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Kunitake Y, Imamura Y, Kunitake H, Ohishi-Fukuchi J, Matsushima J, Tateishi H, Murakawa-Hirachi T, Kojima R, Sakemura Y, Kikuchi J, Shiraishi T, Takamori A, Morisaki T, Yamada S, Monji A, Mizoguchi Y. Association depressive symptoms with memory function and social capital before and during COVID-19 in community-dwelling older adults in rural Japan: A retrospective study with a longitudinal data. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2024; 39:e6100. [PMID: 38757879 DOI: 10.1002/gps.6100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate the impact of memory function and social capital on depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic among older adults in rural Japan. METHODS A retrospective study with longitudinal data was conducted during COVID-19 from May 2021 to November 2021 (T2) in Kurogawa, Japan. The candidate population for this study was 145 with the following requirements: (1) older individuals aged 65 years or above who were registered in the Kurogawa study, and (2) those with previous data (from November 2016 to February 2020; T1 as pre-pandemic). Memory function was assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised Logical Memory II delayed recall part A (LM II-DR). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Japanese version of the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Social capital was evaluated through civic participation, social cohesion, and reciprocity. Fear of the COVID-19 infection (FCV-19S) was evaluated. RESULTS The final analysis included 96 participants (mean age = 81.0 years, SD = 4.8) Multivariate analysis for GDS-15 score by Mixed Model Repeated Measures (MMRM) revealed significant associations between LM II-DR (β = -0.13, 95% CI: -0.21-0.05, p = 0.002) and FCV-19S during COVID-19 (β = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01-0.15, p = 0.02) with GDS-15 score. However, civic participation, social cohesion and reciprocity were not associated with GDS-15 score. CONCLUSIONS Among older adults in rural Japan, memory function and fear of the COVID-19 infection were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in MMRM analysis. However, social capital was not associated with depressive symptoms. This highlights the need to address memory function and fear of the COVID-19 infection in interventions for older adults during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutaka Kunitake
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Yoshiomi Imamura
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Hiroko Kunitake
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | | | - Jun Matsushima
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tateishi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | | | - Ryohei Kojima
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
- Ureshino Onsen Hospital, Ureshino, Saga, Japan
| | - Yuta Sakemura
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Jun Kikuchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Takumi Shiraishi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Ayako Takamori
- Clinical Research Center, Saga University Hospital, Saga, Japan
| | | | | | - Akira Monji
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
- Wakahisa Hospital, Fukuoka, Japan
| | - Yoshito Mizoguchi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
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Peña-Bautista C, Álvarez-Sánchez L, Ferrer-Cairols I, García-Vallés L, Baquero M, Cháfer-Pericás C. Assessment of COVID-19 lockdown effect on early Alzheimer Disease progression. J Neurol 2023; 270:4585-4592. [PMID: 37505239 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-023-11899-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recently, many aspects of daily life have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Patients with Alzheimer Disease (AD) could be more vulnerable to those daily life changes as experts expected. Mainly, the lockdown involved reduced social contact and cognitive stimulation. So, it could affect the AD expression, increasing the patients' disabilities development. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 lockdown on cognitive impairment progression in early AD patients. METHODOLOGY The participants were patients with mild cognitive impairment due to AD (MCI-AD) from the Neurology Unit (La Fe Hospital), who were neuropsychologically evaluated (cognitive impairment, daily activity tests) twice over 2 years. They were classified into a case group (n = 21), evaluated before and after lockdown condition, and a control group (n = 20), evaluated entirely before the lockdown condition. RESULTS All the participants showed increasing cognitive impairment and functional deterioration over the 2-year period of evaluation (p < 0.05). However, a faster worsening was not observed as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown condition. In fact, the statistical significance observed between the two study groups for daily life activities showed that the worsening was even lesser in the group evaluated under the lockdown condition. CONCLUSION Medium-term effects of COVID-19 lockdown could not involve an acceleration of the cognitive decline in MCI-AD patients in a 2-year evaluation period. In addition, the least worsening observed for daily living activities in the case group was probably due to the change in routines. Therefore, the common assumption of cognitive worsening of AD progression due to the lockdown in comparison with normal disease progression was not demonstrated in this study, at least for MCI-AD cases. However, more longitudinal studies are required to evaluate long-term effects in these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Peña-Bautista
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lourdes Álvarez-Sánchez
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Inés Ferrer-Cairols
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lorena García-Vallés
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Miguel Baquero
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain
- Division of Neurology, Hospital Universitari I Politècnic La Fe, Valencia, Spain
| | - Consuelo Cháfer-Pericás
- Alzheimer's Disease Research Group, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria La Fe, Valencia, Spain.
