Memory disorders in children

Memory disorders are a frequent consequence of a variety of childhood neurological conditions. We will review the characteristics of memory disorders as a function of the main four memory systems: short-term memory, episodic memory, semantic memory, and procedural memory. For each system, we will identify the most typical cerebral and/or genetic correlates, and we will discuss the impact of impairment of each memory system on everyday life functioning. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

Terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten asenteet muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisytyöhön

Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli tutkia terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten asennetta muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisyyn. Tutkimuksen aineistona käytettiin Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitoksen Muistikko-hankkeen aineistoa. Opinnäytetyössä selvitettiin, kuinka terveydenhuollon ammattilaiset asennoituvat ja tiedostavat muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisyä. Aineiston muodosti kaksi fokusryhmähaastattelua, joihin osallistui terveydenhuollon ammattihenkilöitä. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin laadullisena tutkimuksena, ja aineisto analysoitiin sisällönanalyysin avulla. Tutkimus antoi positiivisen kuvan terveydenhuoltoalan ammattilaisten asenteesta muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisyyn. Tutkimukseen osallistuneet tiedostivat mahdollisuuden ennaltaehkäistä muistisairauksia. Haastateltavat olivat myös tietoisia muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisyyn liittyvistä tutkimusnäytöstä. Haastateltavat myös tiedostivat, kuinka ohjeistaa asiakkaitaan kertomalla, kuinka muistisairauksia voi ennaltaehkäistä. Terveydenhuoltoalan ammattilaiset ovat motivoituneita kertomaan asiakkaille muistisairauksien ennaltaehkäisystä ja kuinka he voivat ehkäistä muistisairauksia. Huomattavaa oli myös, että ammattilaiset kiinnittivät myös omassa elämässään huomiota elintapojen merkitykseen.The purpose of this thesis was to study the attitude of health care professionals towards the prevention of memory disorders. The material of the study was the material of the Ministry of Health and Wellbeing's Muistikko project. The thesis analyzed how health care professionals are mindful of and aware of the prevention of memory disorders. The material consisted of two focus group interviews involving healthcare professionals. The thesis was carried out as a qualitative study and the material was analyzed using content analysis. The study gave a positive picture of the attitudes of healthcare professionals to the prevention of memory disorders. The participants were aware of the possibility of preventing memory disorders. The interviewees were similarly aware of research screenings related to the prevention of memory disorders. Moreover, the interviewees knew how to guide their clients by telling how to prevent memory disorders. Healthcare professionals are motivated to tell customers about the prevention of memory disorders and how they can prevent memory disorders. It was also noteworthy that professionals became aware of the importance of lifestyles in their own lives

