a combined prevalence of delirium and SSD of 27%. Important precipitating and predisposing factors include psychotropic medications, acute ischemic stroke and other causes of organic brain syndromes. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 1625-1628.

Objectives To investigate whether genetic variations on the estrogen metabolic pathway would be associated with risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Individuals were recruited at the Memory Clinic, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. Participants Chinese individuals with (n = 426) and without (n = 350) AD. Measurements All subjects underwent a standardized cognitive assessment and genotyping of four candidate genes on the estrogen metabolic pathway (estrogen receptor α gene (ESR1), estrogen receptor β gene (ESR2), cytochrome P450 19A1 gene (CYP19A1), cytochrome P450 11A1 gene (CYP11A1)). Results Apart from consistent results showing an association between apolipoprotein (APO)E and AD, strong evidence of disease associations were found for polymorphisms in ESR2 and CYP11A1 based on the entire data set. For ESR2, significant protective effects were found for A alleles of rs4986938 (permuted P = .02) and rs867443 (permuted P = .02). For CYP11A1, significant risk effects were found for G alleles of rs11638442 (permuted P = .03) and rs11632698 (permuted P = .03). Stratifying subjects according to APOE e4 status, their genetic effects continued to be significant in the APOE e4-negative subgroup. Associations between CYP11A1 polymorphisms (rs2279357, rs2073475) and risk of AD were detected in women but not men. Further gene-level analysis confirmed the above association between ESR2 and CYP11A1, and pathway-level analysis highlighted the genetic effect of the estrogen metabolic pathway on disease susceptibility (permuted pathway-level P = .03). Conclusion Consistent with previous biological findings for sex steroid hormones in the central nervous system, genetic alterations on the estrogen metabolic pathway were revealed in the Chinese population. Confirmation of these present findings in an independent population is warranted to elucidate disease pathogenesis and to explore the potential of hormone therapy in the treatment of AD.

INTRODUCTION Patients with familial Alzheimer's disease are being increasingly reported in Hong Kong. The objectives of this study were to report the clinical features of these patients, and to compare them with those with biomarker-confirmed sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease. METHODS All symptomatic Chinese patients with familial Alzheimer's disease who attended Queen Mary Hospital, Memory Clinic between January 1998 and December 2016 were included. Information about clinical features, baseline Mini-Mental State Examination score, and presenting cognitive symptoms or atypical clinical features were collected. Their clinical features were compared with those of 12 patients with sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease with cerebrospinal fluid biomarker evidence of Alzheimer's disease and 14 patients with late-onset Alzheimer's disease and positive amyloid loading on Pittsburgh compound B imaging. RESULTS There were three families with familial Alzheimer's disease among whom eight family members were affected. The mean (± standard deviation) age of onset and the Mini-Mental State Examination score were 48.4 ± 7.7 years and 7.9 ± 9.2, respectively. Compared with the sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease patients, those with familial Alzheimer's disease had an earlier age of onset and presentation (both P

Peritoneal dialysis (PD) exchange procedure is complex. Patients with cognitive impairment (CI) may require assistance. We studied the prevalence of CI among PD patients, its impact on PD-related peritonitis and the outcome of assisted PD. Cantonese version of Mini-Mental State examination (CMMSE) was performed in 151 patients newly started on PD. Data on patient characteristics including demographics, co-morbidities, blood parameters, medications, and number of PD-related peritonitis in the first 6 months were collected. 151 subjects were recruited. The age of studied patients was 60 ± 15.0 years, and 45 % were female. The prevalence of CI was 13.9 % using education-adjusted cut-off of CMMSE. Patients older than 65-year-old, female, and lower education level were independent risk factors for CI (OR 9.27 p = 0.001, OR 14.84 p = 0.005, and OR 6.10 p = 0.009, respectively). Age greater than 65-year old is an independent risk factor for PD-related peritonitis but CI was not. Patients requiring assisted PD were of older age (p

Unlike other behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, hyperphagia is less recognized among patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). The prevalence of hyperphagia varies among studies, but there has been no systematic review or meta-analysis.An extensive search on the literature on hyperphagia in AD published between 1 January 1980 and 30 October 2017 was conducted. Data on the prevalence were retrieved. Meta-analysis with a random effect model was performed to determine the pooled estimate of prevalence. Meta-regression analysis was performed based on study characteristics, population demographics, or condition information.Results from 20 studies were extracted. Twenty-six reported cases of hyperphagia were identified. The mean age of onset was 70.7 ± 8.9 years, with a male predominance (68.4%). Hyperphagia occurred in all stages of AD. Only eight studies reported the prevalence of hyperphagia. Meta-analysis showed a pooled prevalence of hyperphagia of 18.6%. Publication bias may have been present. Meta-regression showed that ethnicity accounted for the variance among studies (coefficient: -1.247 (95% confidence interval: -1.978 to -0.516), RHyperphagia occurs in all stages of AD. In this meta-analysis of eight published studies, the prevalence of hyperphagia was 18.6%. In view of the possible publication bias, a large-scale study on hyperphagia is recommended in the future.

Introduction Lewy body dementia includes dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia. There have been limited clinical studies among Chinese patients with Lewy body dementia. This study aimed to review the presenting clinical features and identify risk factors for complications including falls, dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia, pressure sores, and mortality in Chinese patients with Lewy body dementia. We also wished to identify any difference in clinical features of patients with Lewy body dementia with and without an Alzheimer's disease pattern of functional imaging. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 23 patients with Lewy body dementia supported by functional imaging. Baseline demographics, presenting clinical and behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia, functional and cognitive assessment scores, and complications during follow-up were reviewed. Patients with Lewy body dementia were further classified as having an Alzheimer's disease imaging pattern if functional imaging demonstrated bilateral temporoparietal hypometabolism or hypoperfusion with or without precuneus and posterior cingulate gyrus hypometabolism or hypoperfusion. Results The pre-imaging accuracy of clinical diagnosis was 52%. In 83% of patients, behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia were evident. Falls, dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia, pressure sores, and death occurred in 70%, 52%, 26%, 26%, and 30% of patients, respectively with corresponding event rates per person-years of 0.32, 0.17, 0.18, 0.08, and 0.10. Patients with aspiration pneumonia compared with those without were more likely to have dysphagia (100% vs 35%; P=0.01). Deceased patients with Lewy body dementia, compared with alive patients, had a higher (median [interquartile range]) presenting Clinical Dementia Rating score (1 [1-2] vs 0.5 [0.5-1.0]; P=0.01), lower mean (± standard deviation) baseline Barthel index (13 ± 7 vs 18 ± 4; P=0.04), and were more likely to be prescribed levodopa (86% vs 31%; P=0.03). Patients with Lewy body dementia with an Alzheimer's disease pattern of functional imaging, compared with those without the pattern, were younger at presentation (mean ± standard deviation, 73 ± 6 vs 80 ± 6 years; P=0.02) and had a lower Mini-Mental State Examination score at 1 year (15 ± 8 vs 22 ± 6; P=0.05). Conclusions Falls, dysphagia, aspiration pneumonia, and pressure sores were common among patients with Lewy body dementia. Those with an Alzheimer's disease pattern of functional imaging had a younger age of onset and lower 1-year Mini-Mental State Examination score.

