BACKGROUND: Published in 2009, the German S3 guidelines on dementia define a milestone in quality improvement of the diagnostics and treatment of dementia. In clinical practice patients suffering from dementia are primarily treated by physicians in private practice; therefore, this study examined how the guidelines are implemented in outpatient clinical settings. Furthermore, it aimed at the identification of behavioral determinants that govern the actual diagnostic and therapeutic approach in clinical practice.
METHODS: Physicians involved in the primary care of dementia patients were asked to participate in a nationwide internet survey. The questionnaire covered aspects on the diagnostic and therapeutic care of dementia patients as recommended by the S3 guidelines. Behavioral determinants of the implementation of the guidelines (e. g. treatment decisions) were derived from an established psychological prediction model.
RESULTS: Out of a total of 2755 physicians contacted, the data of 225 participants could be used in this study. The diagnostic recommendations of the S3 guidelines were implemented in satisfactory measures (e.g. combined cognitive screening in at least 68%, cerebral neuroimaging in at least 93% and specific laboratory diagnostics in at least 27% of cases); however, only two thirds of the patients with indications for a guideline-conform therapy were treated in accordance with the S3 guidelines. There was a substantial prescription of non-recommended drugs and a notable long-term use of antipsychotic drugs (prescription by at least 14% of non-neurological medical specialists and by 8% of neurologists and psychiatrists). When considering the behavioral determinants in the implementation of the guidelines, normative assumptions (\"my colleagues and patients expect me to comply with the guidelines\") surprisingly had the highest impact, which was then followed by attitudes towards the behavior (\"utilization of the guidelines improves diagnostics and therapy\").
CONCLUSIONS: The German S3 guidelines on dementia were satisfactorily implemented in outpatient clinical practice; however, deficits existed in the frequency of the pharmaceutical treatment of patients with indications for therapy, the prescription of non-recommended drugs and the relatively common use of permanent neuroleptic medications. Interestingly, the motivation for implementation of the guidelines was not primarily influenced by the physicians\' personal convictions but mainly stimulated by the expectations of others.

BACKGROUND: Dementia is a national health priority in Australia. Most people with dementia are over the age of 65 years, have a number of comorbidities and experience a trajectory of functional decline. General practitioners (GPs) have an important role in the diagnosis and management of people with dementia. The Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre\'s Clinical practice guidelines and principles of care for people with dementia (Guidelines) was recently approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).
OBJECTIVE: This article describes the recommendations within the Guidelines that are of greatest relevance to GPs, including those addressing diagnosis, living well, managing behavioural and psychological symptoms, supporting carers, and the palliative approach.
CONCLUSIONS: The Guidelines synthesise current evidence in dementia care and emphasise: timely diagnosis; encouraging the person with dementia to exercise, eat well and keep doing as much for themselves as possible; supporting and training carers to provide care; and reducing prescription of potentially harmful medications where possible.

BACKGROUND: The memory service based in the West Suffolk has received increased funding to deliver a high quality service against standards set by the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG).
OBJECTIVE: This audit aims to examine if we are achieving the standards set by the local CCG and to identify areas to improve the quality of the service.We also aimed to assess information as to how many patients referred had dementia. If they had a dementia suitable for possible anti-dementia medication (such as dementia of Alzheimer\'s type, Alzheimer\'s mixed type or atypical or Lewy body/ Parkinson\'s dementia) to ascertain if they were being offered anti-dementia medication.
METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 60 patients from the memory service were analysed. The first 10 patients referred in alternative months were selected for inclusion. Standards were based on targets set by the CCG in terms of time needed to assess, diagnose, communicate diagnosis to the GP and give post diagnostic advice.
RESULTS: Patients in this memory service were being seen 37 days (on average) after referral. Most patients received a diagnosis at their initial assessment but some needed further investigation to establish the diagnosis or the specific type of diagnosis. The time for letters to be typed did not meet standards and letters were sent out on average 23 days after patients were being seen. Post diagnostic advice was delivered to most who received a diagnosis.
CONCLUSIONS: Our service is offering timely diagnosis to those referred to the memory service in line with national guidelines.

If treatments for cognitive impairment are to be utilized successfully, clinicians must be able to determine whether they are effective and which patients should receive them. In order to develop consensus on these issues, the International Society for CNS Clinical Trials and Methodology (ISCTM) held a meeting of experts on March 20, 2014, in Washington, DC. Consensus was reached on several important issues. Cognitive impairment and functional disability were viewed as equally important treatment targets. The group supported the notion that sufficient data are not available to exclude patients from available treatments on the basis of age, severity of cognitive impairment, severity of positive symptoms, or the potential to benefit functionally from treatment. The group reached consensus that cognitive remediation is likely to provide substantial benefits in combination with procognitive medications, although a substantial minority believed that medications can be administered without nonpharmacological therapy. There was little consensus on the best methods for assessing cognitive change in clinical practice. Some participants supported the view that performance-based measures are essential for measurement of cognitive change; others pointed to their cost and time requirements as evidence of impracticality. Interview-based measures of cognitive and functional change were viewed as more practical, but lacking validity without informant involvement or frequent contact from clinicians. The lack of consensus on assessment methods was viewed as attributable to differences in experience and education among key stakeholders and significant gaps in available empirical data. Research on the reliability, validity, sensitivity, and practicality of competing methods will facilitate consensus.