Musiikki muistisairaan vanhuksen hyvinvoinnin edistäjänä : Hoitonetti

Iäkkäämpien ikäryhmien osuuden kasvaessa myös muistisairauksia sairastavien määrä moninkertaistuu. Muistisairaudet ovat isoin riskitekijä, joka johtaa iäkkään ihmisen pois kodistaan ympärivuorokautiseen hoitopaikkaan. Muistisairauksiin liittyvät käytösoireet heikentävät elämänlaatua ja lisäävät palvelujen tarvetta. Ne ovat myös merkittävin pitkäaikaishoidon alkamisen syy. Muistisairauksien aiheuttamia käytösoireita voidaan lievittää lääkehoidolla. Toisin kuin muistisairaan lääkehoitoon, musiikki-interventioiden käyttöön ei liity haitallisia sivuvaikutuksia. Musiikin vaikutuksia muistisairaisiin on tutkittu laaja-alaisesti. Tämän opinnäytetyön tarkoituksena oli selvittää aikaisempien tutkimuksien pohjalta, miten musiikki vaikuttaa muistisairaan vanhuksen hyvinvointiin. Tavoitteena on lisätä hoitohenkilöstön tietämystä musiikin vaikutuksesta muistisairaan vanhuksen hyvinvointiin. Opinnäytetyön tuloksista on tehty tiivistelmä hoitoalan ammattilaisten käyttöön Hoitonetti-sivustolle. Sivut löytyvät osoitteesta www.hoitonetti.turkuamk.fi. Opinnäytetyö toteutettiin systemaattisena katsauksena. Systemaattisen kirjallisuuskatsauksen keinoin seulottiin esiin aihepiiristä tehtyjä tutkimuksia. Lopulliseen analyysiin valikoitui 9 tutkimusta. Tutkimustulokset analysoitiin sisällönanalyysillä. Tulosten mukaan musiikki vähentää muistisairaan vanhuksen käytösoireita. Sillä on myös vaikutuksia muistisairaan vanhuksen kognitiivisiin, fysiologisiin sosiaalisiin ja emotionaalisiin toimintoihin. Musiikki-intervention toteutustavalla on merkitystä musiikin vaikuttavuuteen. Musiikki-interventiot ovat tehokas ja potentiaalinen tapa vaikuttaa muistisairaan vanhuksen hyvinvointiin. Opinnäytetyö on osa Hoitonetti-hanketta. Toimeksiantajana on Salon terveyskeskus. Tulevaisuudessa tutkimusten tuloksia voidaan hyödyntää muistisairaiden vanhusten hyvinvoinnin tukemisessa. Jatkossa voisi tutkia musiikin hyötyjä kotona asuvan muistisairaan toimintakyvyn tukemisessa.As the proportion of the older age groups grows the number of people suffering from memory disorders grows. Memory disorders are the greatest risk factor in taking elderly persons away from their homes and into 24-hour care facilities. Behavioural symptoms associated with memory disorders lessen quality of life and increase the need for services. They are also the biggest reason for starting long-term treatment. The behavioral symptoms caused by memory disorders can be alleviated by medical treatment. Unlike the medical treatment of person with memory disorder the use of musical interventions is not associated with detrimental side effects. The effects of music on people with memory disorders have been researched broadly. The purpose of this study was, based on earlier research, to determine the effect of music on elderly people with memory disorders. The aim was also to increase the nurses’ knowledge of the effect of music on the well-being of elderly people with memory disorders. A summary of the results for the use of health care professional has been provided for the Hoitonetti web paiges. The pages can be reached at www.hoitonetti.turkuamk.fi. The research was carried out as a systematic review. The research carried out in the field was screened out by means of systematic literature review. Nine studies were selected for the final analysis. The research results were analysed by means of content analysis. The results showed that music decreases the behavioral symptoms of elderly persons with memory disorders. It also affects cognitive, physiological, social and emotional functions of such persons. The way a musical intervention is carried out has relevance to the effect it has. Musical interventions are an effective and potential way to influence well-being of elderly persons with memory disorders. This study is part of the Hoitonetti project. It was commissioned by Salo Health Center. In the future the results of this study can be used in supporting the well-being of elderly people with memory disorders. Future researches could be directed to studying the benefits of music in supporting the functionality of persons with memory disorders and living at home

Interactive experience of memory disorders

Treball Final de Grau en Disseny i Desenvolupament de Videojocs. Codi: VJ1241. Curs acadèmic: 2016-2017.Actually, there are a lot of games genres and some of them are not necessarily aiming to be played by gamers, but whoever who wants to have an experience or spend a nice time. So, there are games whose objective is to tell something to the player or make people aware of a certain concept or situation. The game developed for this project is Keep Mind, which is an interactive experience in which the player will control a character with some memory disorders. The player must explore the environment to know about the house, who the character is and also know some information about themselves. The audience target is people with an age above 15 because the game contains topics about a few family problems because of the memory disorder of the principal character, and the storytelling could be complicated for those young players, due that the game is mainly narrative. In the game, while the player walks around the house, it is possible to interact with some objects with the aim of know about the story as the will experience some mental problems, like blackouts[1 . After that, the player should find out what happened in those gaps to continue the line of the story. Keep Mind is made with Unity 3D, and the game is developed to be played on PC because nowadays most of the people have one and also it is a very common platform to play games

Abuse in the caregiving relationship between older people with memory disorders and family caregivers: A systematic review

Aim To synthesize what is known about elder abuse and relationship factors associated with abuse between caregivers and older people with memory disorders at home. Background Concerns about abuse in the caring relationship between older people with memory disorders and family caregivers have increased. Abuse is associated with negative outcomes on older people's health, quality of life, and zest for life. Abuse in the caring relationship manifests in financial exploitation, neglect, mistreatment, and physical issues. Design Systematic review. Data Sources Databases including Scopus, PubMed/Medline, SveMed+, Cinalh, SonINDEX, and ProQuest were searched using keywords about abuse in the caring relationship between older people with memory disorders and family caregivers at home. Articles published between 2005–2019 were retrieved and underwent data analysis and knowledge synthesis. Review Methods The review was presented under the categories of the dyadic approach of elder abuse in connection with the role of caregiver (risk) and care recipient (vulnerability) by Fulmer et al. (2005). Results The search process led to 12 quantitative studies, including an intervention, a prospective, nine surveys, and a cross‐sectional structural interview. Findings were synthesized and presented under ‘personal’, ‘physical and psychological’, and ‘social’ domains indicating the bilateral roles of caregiver and care recipient leading to abuse. Conclusion This review depicted factors influencing abuse in the caring relationship between older people with memory disorders and their family caregivers at home. They included family caregivers’ psychological issues, knowledge of memory disorders and modifications, previous caring relationship, social support, number of care recipients, and care recipients’ functional level. Impact This review identifies what influences elder abuse by family caregivers using the dyadic approach and explains how abuse can be prevented through suggested strategies. The review findings are relevant to multidisciplinary healthcare providers and can guide the provision of support, screening and assessment, educational programs, and legislative initiatives