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Tsatali M, Moraitou D, Boza ES, Tsolaki M. Cognition and Functionality Were Not Affected Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in People with Mild Cognitive Impairment and AD Dementia Attending Digital Non-Pharmacologic Interventions. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1044. [PMID: 37508975 PMCID: PMC10376995 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13071044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The majority of previous studies showed that older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) as well as Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD) had impaired cognition and mood status, as well as increased behavioral disturbances after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are still controversial data as regards the multifactorial impact of the restrictive measures on cognition, mood and daily function in older adults with MCI and ADD. AIM In the current study, the scope is to identify possible deterioration by means of cognitive and functional level due to mood and behavioral alterations during the second quarantine imposed in Greece between November 2020 and May 2021, as well as one year after the second quarantine, in May 2022. METHODS Participants were recruited from the two day centers of the Greek Association of Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (GAADRD). They underwent three yearly follow up assessments from May 2020 to May 2022 and participated in cognitive training interventions (through digital online means) during the aforementioned period. Mixed measures analyses of variance as well as path models were used for the study's purposes. RESULTS The study sample comprised 210 participants (175 people with MCI and 35 people with ADD). The mean age was 71.59 and 77.94 for people with MCI and mild ADD, respectively, whereas the average number of years of education was 12.65 for those with MCI and 9.83 for people with mild ADD. The results show that participants' deterioration rate (D), calculated by means of their performance in neuropsychological and functional assessments between 2020 and 2021 (D1) and 2021 and 2022 (D2), did not change significantly, except for the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT), since both groups displayed a larger D2 across the test conditions (immediate recall, fifth trial and delayed recall). Trail Making Test-B (TMT-B) performance, applied only in the MCI group, decreased more in relation to the deterioration rate D2. Additionally, two path models were applied to measure the direct relationships between diagnosis, performance in tests measuring mood and neuropsychiatric disturbances (NPI) and cognition, as measured by the RAVLT, in the 2020-2022 assessments. TMT-B was administered only in the MCI population, and therefore was not included in path models. The results show that participants' scores in RAVLT conditions were related to diagnosis and NPI performance, which was positively affected by diagnosis. No other relationships between RAVLT with mood tests were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that after the second lockdown period, the neuropsychological performance of people with MCI and ADD, calculated by means of their D2, did not change, except from their verbal memory, as well as visual scanning and information processing, measured using the TMT-B. Therefore, it can be assumed that those who were enrolled in digital non-pharmacological interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic home restrictions did not experience increased cognitive and functional deterioration due to mood and behavioral alterations after the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Tsatali
- Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognitive and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Despina Moraitou
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Cognitive and Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (CIRI-AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Evgenia Sakka Boza
- Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Magdalini Tsolaki
- Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, 54643 Thessaloniki, Greece
- Lab of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (CIRI-AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
- 1st Department of Neurology, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
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Hong W, Wang Q, Hou Q, Zhao N, Wang R, Bai Y, Hu C, Liu W. Home quarantine during COVID-19 blunted childhood trauma-related psychiatric symptoms in Chinese college students. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1073141. [PMID: 37304081 PMCID: PMC10248425 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1073141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Childhood trauma confers risks to mental health. However, little is known about whether home quarantine (HQ) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exaggerated or mitigated the effect of childhood trauma on mental health. Objective To examine the modulating effects of prior childhood traumas on the longitudinal changes of psychiatric symptoms in college students before and after HQ during the pandemic. Methods This was a two-wave longitudinal study on the mental health of 2,887 college students before and after HQ during the COVID-19 pandemic. The relationships between the changes in the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90), 16-item Prodromal Questionnaire (PQ-16), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) scores were analyzed. Results The students with childhood trauma showed a significantly greater decrement in psychiatric symptoms after HQ (F = 17.21, 14.11, 18.87, and 17.42 for PHQ-9, PQ-16 objective and distress, and SCL-90, respectively). The correlation coefficients between the CTQ and these symptoms scales were significant at baseline (r = 0.42, 0.34, 0.37, and 0.39), and decreased after HQ (r = 0.17, 0.20, 0.18, and 0.19). The decrement of depressive, psychotic, and overall symptoms was positively correlated with the scores of the CTQ (r = 0.08-0.27) but negatively correlated with SSRS (r = -0.08--0.14). Multilinear regression analysis confirmed the results of the CTQ and SSRS regarding the modulation of the dynamic changes in psychiatric symptoms. A constructed structural equation model indicated that the total effects of childhood trauma on decreased psychiatric symptoms were partly mediated by lower baseline social support. Conclusion Home quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic could blunt the adverse effects of childhood trauma on mental health, especially for prodromal psychotic symptoms in college students. Changes in relative deprivation and social support may be mediating factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Hong
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Qinghong Hou