Objectives: Increasing evidence has demonstrated that vascular risk factors (VRFs) contribute to cognitive impairment in the elderly population. Prevention and administration of VRFs can be a vital strategy for delaying cognitive impairment. This study aimed to determine the impact of VRFs on cognitive function of the aged people from Chongqing, Southwest China. Methods: A total of 597 participants (≥60 years) from hospital and community population were enrolled in the cross-sectional study. Participants were screened for hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). Blood pressure (BP) and blood lipid were also measured. Cognitive function was assessed with Mini-Mental State Examination and Clinical Dementia Rating. Logistic regression analysis was used to look for VRFs impacting mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Then we investigated the relationship between different types of vascular diseases and MCI. Results: A total of 457 participants showed normal cognitive function and 140 participants showed MCI. After adjusting for age, gender, and education, logistic regression analysis demonstrated that hypertension, CHD, systolic BP, total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were independently associated with MCI; however, CVD, diastolic BP, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were not associated with MCI. Moreover, vascular diseases significantly contributed to MCI compared with no vascular disease; however, no significant difference in incident MCI was found among different combinations of vascular diseases. Conclusions: Hypertension, CHD, TC, and LDL-C are independent risk factors for MCI. Moreover, patients with vascular diseases have a higher risk of MCI; however, the amount of vascular diseases does not increase the risk of MCI.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) can explore aging at a molecular level. In this study, we investigated the relationships between regional concentrations of metabolites (such as choline, creatine, myo-inositol, and N-acetyl-aspartate) and normal aging in 30 cognitively normal subjects (15 women and 15 men, age range 22–82, mean = 49.9 ± 18.3 years) using quantitative proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy. All MR scans were performed using a 3 T scanner. Point resolved spectroscopy was used as the volume selection method for the region-of-interest and the excitation method for water suppression. Single voxel spectroscopy with short echo time of 39 ms and repetition time of 2,000 ms was employed. Single voxels were placed in the limbic regions, i.e., anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and left and right hippocampi. Cerebrospinal fluid normalization and T1 and T2 correction factors were implemented in the calculation of absolute metabolite concentrations. A standardized T1W 3D volumetric fast field echo and axial T2-weighted fast spin-echo images were also acquired. Our results showed significant positive correlation of choline (r = 0.545, p = 0.002), creatine (r = 0.571, p = 0.001), and N-acetyl-aspartate (r = 0.674, p

This is a study on prospective memory (PM) and the PM interference effect in normal and pathological aging. One hundred and seven subjects, including 41 healthy young adults, 40 non-demented older adults and 26 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) participated in this study using a laboratory event-based PM task. PM task performance was comparable between the non-demented older and young adults, but impaired in the AD patients. The PM interference effect increased progressively from the healthy young adults, the non-demented older adults, to the AD patients. Path analysis revealed that the possible mechanism mediating the increased PM interference was the slow motor processing speed in normal aging, while it was the slow verbal speed in pathological aging. It is suggested that different neuropsychological mechanisms may underpin the affected performance of PM task in normal and pathological aging.

Autosomal dominant familial Alzheimer's disease accounts for 0.5% of all Alzheimer's disease. A familial Alzheimer's disease Chinese family, with 7 affected family members, underwent PSEN1 screening in 3 affected family members. A heterozygous novel missense mutation in the PSEN1 gene c.1156T>A, altering phenylalanine to isoleucine at codon 386, was identified. Because the change occurred in conserved domains of this gene and cosegregated with affected family members, this change may have a mutagenic and probably pathogenic effect.

Evidence describing the association between high-dose benzodiazepine use and dementia has been conflicting. Most previous studies involved Caucasian populations, with only limited data on Chinese subjects. Possible differences exist between Chinese and Caucasian populations with regard to metabolism and prescription practice. This study aimed to assess the association between high-dose benzodiazepine use and dementia in a Chinese population.A retrospective case-control study was carried out in all public hospitals under the Hong Kong Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster between 2000 and 2015. The study recruited 273 Chinese adults (91 cases, 182 controls) aged 75 and over, with at least 6 years of follow-up data. Each dementia case was matched with two controls according to sex, age group, and duration of follow-up. The number of patients with benzodiazepine ever-use and the exposure density based on the prescribed daily doses were assessed. Prescribed daily doses were categorized as either1096 or ≥1096. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals were computed by multivariate analysis.The difference in exposure density between the dementia and control groups was statistically significant between prescribed daily doses1096 and ≥1096 (P = 0.02). There were two multivariate analyses models; one factored in depression (model 1), and the other (model 2) did not. Model 2 showed a statistically significant association (odds ratio = 1.71, 95% confidence intervals = 1.02-2.89, P = 0.04) between benzodiazepine exposure density and dementia.High-dose benzodiazepine use may be associated with dementia in the Chinese population. Prospective studies are required.

Objective This study investigated the improvement in the accuracy of diagnosis of dementia subtypes among Chinese dementia patients who underwent [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography ((18)FDG PET) with or without carbon 11-labelled Pittsburgh compound B ((11)C-PIB). Methods This case series was performed in the Memory Clinic at Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong. We reviewed 109 subjects (56.9% were female) who received PET with or without (11)C-PIB between January 2007 and December 2014. Data including age, sex, education level, Mini-Mental State Examination score, Clinical Dementia Rating scale score, neuroimaging report, and pre-/post-imaging clinical diagnoses were collected from medical records. The agreement between the initial and post-PET with or without (11)C-PIB dementia diagnosis was analysed by the Cohen's kappa statistics. Results The overall accuracy of initial clinical diagnosis of dementia subtype was 63.7%, and diagnosis was subsequently changed in 36.3% of subjects following PET with or without (11)C-PIB. The rate of accurate initial clinical diagnosis (compared with the final post-imaging diagnosis) was 81.5%, 44.4%, 14.3%, 28.6%, 55.6% and 0% for Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, frontotemporal dementia, vascular dementia, other dementia, and mixed dementia, respectively. The agreement between the initial and final post-imaging dementia subtype diagnosis was only fair, with a Cohen's kappa of 0.25 (95% confidence interval, 0.05-0.45). For the 21 subjects who underwent (11)C-PIB PET imaging, 19% (n=4) of those with Alzheimer's disease (PIB positive) were initially diagnosed with non-Alzheimer's disease dementia. Conclusions In this study, PET with or without (11)C-PIB brain imaging helped improve the accuracy of diagnosis of dementia subtype in 36% of our patients with underlying Alzheimer's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia, and frontotemporal dementia.

