Are tomorrow's doctors prepared to prevent dementia? A cross-sectional study of Tasmanian medical students' knowledge of dementia risk factors

Tomorrow's doctors are unprepared to prevent dementia. This cross-sectional study invited medical students enrolled in the University of Tasmania 5-year medical degree (MBBS) to participate in an online questionnaire during 2019. This study measured students' recall of risk factors, prompted and unprompted, for dementia and cardiovascular disease (CVD), and Dementia Knowledge Assessment Scale (DKAS) score. Data were collected via an online survey comprising the DKAS, and risk factor questions adapted from the Alzheimer's Research UK National Monitor Survey, with questions on CVD risk factors added for comparison. Medical students (n = 82) proffered fewer unprompted risk factors for dementia than for CVD and were less proficient at recognizing dementia risk factors from a prompted list. Knowledge of vascular risk factors for dementia was particularly limited. Their broader dementia knowledge was generally adequate and DKAS scores were at the level of a qualified doctor by final year. Whilst medical students' general knowledge of dementia was satisfactory, their knowledge of modifiable risk factors of dementia was limited. If replicated elsewhere, this raises concerns about whether the future medical workforce is equipped to take a necessary lead role in managing dementia risk reduction. As dementia incidence rises worldwide, and 40% cases are attributable to modifiable risk factors, educational programs may need to urgently address these deficiencies.

FM2-1 A smartphone camera can detect functional tremor

Objectives

Functional neurological disorders are common, but there is a lack of objective tests for these conditions. Although accelerometry can distinguish functional from other tremor types, it is not routinely used at the bedside. Computer vision describes the processing of camera images by computer. It requires only ubiquitous hardware (e.g. smartphone, laptop) and standard clinical assessment, i.e. simple observation. We investigated computer vision to detect tremor distraction/entrainment in functional tremor.

Design

Early results comparing computer analysis of video from a functional tremor and an essential tremor.

Methods

30 s (60 fps) video of extended forearm was recorded using a smartphone, for a functional tremor and an essential tremor patient. From 15 s, each participant tapped in time with a 3 Hz metronome using the contralateral hand (outside the video frame). Computing algorithms amplified the magnitude of video pixel movement and then measured the direction and size of pixel movement over time.

Results

After the metronome onset, there was a marked change in video pixel movement for the functional tremor patient, with the frequency concentrating at 3 Hz, and this was statistically significant by linear discriminant analysis. There was no significant change in pixel movement after the metronome for the essential tremor patient (frequency remained 8–12 Hz).

Conclusions

Smartphone video pixel movement can detect functional tremor entrainment, suggesting a possible new objective, bedside test.

P66 Should we be screening for depression and quality of life in all patients attending botulinum toxin injection clinics or just those with cervical dystonia?

Objectives

Cervical dystonia (CD) is known to be associated with depression and low quality of life (QoL) but we know little about these measures in non-CD patients attending botulinum toxin clinics. The objective was to evaluate the prevalence of depression and low QoL in both CD and nonCD patients.

Design

Cross-sectional pilot study.

Subjects

Consecutive patients attending teaching hospital botulinum toxin clinic.

Methods

Patients completed the Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaire and a Recovering Quality of Life (ReQoL) scale. BDI and ReQoL scores of ≥17 and≤24 indicated depression and impaired QoL respectively.

Results

48 patients (30 female; age 45–75 years) were evaluated; 33:15 CD:non-CD. The non-CD group comprised hemifacial spasm, upper limb dystonia/tremor, blepharospasm and Meige syndrome. 23% (11/48) of all patients had depression: 27% (9/33) of CD and 13% (2/15) of non-CD. Depression rates were more frequent amongst females and males (27%; 17%) (p=0.43). 34% of all patients had low QoL – 36% (12/33) and 27% (4/15) in the CD and non-CD groups respectively (p=0.51). Low QoL scores were more frequent in females (40%) than males (22%) but this difference was not significant (p=0.21).

Conclusions

Depression and low quality of life were common in all patients in this pilot study. This suggests that screening of all patients attending botulinum toxin clinics, regardless of their diagnosis, may be clinically important. A larger study is required to validate these findings.