Dissociating memory networks in early Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal lobar degeneration - a combined study of hypometabolism and atrophy

Introduction: We aimed at dissociating the neural correlates of memory disorders in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD). Methods: We included patients with AD (n = 19, 11 female, mean age 61 years) and FTLD (n = 11, 5 female, mean age 61 years) in early stages of their diseases. Memory performance was assessed by means of verbal and visual memory subtests from the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-R), including forgetting rates. Brain glucose utilization was measured by [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) and brain atrophy by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) of T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Using a whole brain approach, correlations between test performance and imaging data were computed separately in each dementia group, including a group of control subjects (n = 13, 6 female, mean age 54 years) in both analyses. The three groups did not differ with respect to education and gender. Results: Patients in both dementia groups generally performed worse than controls, but AD and FTLD patients did not differ from each other in any of the test parameters. However, memory performance was associated with different brain regions in the patient groups, with respect to both hypometabolism and atrophy: Whereas in AD patients test performance was mainly correlated with changes in the parieto-mesial cortex, performance in FTLD patients was correlated with changes in frontal cortical as well as subcortical regions. There were practically no overlapping regions associated with memory disorders in AD and FTLD as revealed by a conjunction analysis. Conclusion: Memory test performance may not distinguish between both dementia syndromes. In clinical practice, this may lead to misdiagnosis of FTLD patients with poor memory performance. Nevertheless, memory problems are associated with almost completely different neural correlates in both dementia syndromes. Obviously, memory functions are carried out by distributed networks which break down in brain degeneration

Feasibility Test of the MedaCube

Poor adherence is a significant barrier to achieve better patient outcomes. Rates of non-adherence approach 40% resulting in 10% of all emergency department visits and 23% of admissions into skilled nursing facilities. Many factors contribute to medication non-adherence including psychological and memory disorders, aging and pill burden. The MedaCube is a medication management system intended to help solve unintentional medication non-adherence. The device is designed to dispense scheduled and as-needed oral medications. The MedaCube provides audio and visual prompts alerting subjects to administer their medications. Caregivers receive notification of missed doses, late doses and refill requests. The null hypothesis is that use of the MedaCube results in no difference in medication adherence when compared with six month prior adherence in individual subjects

Memory disorders in acute encephalitis : a neuropsychological study

Acute encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, mostly caused by viral infection. A variety of cognitive symptoms may persist after the acute stage, and neuropsychological assessment is crucial in evaluation of the outcome. The most commonly reported sequelae are memory deficits. The main aims of this study were to investigate the types of memory impairment in various encephalitides, the frequency of global amnesia following encephalitis, and the changes in the deficits during follow-up. Between 1 January 1985 and 31 December 1994, 77 adult patients under the age of 75 with acute encephalitis but without alcohol abuse, or coexisting or previous neurological diseases were consecutively referred for neuropsychological examination at the Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital. The aetiology was established in 44/77 (57%) patients; 17 had Herpes simplex virus encephalitis (HSVE). Transient amnesia (TENA) at the acute stage of the disease was found in 70% of patients. Furthermore, similarly to brain trauma, TENA was found to indicate cognitive outcome. The frequency of persisting global amnesia syndrome with both anterograde and retrograde amnesia in all encephalitic patients was 6%. One patient had isolated retrograde amnesia, which is very rare. In HSVE the frequency of global amnesia was 12.5%, which is lower than expected. As a group, HSVE patients were not found to have a homogeneous pattern of amnesia, instead subgroups among all encephalitic patients were observed: some patients had impaired semantic memory, some had difficulty predominantly with executive functions and some suffered from an increased forgetting rate. Herpes zoster encephalitis was found to result in mild memory impairment only, and the qualitative features indicated a subcortical dysfunction. On the whole, the cognitive deficits were predominantly found to diminish during follow-up. Progressive deterioration was often associated with intractable epilepsy. The frequency of dementia was 12.5%. In conclusion, the neuropsychological outcome, especially in HSVE, was more favourable than has previously been reported, possibly due to early acyclovir medication. Memory disorders after encephalitis should not be considered uniform, and the need for neuropsychological rehabilitation should be considered case-by-cas