To evaluate the efficacy of dual vaccination of seasonal influenza and pneumococcus in nursing home older adults during a novel pandemic of influenza A (H1N1).Nine nursing homes in Hong Kong.A total of 532 nursing home older adults were included in the study.Efficacy of dual vaccination of seasonal influenza and pneumococcus in nursing home older adults during a novel pandemic influenza A (H1N1).A prospective 12-month cohort study was conducted on older residents from December 2009 to November 2010. Participants were divided into 3 groups according to their choice of vaccination: received both seasonal influenza and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV-TIV group), received seasonal influenza vaccine alone (TIV group), and those who refused both vaccinations (unvaccinated group). Those who had received vaccination for influenza A (H1N1) were excluded. Outcome measures included mortality from all causes, pneumonia, and vascular causes.There were 246 in the PPV-TIV group, 211 in the TIV group, and 75 in the unvaccinated group. Baseline characteristics were similar among the groups. The 12-month mortality rates of the PPV-TIV, TIV alone group, and unvaccinated group were 17.1%, 27.0%, and 37.3% respectively (P.001). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that, compared with vaccination of seasonal influenza alone, dual vaccination significantly reduced all-cause mortality (hazard ratio [HR] 0.54; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.35-0.84; P.01), mortality from pneumonia (HR 0.60; 95% CI: 0.35-0.99; P.05), and mortality from vascular causes (HR 0.24; 95% CI: 0.09-0.64; P.01).During an influenza pandemic or when the circulating influenza strain was not matched by the trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine, dual vaccination of influenza and pneumococcus provided additional protection to nursing home older adults in reducing mortality.

BACKGROUND The efficacy of influenza vaccination in older nursing home residents is frequently overestimated due to frailty selection bias. Limited data exist to examine this issue. METHODS We conducted a prospective cohort study from December 2009 to November 2010 to evaluate the efficacy of influenza vaccination in old nursing home residents with respect to their functional status. Participants were stratified according to the Barthel Index (BI) into good functioning (GF; BI > 60), intermediate functioning (IF; BI = 5-60), and poor functioning (PF; BI = 0). Participants were vaccinated by monovalent H1N1 2009 and trivalent seasonal influenza vaccinations (H1N1-TIV), TIV alone, or remained unvaccinated by choice. The associations between all-cause mortality, vaccination efficacy, and functional status were examined. RESULTS A total of 711 older nursing home residents were enrolled (GF group: N = 230; IF group: N = 246; PF group: N = 235). At 12 months, H1N1-TIV recipients had the lowest all-cause mortality, whereas unvaccinated residents had the highest all-cause mortality in all three functional status groups. In the comparison between H1N1-TIV recipients and TIV alone recipients, the hazard ratios (HRs) of all-cause mortality were lower in the GF group and higher in the PF group (GF group: HR 0.30 [0.07-0.95], p < .05; IF group: HR 0.40 [0.18-0.86], p < .05; PF group: HR 0.53 [0.28-0.99], p < .05). The same observation was found in comparison between other vaccination statuses (H1N1-TIV vs unvaccinated and TIV alone vs unvaccinated). CONCLUSIONS Influenza vaccination was associated with reduced all-cause mortality in older nursing home residents with different functional statuses. Vaccine efficacy in reducing mortality declined with increasingly impaired functional status.

QUASAR arterial spin labeling (ASL) was used to investigate the role of vascular impairment in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We hypothesized that the hemodynamic parameters monitoring cerebrovascular integrity, i.e., cerebral blood flow (CBF), arterial blood volume (aBV), and arterial transit time (aTT), would be affected. 13 AD patients and 15 healthy control (HC) subjects underwent 3T MRI scanning. Two separate blood flow acquisitions were obtained with 1 slice overlap for whole brain coverage. CBF, aBV, and aTT maps were calculated using in-house software. Preprocessing and statistical analyses were performed on SPM5. Region-of-interest (ROI) studies of ten selected cerebral regions were also conducted. There were significant differences in mini mental status exam (MMSE) (AD: 16.3 ± 4.55, HC: 28.5 ± 2.00) and Alzheimer's disease assessment scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-cog) scores (AD: 25.25 ± 9.64, HC: 5.51 ± 2.62) between the 2 groups (p < 0.001) but none in age (p = 0.068). CBF decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in AD compared to controls in the right middle cingulate, left cuneus, left inferior and middle frontal, right superior frontal, left inferior parietal, and right supramarginal gyri. ROI studies confirmed significant hemodynamic impairments in AD compared to HC (p < 0.05): CBF in middle and posterior cingulate, aBV in left superior temporal, right inferior parietal, and posterior cingulate, and aTT in left inferior frontal and middle cingulate gyri. CBF correlated positively while aTT correlated negatively to MMSE, and vice versa for ADAS-cog. Using QUASAR ASL, we found patterns of regional hemodynamic impairment typical of moderate AD, suggesting underlying vascular abnormality. As potential biomarkers, these hemodynamic parameters could differentiate patients from volunteers, and possibly indicate the conversion from healthy aging to mild cognitive impairment to AD.

The influenza A (H1N1) 2009 pandemic was declared by the WHO in April 2009. In Hong Kong, the vaccination program began in December 2009 in addition to the annual seasonal trivalent influenza vaccination program. The clinical efficacy of dual vaccination was unknown.From December 2009 to November 2010, a prospective 12-month cohort study on institutionalized elderly of nine nursing homes was conducted. Elderly persons who were followed up by the Hong Kong West Community Geriatric Assessment Team and had been vaccinated by the Department of Health were included. Outcome measures included all cause mortality, all cause hospitalization, hospitalization for fever on admission and hospitalization for pneumonia based on ICD-9-CM.711 elderly persons were included. 274 received both seasonal influenza vaccine and (H1N1) 2009 vaccine (H1N1-TIV), 368 received seasonal influenza vaccine only (TIV alone) and 69 received no vaccination (unvaccinated). Baseline characteristics were well matched between the groups, except there were fewer females in the TIV alone. The 12-month mortality rates of the H1N1-TIV, TIV alone and unvaccinated were 10.6%, 19.8% and 29%, respectively. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that dual vaccination in the institutionalized elderly significantly reduced all cause mortality by 54% (Hazard Ratio [HR] 0.46; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.29-0.72; p0.001) and 74% (HR 0.26; CI 0.13-0.49; p0.001), compared with vaccination of seasonal vaccination alone and no vaccination, respectively. Dual vaccination also reduced all cause hospitalization, hospitalization for fever on admission and hospitalization for pneumonia compared with seasonal vaccination alone and the unvaccinated group.Dual vaccination with both H1N1 and seasonal vaccinations provided additional protection to institutionalized elderly in reducing mortality and hospitalization.

