Stanford University (stanford.edu) sponsored a 3-part series on geriatric health in May. The first evening, May 11, 2006, included this lecture:
“Depression, Delirium & Dementia: What Should We Be Doing?”
Speaker: Barbara Sommer, MD, Asst Prof of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Univ
Local support group member Karen D. gave me her notes on the lecture. This post attempts to summarize some of the key points in that lecture.
Robin
Dr. Sommer stated that life expectancy increases are not due to doctors but to infrastructure changes, such as indoor plumbing.
She stated that 27% of people older than 60 living in a community have some degree of depression. Depressed people have two times the number of doctors’ appointments than others. 75% of elderly suicides have seen their doctors in the last month. The rate of elderly white males is increasing. Elderly women’s suicide rates drop to zero after they stop caregiving for their elderly spouses!
Of those with dementia, 64% have AD, 25% have Vascular Dementia, and 12-15% have Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD).
She mentioned that there are several drugs on the market to treat AD: three acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (including Aricept) and Namenda. The standard treatment is to prescribe one of the acetylcholinesterase inhibitors and add Namenda. Glutamate is essential to the brain. Namenda restores the glutamate levels to normal.
Dr. Sommer said that memory can be optimized through mental gymnastics, dance and tai-chi, avoiding medication that affects the brain, diet, avoiding obesity, avoiding stress, and optimizing near vision.
Medication that affects the brain includes some anticholinergics, benzodiazepams or sleeping pills, antihistamines, etc.
Those with a higher BMI (body mass index) have a higher risk of dementia. She pointed out that when you lose near vision, you lose stimulation and the ability to participate in activities. Bottom line – lose weight and see your optometrist!
Dr. Sommer repeatedly noted the negative effects of stress.
Dr. Sommer said that delirium is reversible. She distributed an article on “Preventing delirium in older people,” published 7/15/05 in the British Medical Bulletin. You can find an abstract of the article online at no charge:
bmb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/73-74/1/25
The article states that:
“Up to 50% of delirium affecting older people develops after admission to (the) hospital. These cases often result from hospital-related complications or inadequate care.”
The paper focuses on how to prevent the delirium that is acquired in the hospital and is preventable.