- Department of Student Mental Health, Dianchi College, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Nan Zhao
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruoling Wang
- Department of Student Mental Health, Dianchi College, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yan Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Chengping Hu
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weiqing Liu
- Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
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Manfredini A, Pisano F, Incoccia C, Marangolo P. The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown Measures and COVID-19 Infection on Cognitive Functions: A Review in Healthy and Neurological Populations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:4889. [PMID: 36981800 PMCID: PMC10049620 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20064889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic severely affected people's mental health all over the world. This review aims to present a comprehensive overview of the literature related to the effects of COVID-19 lockdown measures and COVID-19 infection on cognitive functioning in both healthy people and people with neurological conditions by considering only standardized tests. We performed a narrative review of the literature via two databases, PUBMED and SCOPUS, from December 2019 to December 2022. In total, 62 out of 1356 articles were selected and organized into three time periods: short-term (1-4 months), medium-term (5-8 months), and long-term (9-12 months), according to the time in which the tests were performed. Regardless of the time period, most studies showed a general worsening in cognitive performance in people with neurological conditions due to COVID-19 lockdown measures and in healthy individuals recovered from COVID-19 infection. Our review is the first to highlight the importance of considering standardized tests as reliable measures to quantify the presence of cognitive deficits due to COVID-19. Indeed, we believe that they provide an objective measure of the cognitive difficulties encountered in the different populations, while allowing clinicians to plan rehabilitation treatments that can be of great help to many patients who still, nowadays, experience post-COVID-19 symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Manfredini
- Department of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Pisano
- Department of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
| | | | - Paola Marangolo
- Department of Humanities Studies, University Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy
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Makri M, Christakidou A, Tsolaki M. A Novel Method of Teaching English to People with Mild Cognitive Impairment Using Songs: A Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. J Alzheimers Dis 2023; 92:529-546. [PMID: 36776046 PMCID: PMC10041446 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) need to prevent the further decline of their cognitive functions, and one way to do so is by learning a foreign language. OBJECTIVE This study describes the development of a protocol for a novel, non-pharmacological intervention for people with MCI that seeks to prevent or reduce cognitive decline by teaching English through songs. METHODS The development of this protocol follows a mixed-methodology approach, consisting of three stages: 1) development of the protocol of the intervention, 2) a randomized controlled trial study with two arms over six months that includes an intervention group and a control group, and 3) the evaluation of the protocol by trainers. In the second stage, we recruited a total of 128 people with MCI from the five participating countries of this study (Greece, Spain, Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy). This educational program will assess three main outcomes after 6 months of the English Lessons with the Use of Songs for People with Mild Cognitive Impairment (E.L.So.M.C.I.) workshops. RESULTS Our primary outcome will hopefully be an improvement in general cognition in the intervention group compared to the control group from baseline to 6 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes include a decrease in participants' anxiety and depression and an improvement in their quality of life. Development of English language skills is the last outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina Makri
- Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Thessaloniki, Greece.,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Medicine, School of Neuroscience, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Alexandra Christakidou
- Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Thessaloniki, Greece.,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Philosophy, School of English Language and Literature, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Magda Tsolaki
- Greek Association of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders, Thessaloniki, Greece.,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Medicine, School of Neuroscience, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Positive Effect of Cognitive Training in Older Adults with Different APOE Genotypes and COVID-19 History: A 1-Year Follow-Up Cohort Study. Diagnostics (Basel) 2022; 12:diagnostics12102312. [PMID: 36292001 PMCID: PMC9600912 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics12102312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Older people suffer from cognitive decline; several risk factors contribute to greater cognitive decline. We used acquired (COVID-19 infection) and non-modifiable (presence of APOE rs429358 and rs7412 polymorphisms) factors to study the progression of subjective cognitive impairment while observing patients for one year. Cognitive training was used as a protective factor. (2) Methods: Two groups of subjects over the age of 65 participated in the study: group with subjective cognitive decline receiving cognitive training and individuals who did not complain of cognitive decline without receiving cognitive training (comparison group). On the first visit, the concentration of antibodies to COVID-19 and APOE genotype was measured. At the first and last point (1 year later) the Mini-Mental State Examination scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were performed. (3) Results: COVID-19 infection did not affect cognitive function. A significant role of cognitive training in improving cognitive functions was revealed. Older adults with APOE-ε4 genotype showed no positive effect of cognitive training. (4) Conclusions: Future research should focus on cognitive dysfunction after COVID-19 in long-term follow-up. Attention to the factors discussed in our article, but not limited to them, are useful for a personalized approach to maintaining the cognitive health of older adults.