Background: Previous meta-analyses have suggested that antipsychotics are associated with increased mortality in dementia patients with behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD). Subsequent observational studies, however, have produced conflicting results. In view of this controversy and the lack of any suitable pharmacological alternative for BPSD, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between continuous use of antipsychotics and mortality as well as hospitalizations in Chinese older adults with BPSD residing in nursing homes.Methods: This was a prospective cohort study conducted in nursing homes in the Central & Western and Southern Districts of Hong Kong from July 2009 to December 2010. Older adults were stratified into the exposed group (current users of antipsychotics) and control group (non-users). Demographics, comorbidity according to the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Barthel Index (BI(20)), Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), and vaccination status for pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) 2009, seasonal influenza and pneumococcus were collected at baseline. Subjects were followed up at 18 months. All-cause mortality and all-cause hospitalizations were recorded.Results: 599 older adults with dementia from nine nursing homes were recruited. The 18-month mortality rate for the exposed group was 24.1% while that for control group was 27.5% (P = 0.38). The exposed group also had a lower median rate of hospitalizations (56 (0–111) per 1000 person-months vs 111 (0–222) per 1000 person-months, median (interquartile range), pConclusions: The continuous use of antipsychotics for BPSD does not increase mortality among Chinese older adults with dementia living in nursing homes. Furthermore, our results show that the use of antipsychotics can lead to decreased hospitalizations.

The relationship between cognitive function and geriatric day hospital (GDH) rehabilitation has not been explored. This study investigated this association in 547 older Chinese patients attended GDH. Cognitive status was assessed by Cantonese version of mini-mental state examination (C-MMSE). Functional independence measure (FIM) upon GDH admission and discharge were measured, with FIM gain = FIM discharge-FIM admission while FIM efficiency = FIM gain/by number of GDH visits. FIM discharge ≥ 90 was defined as satisfactory outcome of rehabilitation. Positive correlation was observed between C-MMSE admission and FIM discharge (p0.001). There were significant differences in the FIM admission and FIM discharge among the three C-MMSE groups, with lower discharge scores in low C-MMSE groups (p0.001). The FIM gain and FIM efficiency during GDH rehabilitation were not different among different C-MMSE groups. C-MMSE admission (p = 0.03) and FIM admission (p0.001) were both positive independent predictors for a satisfactory rehabilitation outcomes (FIM discharge ≥90). Cognitive function was not associated with FIM gain and efficiency. This suggested that selected patients with impaired cognition could still benefit from GDH rehabilitation.

The relationship between serum albumin level and rehabilitation outcome in older patients has not been fully explored. This study investigated this association in older Chinese patients. We studied 1604 patients in two geriatric convalescence hospitals. Admission albumin levels (g/l) were measured and segregated into three groups:30 g/l; 30 to35 g/l; ≥35 g/l. Absolute functional and motor gain were determined by Barthel index (BI) and elderly mobility scale (EMS) and expressed as BI efficacy and EMS efficacy. BI and EMS efficiency were deduced by the efficacy divided by the length of hospital stay (LOS). Satisfactory motor and functional outcomes were defined as discharge EMS≥15 and BI≥75. Significant improvement in EMS and BI scores across all 3 albumin groups on discharge was observed, with lower scores in low albumin groups. The EMS and BI efficacy were the same in 3 albumin groups. However, EMS and BI efficiency were higher in the high albumin groups. Admission albumin was not independent predictors for satisfactory motor and functional outcomes. For satisfactory motor outcome (EMS≥15), female gender (p=0.0004), age (p=0.0009) and urinary incontinence (p=0.0076) were negative predictors while living at home (p=0.0028), admission EMS (p0.001) and BI score (p=0.0004) were positive predictors. For satisfactory functional outcome (BI≥75), age (p=0.015) and urinary incontinence (p0.001) were negative predictors while female gender (p=0.0024), LOS (p=0.033), C-MMSE (p0.001), admission EMS (p=0.003) and BI (p0.001) were positive predictors. Admission albumin levels were related to functional and motor efficiency, but not with absolute functional and motor gain. Albumin was not an independent predictor for satisfactory motor and functional outcome.

Quantitative MRI of the hippocampus has been increasingly employed as a biomarker in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compare voxel-based morphometry (VBM) standard and DARTEL registration with manual hippocampal volumetry in AD patients and cognitively normal older adults. Participants were 20 cognitively normal elderly subjects and 19 AD patients who met the criteria of probable AD according to NINCDS-ADRDA. Bilateral manual hippocampal volumetry was conducted alongside VBM of hippocampal regions-of-interest (ROIs) generated with standard and DARTEL registration using hippocampal masks and total intracranial volume normalization. All normalized hippocampal measurements showed significant reduction (20–30%; p < 0.001) in AD compared to controls. Logistic regression analysis also showed significant effects (odds ratios ranged from 88.2% to 94.0%) of all normalized measurements in predicting AD incidence after adjusting for age, gender, and education. The overall prediction accuracies of manual RH and LH volumes, standard RH-ROI and LH-ROI VBM, DARTEL RH-ROI, and LH-ROI VBM were 87.2%, 84.6%, 87.2%, 76.9%, 87.2%, and 87.2%, respectively. As imaging biomarkers, VBM with DARTEL and standard registration have similarly high efficacies as manual hippocampal volumetry in discriminating AD from cognitively normal elderly adults.

Objectives The objectives of the present study were to describe the knowledge and preferences of Hong Kong Chinese older adults regarding advance directives and end-of-life care decisions, and to investigate the predictors of preferences for advance directive and community end-of-life care in nursing homes. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey conducted in 140 nursing homes in Hong Kong. A total of 1600 cognitively normal Chinese older adults were recruited. Information on demographics, social, medical diseases, preferences of end-of-life care decisions, and advance directives were collected by face-to-face questionnaire interviews. Results The mean age of the participants was 82.4 years; 94.2% of them would prefer to be informed of the diagnosis if they had terminal diseases and 88.0% preferred to have their advance directives regarding medical treatment in the future. Approximately 35% would prefer to die in their nursing homes. The significant independent predictors for the preference of advance directive included asking for relatives' advice, wishing to be informed of their terminal illness diagnoses, absence of stroke, and having no problems in self-care in European Quality of Life–5 Dimensions. For the preference for community end-of-life care and dying in nursing homes, the independent predictors included older age, not having siblings in Hong Kong, Catholic religion, nonbeliever of traditional Chinese religion, not receiving any old age allowance, lower Geriatric Depression Scale score, and being residents of government-subsidized nursing homes. Conclusions Most of our cognitively normal Chinese nursing home older adults prefer having an advance directive, and one-third of them would prefer to die in nursing homes.

