Validation of the Abbreviated Mental Test (Hong Kong version) in the elderly medical patient

The Abbreviated Mental Test is a useful screening test for abnormal cognitive function in the elderly patient. It is widely used in UK geriatrics practice. A modified local version of the Abbreviated Mental Test is also commonly used in Hong Kong. In the present study, the local version of the 10-question Abbreviated Mental Test was validated against clinical diagnoses of normal/abnormal cognitive function (by DSM III R criteria). Sixty-nine patients (aged 65 years and older) referred to the Acute Geriatric Assessment Team at the Queen Mary Hospital were assessed. Nine patients (13%) were excluded because of language barrier, deafness, dysphasia and/or severe dysarthria. Sixty patients completed the test and the clinical assessment. An incorrect answer in each of the test items was found to be significantly associated with abnormal cognitive function (P<0.005). For the Abbreviated Mental Test score, the best cut-off point was found to be six (below six was considered abnormal); this yielded a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 94%.published_or_final_versio

An exploratory study of the job satisfaction and educational needs of health care workers working in private homes for the elderly in Hong Kong

Health Services Research Fund & Health Care and Promotion Fund: Research Dissemination Reports (Series 2)published_or_final_versio

Strongyloidiasis in a nonagenarian who previously worked in conservancy services

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Prevalence of influenza vaccination and associated factors among Chinese nursing home health care workers

BACKGROUND: Influenza vaccination (IV) in nursing home health care workers (nHCWs) can reduce mortality of nursing home older adults. There is no study examining the prevalence of IV in Chinese nHCWs ...postprin

Aphasia in a Chinese-English bilingual speaker with dementia

This journal vol. entitled: 50th Academy of Aphasia Proceedingspublished_or_final_version50th Academy of Aphasia Proceedings, San Francisco, USA, 28-30 October 2012. In Procedia: Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2012, v. 61, p. 206-20

Herpetic shoulder paresis in a Chinese elderly patient

A patient with left shoulder girdle weakness secondary to herpetic myotomal paresis is reported. Needle electromyography revealed denervational discharge from the left supraspinatus, deltoid, and brachioradialis muscles, compatible with a radiculopathy that was relevant to his myotomes affected by zoster infection. The patient was managed with range-of-movement and strengthening exercises as well as pain relief for post-herpetic neuralgia. Further studies are required to determine whether antiviral treatment can limit the extent of motor deficit and hasten recovery. Zoster paresis should be one of the differential diagnoses of girdle muscle weakness.published_or_final_versio

Proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy: absolute metabolite concentrations in normal aging human brain at 3Tesla

Session - Normal Aging Brain: Computer 90 (Tuesday)OBJECTIVES: Absolute quantitation of metabolite levels of normal aging human brain has rarely been done. But using a 3T scanner, which provides better signal-to-noise ratio, spectrum with higher resolution can be obtained. MRS can explore aging at a molecular level but controversial findings had been reported in previous frontal lobe studies [1,2] In this study, we investigate in the relationship between regional concentrations of …published_or_final_versionThe 19th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM 2011), Montreal, QC., 7-13 May 2011. In Proceedings of the 19th ISMRM, 2011, v. 19, p. 404

The effect of normal and abnormal ageing on prospective memory showed increased cognitive conflict: a functional MRI study

INTRODUCTION: Prospective memory (PM) is memory for planned intention, which needs to be executed appropriately in the future. PM task is usually embedded in ongoing activities. The neural correlates of PM have not been elucidated. To date, no functional imaging study has been conducted to examine the relevant functional change of PM during the processes of ageing and ...published_or_final_versio

Effectiveness of influenza vaccination in institutionalised older adults: a systematic review

This journal suppl. entitled: 19th Medical Research Conference; Department of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong KongBACKGROUND: Influenza infection is common among institutionalised older adults. Many non-randomised observational studies on influenza vaccination suggested that it could reduce influenza-related hospitalizations and mortality in institutionalised older adults. Criticism regarding the effectiveness of influenza vaccine estimated by non-randomised observational studies includes the frailty selection bias and use of non-specific outcome like all-cause mortality. A systematic review of studies of influenza vaccination in institutionalized older adults to ...postprin

A study on the association of the chromosome 12p13 locus with sporadic late-onset alzheimer's disease in Chinese

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. © 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.postprin