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Tsiakiri A, Vlotinou P, Terzoudi A, Heliopoulos I, Vadikolias K. Cognitive, Functional, and Emotional Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Greek Patients with Neurocognitive Disorders. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:537-547. [PMID: 35599488 DOI: 10.3233/jad-220118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prolonged periods of social deprivation, such as COVID-19-related lockdowns, are associated with deleterious effects on cognitive functions. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to gauge the effect of prolonged social isolation on the cognitive function of older adults with neurocognitive disorders. METHODS We recruited 125 older adults with minor or major neurocognitive disorders divided into two groups. The control group was tested at the first period of the study (October 2018-May 2019), whereas the experimental group was evaluated at the second chronological period of the study (October 2020-May 2021) during the second wave of COVID-19. Neuropsychological tests were performed at baseline and six months after baseline. RESULTS In the control group, significant changes in the scores from the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA; p = 0.049) and the Functional Rating Scale for Symptoms of Dementia (FRSSD; p = 0.005) were found between baseline and follow-up assessments, whereas no changes were identified in Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE; p = 0.229) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS; p = 0.619) scores. In the experimental group, the scores from all neuropsychological tests (MoCA, MMSE, GDS, and FRSSD; p < 0.001 for all) were significantly different at follow-up when compared with those at baseline measurements. Moreover, significant deterioration of specific functions assessed in MMSE and FRSSD was detected, especially in the experimental group. CONCLUSION This study highlights cognitive functions directly affected by social deprivation of individuals with neurocognitive disorders. The findings can be used in the rehabilitation from confinement and its negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Tsiakiri
- Department of Neurology, Medicine School, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Pinelopi Vlotinou
- Department of Neurology, Medicine School, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Aikaterini Terzoudi
- Department of Neurology, Medicine School, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece
| | - Ioannis Heliopoulos
- Department of Neurology, Medicine School, University Hospital of Alexandroupolis, Greece
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Dura-Perez E, Goodman-Casanova JM, Vega-Nuñez A, Guerrero-Pertiñez G, Varela-Moreno E, Garolera M, Quintana M, Cuesta-Vargas AI, Barnestein-Fonseca P, Gómez Sánchez-Lafuente C, Mayoral-Cleries F, Guzman-Parra J. The Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Cognition and Mental Health and Technology Use Among Socially Vulnerable Older People: Retrospective Cohort Study. J Med Internet Res 2022; 24:e30598. [PMID: 35049505 PMCID: PMC8865547 DOI: 10.2196/30598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background COVID-19 forced the implementation of restrictive measures in Spain, such as lockdown, home confinement, social distancing, and isolation. It is necessary to study whether limited access to basic services and decreased family and social support could have deleterious effects on cognition, quality of life, and mental health in vulnerable older people. Objective This study aims to explore the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on cognition in older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia as the main outcome and the quality of life, perceived health status, and depression as secondary outcomes and to analyze the association of living alone and a change in living arrangements with those outcomes and other variables related with the use of technology and health services. Likewise, this study aims to analyze the association of high and low technophilia with those variables, to explore the access and use of health care and social support services, and, finally, to explore the informative-, cognitive-, entertainment-, and socialization-related uses of information and communications technologies (ICTs) during the COVID-19 outbreak. Methods This cohort study was conducted in Málaga (Spain). In total, 151 participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia, from the SMART4MD (n=75, 49.7%) and TV-AssistDem (n=76, 50.3%) randomized clinical trials, were interviewed by telephone between May 11 and June 26, 2020. All participants had undergone 1-3 assessments (in 6-month intervals) on cognition, quality of life, and mood prior to the COVID-19 breakout. Results The outbreak did not significantly impact the cognition, quality of life, and mood of our study population when making comparisons with baseline assessments prior to the outbreak. Perceived stress was reported as moderate during the outbreak. After correction for multiple comparisons, living alone, a change in living arrangements, and technophilia were not associated with negative mental health outcomes. However, being alone was nominally associated with self-perceived fear and depression, and higher technophilia with better quality of life, less boredom, perceived stress and depression, and also less calmness. Overall, health care and social support service access and utilization were high. The most used ICTs during the COVID-19 outbreak were the television for informative, cognitive, and entertainment-related uses and the smartphone for socialization. Conclusions Our findings show that the first months of the outbreak did not significantly impact the cognition, quality of life, perceived health status, and depression of our study population when making comparisons with baseline assessments prior to the outbreak. Living alone and low technophilia require further research to establish whether they are risk factors of mental health problems during lockdowns in vulnerable populations. Moreover, although ICTs have proven to be useful for informative-, cognitive-, entertainment-, and socialization-related uses during the pandemic, more evidence is needed to support these interventions. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04385797; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04385797 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.2196/26431