There is limited data on the effects of alcohol consumption on cognitive impairment in Chinese populations.To investigate the association between alcohol consumption and the risk of cognitive impairment in Southern Chinese older adults in Hong Kong.This was a cross-sectional study of 314 Chinese older participants, aged 65 years or over. Participants' socio-demographic, co-morbid diseases, alcohol drinking habits, and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) for cognitive function were obtained by a face-to-face interview. Participants were categorized into normal cognitive and cognitively impaired groups by education-adjusted MMSE cut-off scores.The mean (SD) age of the participants was 79.9 (6.5) years. The average weekly alcohol consumption in the cognitively impaired group was significantly higher than that of the normal cognition group [mean (SD): 861.89 (673.03) versus 241.21 (276.26) grams per week respectively; p0.001, t-test]. Drinkers with light to moderate alcohol consumption were associated with higher MMSE scores than non-drinkers and heavy drinkers. Logistic regression analyses showed that heavy drinkers (400 g alcohol for men and280 g for women) were associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR = 4.99, 95%CI = 1.8-13.82), while light drinkers and moderated drinkers (400 g for men and280 g for women) were associated with reduced risks (OR = 0.32, 95%CI = 0.12-0.86; OR = 0.17, 95%CI = 0.06-0.51, respectively). Exercise and age were independent protective and risk factors respectively.Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment while light to moderate alcohol consumption is associated with reduced risk among Southern Chinese older adults in Hong Kong.

We here demonstrate that promoter polymorphisms rs8003602 and rs3783320 of cholesterol 24S-hydroxylase (CYP46A1) were significantly associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Chinese subjects. Haplotype analyses showed that haplotype CG is the risk haplotype. Either single marker or haplotypic association was found only in the APOE ε4 negative group. The association was then replicated in an independent set of case-control samples in Mongolians. We also investigated the function of promoter haplotypes and found that luciferase expression for TA promoter construct exhibited significantly higher expression level than the risk CG promoter construct. This finding might indicate individuals bearing the CG haplotype are genetically more susceptible to AD compared to those with TA haplotype. Further, we found MYT1 could be the potential transcription factor binding to the significant promoter polymorphism and mediated gene transcriptional activity. In general, our results show that promoter haplotypes could significantly affect CYP46A1 gene transcription level possibly through interacting with certain transcription factors.

There is a paucity of data on the relationship between testosterone and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in older men. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of serum total testosterone (TT), bioavailable testosterone (BT), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels on the subsequent risk of AD in nondemented Chinese older men. This was a one-year prospective cohort study. 153 ambulatory community-living nondemented Chinese older men, aged 55 years or over, were recruited and followed for one year. Morning serum TT, BT, and SHBG levels were measured at baseline. At one-year of followup, assessment for dementia and AD were performed. AD was diagnosed by the NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for probable AD. Overall, the mean age of the subjects was 72.7 (SD 6.9). 6.5% (n = 10) developed dementia (converters), all having AD. 93.5% (n = 143) did not develop dementia (non-converters). Logistic regression analysis for independent predictors of AD showed that the baseline serum BT level, systolic blood pressure (SBP) and ApoE "4 genotype were significant independent predictors, after adjustment for age, education, BMI, fasting plasma glucose, and serum HDLC levels. The baseline serum BT level predicted a reduced risk of AD (adjusted relative risk (RR) 0.22, 95% CI: 0.07-0.69)). Baseline SBP and ApoE "4 genotype but not SHBG were independent risk factors, with RRs of 1.04 and 5.04 respectively. In conclusion, the serum level of bioavailable testosterone in late life predicts a lower risk of future AD development in older men.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorders in the elderly. To identify rare genetic factors other than apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele (ApoE ɛ4) contributing to the pathogenesis of late-onset AD (LOAD), we conducted a whole-exome analysis of 246 ApoE ɛ4-negative LOAD cases and 172 matched controls in Hong Kong Chinese population. LOAD patients showed a significantly higher burden of rare loss-of-function variants in genes related to immune function than healthy controls. Among the genes involved in immune function, we identified a rare stop-gain variant (p.Q48X) in mixed lineage kinase domain like pseudokinase (MLKL) gene present exclusively in 6 LOAD cases. MLKL is expressed in neurons, and the its expression levels in the p.Q48X carriers were significantly lower than that in age-matched wild-type controls. The ratio of Aβ42 to Aβ40 significantly increased in MLKL knockdown cells compared to scramble controls. MLKL loss-of-function mutation might contribute to late-onset ApoE ɛ4-negative AD in the Hong Kong Chinese population.

Recent linkage and association studies have implicated the chromosome 12p13 locus as possibly harboring genetic variants predisposed to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We attempted to replicate this association in a Chinese data set comprised of 256 AD cases and 264 age-matched normal controls. A total of 14 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were examined. Single marker association revealed the two SNPs in NCAPD2 (rs7311174 and rs2072374) as showing nominal significant p values (p = 0.0491 and 0.0116, respectively). Haplotype analysis found LD block one to be significantly associated with AD (global p = 0.0250). Haplotypes CGGATG and CAGTCG were also significantly associated with AD (p = 0.0498 and p = 0.0482, respectively). These genetic analyses provide evidence that the chromosome 12p13 locus is associated with AD in Chinese.

Luk JK, Chiu PK, Chu LW. Rehabilitation of older Chinese patients with different cognitive functions: how do they differ in outcome? Objective To examine the effect of cognition on functional and motor gain in older Chinese patients undergoing geriatric inpatient rehabilitation. Design A retrospective cohort study. Setting Geriatric rehabilitation units of 2 convalescence hospitals in Hong Kong. Participants Older Chinese patients (N=778). Interventions Comprehensive geriatric assessment and inpatient rehabilitation by a multidisciplinary team. Main Outcome Measures Cognitive status was assessed with the Cantonese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (C-MMSE). We measured the absolute functional gain and motor gain by using the Barthel Index and Elderly Mobility Scale (EMS) and expressed it as Barthel Index efficacy and EMS efficacy. Relative efficacy was assessed by the Montebello Rehabilitation Factor Score (MRFS). Relative efficiency was deduced by relative efficacy divided by the hospital length of stay (LOS). Results There were significant differences in the total Barthel Index and EMS on admission and at discharge, with lower discharge scores in low C-MMSE groups. The change of Barthel Index (Barthel Index efficacy) and EMS (EMS efficacy) during rehabilitation did not differ among different C-MMSE groups. Significant differences were observed in Barthel Index MRFS efficacy and efficiency as well as EMS MRFS efficacy and efficiency in different cognitive groups; those with better cognitive function had better results. Multivariate analysis showed that LOS (odds ratio [OR]=1.02, P =.002) and diagnosis of musculoskeletal problems (OR=2.24, P =.007) were positive predictors for a Barthel Index MRFS efficacy of .25 or higher. C-MMSE was not an independent predictor for a Barthel Index MRFS efficacy of .25 or higher. LOS (OR=1.02, P =.003), admission C-MMSE (OR=1.04, P =.001), body mass index (OR=1.05, P =.006), and diagnosis of musculoskeletal disorders (OR=1.75, P =.04) were significant positive predictors for an EMS MRFS efficacy of .25 or higher, whereas urinary incontinence was a negative predictor for EMS MRFS efficacy (OR=0.69, P =.04). Conclusions There was a strong association between admission cognition and relative change in functional and motor efficacy and efficiency. Cognitive function was not associated with absolute functional and motor gain. Cognitive function was an independent predictor for satisfactory mobility outcome but not for functional outcome. Older patients with impaired cognitive function could still benefit from rehabilitation.

China will face a dramatic transition from a young to an aged society in the coming 30 to 40 years. In 2000, there were 88,110,000 persons aged 65 years and older, which represented 7% of the population. This percentage is projected to increase to 23% in 2050. Regarding health and long-term care for older adults, the current challenge is to build a comprehensive system of care for older adults. Nursing home care is an inevitable care model for frail older adults in China, which is largely sponsored by the government of China with contributions from some nongovernment organizations and private investors. China is a large country. Within the country, long-term care varies greatly between rural and urban areas, and among the different economic developing areas. In urban and better-developed areas, the range of services exists; however, in rural and less-developed areas, the range of services is limited. The "Star Light Program" and "Beloved Care Engineering" were recent government initiatives to improve aged care. They were launched in 2001 and have dramatically increased the number of both senior centers and nursing homes for older adults. While the quantity of nursing homes is still inadequate with an additional mismatch problem between the supply and demand, the quality of care in most nursing homes is suboptimal. At present, most administrative and frontline workers in nursing homes have received little training in elder care. There is a need for good-quality structured training in long-term care for all types of staff. Moreover, quality standard for care, including standard setting, assessment, and monitoring, is an important issue and needs substantial improvement for nursing homes in China. Currently, 1.5% of older people live in nursing homes and apartments for older people. Because of the peculiar 4-2-1 family structure in China, we expect the prevalence of nursing home placement of older adults will increase in the coming years. The government of China has realized that it is financially not sustainable to expand in this area using only the government's resources. The current policy is to encourage private and foreign investors to participate in the nursing home business in China.

Summary Objective We investigated the risk of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) in relation to serum bioavailable (BT) and total testosterone (TT) levels in older men. Design, setting and subjects A cross-sectional study in an ambulatory setting, with older men aged 55–93 years with normal cognition, aMCI and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Measurements Morning serum BT and TT levels were determined. AD was diagnosed by the Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke/Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association (NINCDS-ADRDA) criteria for probable AD and aMCI by the Petersen criteria. Results We recruited 203 Chinese older men (48 aMCI, 66 AD and 89 with normal cognition). Mean serum BT, but not TT, levels were significantly lower in the aMCI (mean BT ± SEM 1·06 ± 0·10 nmol/l) and AD (0·99 ± 0·08 nmol/l) groups than in the normal controls (1·82 ± 0·12 nmol/l) (P

Background. A 10-question screening questionnaire for androgen deficiency in aging men (ADAM) was reported in previous white but not Chinese populations. We therefore investigated the validity of a Chinese version of the Saint Louis University ADAM questionnaire to screen for androgen deficiency in Chinese men. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study. Seven hundred ninety-six ambulatory community-based Chinese men, 18‐ 89 years old, were recruited from October 2003 through June 2006. Self-administered Chinese ADAM questionnaire and morning blood samples for serum total testosterone (TT) and bioavailable testosterone (BT) levels were collected from all participants. Low serum BT levels (androgen deficiency) were defined as ,5 th percentile of serum BT levels in young healthy Chinese men (18‐29 years). Results. The Chinese ADAM questionnaire had good internal consistency (Cronbach a ¼ 0.74) and test‐retest reliability (Pearson correlation coefficient, r ¼ 0.86; p , .001, two-tailed). As a screening test for low serum BT levels, the Chinese ADAM questionnaire has a high sensitivity of 88% but low specificity of 32%. In 6 of the 10 questions, the mean serum BT levels were significantly lower in those who answered positively than in those who answered negatively. Using a cut-off score of � 2, a six-question short Chinese ADAM questionnaire demonstrated sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 86%, 40%, 46%, and 82%, respectively. Conclusion. We have validated a full Chinese version and developed a shortened version of the ADAM questionnaire, and demonstrated that they are sensitive but not specific screening tests for androgen deficiency in Chinese men.

There was no data on the impact of falls on health service utilizations in Chinese older adults. The present study investigated the impact of falls on health service utilizations in community-dwelling Chinese older adults in Hong Kong. A population-based sample of 1517 older adults aged 65 years or over was recruited. Baseline assessment at home and then the occurrence of falls as well as health services utilizations were monitored for 1 year. The prevalence of falls, single fallers and recurrent fallers were 26.4%, 19.4% and 4.75%, respectively. 95.6% (n=1450) of the subjects completed the 1-year follow-up. Fallers had significantly greater numbers of hospitalizations, visits at specialist doctor clinics and emergency department than non-fallers (0.46+/-0.09 versus 0.23+/-0.03, 1.98+/-0.25 versus 1.37+/-0.11 and 0.40+/-0.04 versus 0.21+/-0.002, respectively; p

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), especially Aβ42/t-tau and Aβ42/p-tau, showed high diagnostic sensitivities and specificities. But significant interassay and interlaboratory variabilities hinder the widespread clinical applications of CSF biomarkers. The objective of this study was to validate the diagnostic accuracy of AD-CSF-Index in our local Chinese patients with AD compared to nondemented controls. A total of 36 patients, which included 24 patients with AD and 12 nondemented controls, were recruited. Chinese patients with AD showed higher mean AD-CSF-Indices than nondemented controls (AD = 1.25-1.3, normal = 0.62-0.63; P < .001). The AD-CSF-indices have a high sensitivity and specificity of 86.4% to 90.9% and 83.3%, respectively, in differentiating patients with AD from nondemented controls. After selecting the patients with “pure AD” and “pure normal” controls, the AD-CSF-indices have a high sensitivity and specificity of 94.1% and 90%, respectively, in differentiating patients with AD from nondemented controls. Most importantly, our AD-CSF-indices cutoff was highly similar to that reported in Western studies.