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Dura-Perez
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain.,Faculty of Psychology, University of Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Jessica Marian Goodman-Casanova
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Amanda Vega-Nuñez
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Gloria Guerrero-Pertiñez
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Esperanza Varela-Moreno
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Maite Garolera
- Brain, Cognition and Behavior: Clinical Research, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrasa, Spain
| | - Maria Quintana
- Brain, Cognition and Behavior: Clinical Research, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrasa, Spain
| | - Antonio I Cuesta-Vargas
- Department of Physiotherapy, University of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Pilar Barnestein-Fonseca
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Carlos Gómez Sánchez-Lafuente
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Fermin Mayoral-Cleries
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
| | - Jose Guzman-Parra
- Department of Mental Health, Regional University Hospital of Málaga, Biomedical Research Institute of Malaga (IBIMA), Málaga, Spain
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Manca R, De Marco M, Colston A, Raymont V, Amin J, Davies R, Kumar P, Russell G, Blackburn DJ, Venneri A. The Impact of Social Isolation Due to COVID-19 on Symptom Progression in People With Dementia: Findings of the SOLITUDE Study. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:877595. [PMID: 35619615 PMCID: PMC9127264 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.877595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with dementia (PWD) are vulnerable to abrupt changes to daily routines. The lockdown enforced on the 23rd of March 2020 in the UK to contain the expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for PWD to access healthcare services and socialise. The SOLITUDE study explored the potential long-term effects of lockdown on PWD's symptoms and carers' burden. METHODS Forty-five carers and 36 PWD completed a telephone-based assessment at recruitment (T0) and after 3 (T1) and 6 months (T2). PWD completed measures validated for telephonic evaluations of cognition and depression. Carers completed questionnaires on their burden and on PWD's health and answered a customised interview on symptom changes observed in the initial months of lockdown. Longitudinal changes were investigated for all outcome variables with repeated-measures models. Additional post hoc multiple regression analyses were carried out to investigate whether several objective factors (i.e., demographics and time under social restrictions) and carer-reported symptom changes observed following lockdown before T0 were associated with all outcomes at T0. RESULTS No significant changes were observed in any outcomes over the 6 months of observations. However, post hoc analyses showed that the length of social isolation before T0 was negatively correlated with episodic and semantic memory performance at T0. Carers reporting worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms and faster disease progression in PWD also reported higher burden. Moreover, carer-reported worsening of cognitive symptoms was associated with poorer semantic memory at T0. CONCLUSION PWD's symptoms and carers' burden remained stable over 6 months of observation. However, the amount of time spent under social restrictions before T0 appears to have had a significant detrimental impact on cognitive performance of patients. In fact, carer-reported cognitive decline during social isolation was consistent with the finding of poorer semantic memory, a domain sensitive to progression in Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the initial stricter period of social isolation had greater detrimental impact on patients and their carers, followed then by a plateau. Future interventions may be designed to maintain an optimal level of social and cognitive engagement for PWD in challenging times, to prevent abrupt worsening of symptoms and associated detrimental consequences on patients' carers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Manca
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matteo De Marco
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom
| | - Amanda Colston
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Vanessa Raymont
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jay Amin
- Clinical Neurosciences, Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom.,Memory Assessment and Research Centre, Moorgreen Hospital, Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Rhys Davies
- The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Pramod Kumar
- Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Bracknell, United Kingdom
| | - Gregor Russell
- Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, Bradford, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J Blackburn
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Annalena Venneri
- Department of Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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