Objective. The objective of the present study was to investigate the impact of incident falls on the balance, gait, and Activities of Daily Living functioning in community-dwelling older adults. Methods. This was a population-based, 1-year prospective cohort study in older adults. We performed baseline assessment of potential predictors, the 1-year occurrence of falls, and then 1-year reassessment of the following outcome measures: the Barthel Index (BI), Lawton's Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale, gait speed, and Tinetti Balance and Gait Evaluation's total mobility score (TMS). At 1 year of follow-up, participants who had declined by >/=1 standard deviation (SD) below the baseline mean value of each outcome measure were classified as "decliners." Results. Of the 1517 participants, 93.5% (n = 1419) completed the 1-year follow-up reassessment of BI and IADL. For gait speed and TMS, respectively, 88.2% (n = 1338) and 88.3% (n = 1339) completed the 1-year outcome assessment. Fallers, particularly recurrent fallers, experienced significantly greater 1-year declines in the four functional measures. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that an incident fall was a significant independent predictor for decliners in the BI, Lawton's IADL score, gait speed, and TMS after adjustment of all significant confounding factors. The relative risks of an incident fall as an independent predictor for decliners in the BI, IADL score, gait speed, and TMS were 2.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.4-4.0; p =.01), 2.9 (95% CI, 1.7-5.2; p

Background: Cholesterol metabolism has been implicated in the pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and cholesterol-related genes are plausible candidate genes for AD. Genetic association of CYP46A1 polymorphisms with AD had been under extensive investigations; however, observations on intron 2 T→C (rs754203) generated inconclusive results. Objective: To analyse an independent data set in a Chinese population to see whether the polymorphic site rs754203 of the CYP46A1 gene is associated with AD. Methods: We analysed 130 sporadic AD patients and 110 healthy controls of the Southern Chinese origin. Results: An association between the genotype frequency and AD was suggested in the general population (p = 0.047, odds ratio, OR = 1. 61, 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.96–2.70), while the association was most significant in the apolipoprotein E (ApoE) Ε4-negative group (p = 0.004, OR = 2.54, 95% CI =1.31–4.95). Linkage disequilibrium block prediction results also favoured this association. Consistent with previous reports, intron 3 C→T (rs4900442) polymorphism did not show any evidence of association; in our data set ApoEΕ4 was confirmed to be a genetic risk factor for AD (p = 0.0016, OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 1.50–5.11).

PDQ-39 has been widely used in the research and clinical management of Parkinson's disease. It has been translated into and validated in various non-English languages. We report here on the validity and reliability results for the translated standard Chinese PDQ-39 questionnaire. Fifty-four patients were recruited from a movement disorder clinic and two regional patient groups, and data were collected by direct interview. Nineteen patients had the tests repeated 4 weeks later to assess the test–retest and interrater reliability. The standard Chinese version of PDQ-39 demonstrated acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.54–0.90) and was comparable to versions in other languages. Further analysis showed good construct validity and test–retest reliability. Implications and limitations of the study are discussed. © 2002 Movement Disorder Society

There has been no previous Chinese study that differentiated the clinical symptoms among biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer's disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The objective of this study was to compare the cognitive, behavioural, and neuropsychiatric symptoms in biomarker-confirmed AD, DLB, and FTD patients.We recruited 30 patients (14 AD, 7 DLB, 9 FTD) who presented to the memory clinic at Queen Mary Hospital from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2013. AD was diagnosed according to the National Institution of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria with cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers (tau, phosphorylated tau, and amyloid β-42) fulfilling locally determined cut-off values for AD. DLB was diagnosed based on the McKeith diagnostic criteria. The behavioural variant of FTD was diagnosed based on the revised diagnostic criteria proposed by the International bvFTD Criteria Consortium, and language variant FTD was diagnosed based on the latest published criteria. In addition, patients with DLB and FTD had typical imaging features on single-photon emission computed tomography or (18) fludeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography, either with or without Pittsburgh Compound B imaging, which supported their diagnoses. Data on patient characteristics including demographics, presenting clinical features, Mini-Mental State Examination, clinical dementia ratings, and neuropsychiatry inventory scores were collected.There were no differences in age, education level, dementia severity, and duration of symptoms before presentation among the three subgroups of patients. All patients had amnesia symptoms, which were not statistically significant. Apraxia was most common in AD. While 83% of the patients were affected by behavioural and neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia, behavioural disinhibition and decline in executive function were most common in FTD patients. Recurrent hallucinations, fluctuation of consciousness, parkinsonism, and rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder were most common in DLB.Memory impairment and apathy are not useful discriminative symptoms in diagnosing AD, DLB, and FTD. Apraxia favours AD. Hallucinations, particularly well-formed visual hallucinations, favour DLB. Overall, behavioural and neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia symptoms are common among the three groups of dementia patients.

The integrity of structural connectivity in a functional brain network supports the efficiency of neural processing within relevant brain regions. This study aimed to quantitatively investigate the short- and long-range fibers, and their differential roles in the lower cognitive efficiency in aging and dementia. Three groups of healthy young, healthy older adults and patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) participated in this combined functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study on prospective memory (PM). Short- and long-range fiber tracts within the PM task engaged brain networks were generated. The correlation between the fMRI signal change, PM performance and the DTI characters were calculated. FMRI results showed that the PM-specific frontal activations in three groups were distributed hierarchically along the rostrocaudal axis in the frontal lobe. In an overall PM condition generally activated brain network among the three groups, tractography was used to generate the short-range fibers, and they were found impaired in both healthy older adults and AD patients. However, the long-range fiber tracts were only impaired in AD. Additionally, the mean diffusivity (MD) of short-range but not long-range fibers was positively correlated with fMRI signal change and negatively correlated with the efficiency of PM performance. This study suggests that the disintegrity of short-range fibers may contribute more to the lower cognitive efficiency and higher compensatory brain activation in healthy older adults and more in AD patients.

The objective of the present study was to investigate the reliability and the validity of the Cantonese Chinese Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) as a brief screening tool of amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) in Southern Chinese older adults.Cognitively normal, aMCI and AD Cantonese-speaking Chinese older adults were recruited from a memory clinic and the community. The English MoCA was translated into Cantonese Chinese and then back-translated. We then evaluated the content validity, reliability, sensitivity and specificity of the Chinese Cantonese MoCA.We recruited 115 cognitively normal controls, 87 aMCI and 64 AD patients. Only education was positively correlated with the Cantonese MoCA score (r = 0.46, P0.001). The Chinese Cantonese MoCA had a high internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.85. In the test-retest reliability assessment, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.95 (P0.001). The ICC for the interrater reliability was 0.96 (P0.001). Receiving operating characteristic curve analyses showed an area under the curve of 0.85 and 0.99 for aMCI and AD, respectively (both P0.001). The optimal cut-off score for detection of aMCI was 22/23, which yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 78% and 73%, respectively. The optimal cut-off score for detection of AD was 19/20, which gave sensitivity and specificity of 94% and 92%, respectively.The Cantonese Chinese MoCA is a consistent and reliable instrument. In terms of its validity, the MoCA is better in the detection of AD than aMCI in Cantonese-speaking Chinese persons. It is only fair for the screening of aMCI.

A U-shaped relationship between body mass index (BMI) and all-cause mortality has been reported, but there are few studies examining the association between BMI and cause-specific mortality and hospitalization. We carried out a longitudinal study to examine these associations in Chinese older adults with multiple comorbidities, which could provide a reference for the recommended BMI in this population.From 2004 to 2013, a retrospective cohort of Chinese older adults was selected from a geriatric day hospital in Hong Kong. They were divided into groups according to their BMI: BMI16; BMI 16-18; BMI 18.1-20; BMI 20.1-22; BMI 22.1-24; BMI 24.1-26; BMI 26.1-28; BMI 28.1-30 and BMI30. Other assessments included medical, functional, cognitive, social and nutritional assessment.A total of 1747 older adults (mean age 80.8 ± 7.1 years, 44.1% male, 46.1% living in nursing homes, Charlson Comorbidity Index 2.0 ± 1.6) with a median follow up of 3.5 years were included. Older adults with BMI 24-28 had the lowest all-cause, infection-related and cardiovascular mortality (P0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that there was an inverted J-shaped association between BMI and hazard ratio for all-cause and infection-related mortality in both nursing home and community-dwelling older adults. The rate of all-cause hospitalization was lower in older adults with BMI 22-28 (P = 0.002). Multivariate analysis showed that there was an inverted J-shaped association between the odds ratio of recurrent hospitalization and BMI.Chinese older adults with BMI 24-28 had lower all-cause mortality, infection-related mortality, cardiovascular-related mortality and all-cause hospitalization. This study provides a reference for the recommended BMI in this population.

Background. The incidence of falls among older hospitalized patients is higher than that of community-dwelling older persons. Prevention is important, but factors associated with these falls are less well studied than falls occurring in the community or nursing homes. Methods. This study was conducted in an acute-care general hospital in Hong Kong. During November 1995 to March 1997, all older inpatients who fell during hospitalization were assessed by a geriatrician, a physiotherapist, and an occupational therapist. A standardized protocol to study the clinical and performance-oriented functional factors was employed. A sex- and age-matched hospital control was recruited for each case. In total, 51 cases and controls (mean ages 77.8 ± 7.3 years and 77.5 ± 7.0 years, respectively) were studied. Results. Among the multiple clinical and functional risk factors for falls identified, lower limb weakness (i.e., power less than MRC grade 4 in one or both lower limbs) and poor tandem walk ability emerged as two significant predictive factors for falls in the hospital. The overall classification accuracy of fallers and nonfallers was 79%. The sensitivity was 84% and specificity was 75%. Clinical factors were the underlying causes for the lower limb weakness and poor tandem walk performance. Conclusions. Among clinical and functional risk factors for falls in the older medical patient, lower limb weakness and poor tandem walk ability were most predictive. Falls prevention programs in hospitals should employ these two tests as screening instruments.

In view of the paucity of data on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers in Chinese patients, we evaluated the validity of tau, phosphorylated tau 181 (p-tau-181), amyloid β 42 (Aβ42), and Aβ40 proteins in Chinese patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We recruited 24 patients with AD, 12 nondemented controls, and 12 patients with non-AD dementia. We found the CSF levels of Aβ42, tau, p-tau, Aβ42–tau, and Aβ42–p-tau ratios, except the Aβ40 protein level, were significantly different among the 3 groups of patients. Patients with AD had higher levels of CSF tau and p-tau but lower levels of Aβ42 proteins, Aβ42–tau, and Aβ42–p-tau ratios than the nondemented controls. In the diagnosis of AD versus nondementia, the sensitivity and specificity of the ratios of Aβ42–tau and Aβ42–p-tau were 96% and 83% versus 92% and 83%, respectively. Only the Aβ42–p-tau ratio showed satisfactory sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of AD versus other dementia.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Aβ42, total tau and phosphorylated tau (p-tau) are well-defined diagnostic markers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD). There has been no previous report of the use of these markers in the diagnosis of AD in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We would like to report our preliminary findings on these biomarkers in three patients with renal failure. One patient with a clinical diagnosis of AD showed elevated CSF tau, p-tau 181, and decreased Aβ42 levels, within a similar range as in local Chinese AD patients without renal impairment. The other two delirious patients, who did not have a clinical diagnosis of AD, showed normal CSF biomarkers. We found that the diagnosis of AD with CSF biomarkers appears to be useful in renal failure patients. But our results need to be confirmed in a larger study, comparing these CSF biomarkers in AD vs. non-AD patients with concomitant CKD.

The Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) is commonly studied for predicting mortality, but there is no validation study of it in Chinese older adults. The objective of the present study was to validate the use of CCI in Chinese older adults for predicting mortality.We carried out a retrospective cohort study from 2004 to 2013 for patients discharged from a geriatric day hospital in Hong Kong. Comorbidity was quantified using CCI, and patients were divided into six groups according to their score of CCI: CCI-0, CCI-1, CCI-2, CCI-3, CCI-4 and CCI ≥ 5. Other data collected included demographics, and functional, nutritional, cognitive and social assessment. The outcome measure was 1-year mortality.At 1-year follow up, 3.8% (n = 17), 5.9% (n = 37), 9.2% (n = 35), 12.9% (n = 20), 16.9% (n = 23) and 19.3% (n = 60) of CCI-0, CCI-1, CCI-2, CCI-3, CCI-4 and CCI ≥ 5 died, respectively (P 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that CCI-1, CCI-2, CCI-3, CCI-4 and CCI ≥ 5 have a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.34 (confidence interval [CI] 1.04-2.12), 2.18 (CI 1.03-4.61), 3.44 (CI 1.52-7.81), 3.74 (CI 1.35-10.39) and 4.63 (CI 2.28-9.43), respectively, compared with CCI-0. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curves of CCI in predicting 1-year mortality for older adults was 0.68 (CI 0.64-0.72).There is a significant dose-response relationship in the hazard ratio between CCI and 1-year mortality in Chinese older adults, but involvements of functional, nutritional and social assessments are important for comprehensive quantification of health status in older adults.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the preference and willingness-to-pay (WTP) of older Chinese adults for community end-of-life care in a nursing home rather than a hospital.A total of 1540 older Chinese adults from 140 nursing homes were interviewed. Four hypothetical questions were asked to explore their preferences for end-of-life care. Using a discrete choice approach, specific questions explored acceptable trade-offs between three attributes: availability of doctors onsite, attitude of the care staff and additional cost of care per month.Approximately 35% of respondents preferred end-of-life care in the nursing home, whereas 23% of them would consider it in a better nursing home. A good attitude of staff was the most important attribute of the care site. Respondents were willing to pay an extra cost of US$5 (HK$39) per month for more coverage of doctor's time, and US$49 (HK$379) for a better attitude of staff in the nursing home. The marginal WTP for both more coverage of doctor's time and better attitude of staff amounted to US$54 (HK$418). Respondents on government subsidy valued the cost attribute more highly, as expected, validating the hypothesis that those respondents would be less willing to pay an additional cost for end-of-life care.Older Chinese adults living in nursing homes are willing to pay an additional fee for community end-of-life care services in nursing homes. Both the availability of the doctor and attitudes of nursing home staff are important, with the most important attribute being the staff attitudes. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2013; 14: 273-284.