OBJECTIVE: To define a practice guideline for biological treatment of dementias for general practitioners in primary care.
METHODS: This paper is a short and practical summary of the World Federation of Biological Psychiatry (WFSBP) guidelines for the Biological treatment of Alzheimer\'s disease and other dementias for treatment in primary care ( Ihl et al. 2011 ). The recommendations were developed by a task force of international experts in the field and are based on randomized controlled studies.
RESULTS: Anti-dementia medications neither cure, nor arrest, or alter the course of the disease. The type of dementia, the individual symptom constellation and the tolerability and evidence for efficacy should determine what medications should be used. In treating neuropsychiatric symptoms, psychosocial intervention should be the treatment of first choice. For neuropsychiatric symptoms, medications should only be considered when psychosocial interventions are not adequate and after cautious risk-benefit analysis.
CONCLUSIONS: Depending on the diagnostic entity and clinical presentation different anti-dementia drugs can be recommended. These guidelines provide a practical approach for general practitioners managing dementias.

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OBJECTIVE: In 2008 a task force was set up to develop a revision of the European Federation of the Neurological Societies (EFNS) guideline for the diagnosis and management of Alzheimer\'s disease (AD) and other disorders associated with dementia, published in early 2007. The aim of this revised international guideline was to present a peer-reviewed evidence-based statement for the guidance of practice for clinical neurologists, geriatricians, psychiatrists, and other specialist physicians responsible for the care of patients with AD. Mild cognitive impairment and non-Alzheimer dementias are not included in this guideline.
METHODS: The task force working group reviewed evidence from original research articles, meta-analysis, and systematic reviews, published before May 2009. The evidence was classified and consensus recommendations graded (A, B, or C) according to the EFNS guidance. Where there was a lack of evidence, but clear consensus, good practice points were provided.
RESULTS: The recommendations for clinical diagnosis, blood tests, neuropsychology, neuroimaging, electroencephalography, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, genetic testing, disclosure of diagnosis, treatment of AD, behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia, legal issues, counselling and support for caregivers were all revised as compared with the previous EFNS guideline.
CONCLUSIONS: A number of new recommendations and good practice points are made, namely in CSF, neuropsychology, neuroimaging and reviewing non-evidence based therapies. The assessment, interpretation, and treatment of symptoms, disability, needs, and caregiver stress during the course of AD require the contribution of many different professionals. These professionals should adhere to these guideline to improve the diagnosis and management of AD.

The Austrian Alzheimer Society developed evidence-based guidelines based on a systematic literature search and criteria-guided assessment with subsequent transparent determination of grades of clinical recommendation. The authors evaluated currently available therapeutic approaches for the most common forms of dementia and focused on diagnosis and pharmacological intervention, taking into consideration the situation in Austria. The purpose of these guidelines is the rational and cost-effective use of diagnostic and therapeutic measures in dementing illnesses. Users are physicians and all other providers of care for patients with dementia in Austria.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) clinical trial guidelines for cognitive-enhancing drugs in schizophrenia and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) were designed to facilitate novel compound development in the treatment of cognitive impairments. Several studies have recently utilized the FDA-NIMH-MATRICS guidelines and MCCB and allow an evaluation of the feasibility of guideline implementation and MCCB performance. In light of the study results, we would recommend the following inclusion criteria revisions-(1) clinical status and symptom inclusion criteria: maximum allowed score for hallucinations and delusions should be increased from moderate to moderately severe and the negative symptom criterion should be dropped in phase 2 studies; (2) antipsychotic medication inclusion criteria: first-generation antipsychotics should be allowed, but only in the context of no concomitant anticholinergic agents and minimal extrapyramidal symptoms, and antipsychotic polypharmacy should be allowed in the absence of pertinent pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic considerations; and (3) people who use illicit substances should not be allowed in phase 1B or 2A proof-of-concept studies but may be included in phase 2B and 3 studies in which proof of effectiveness and generalizability of results become more important goals. These revisions are recommended to enhance recruitment while maintaining sufficient methodological rigor to ensure the validity of study results. The MCCB has been shown to have excellent psychometric characteristics, including reliability for multisite clinical trials, clinical relevance for real-world functioning, and possible sensitivity to behavioral treatment, and should continue to serve as the standard outcome measure for cognitive enhancement studies in schizophrenia.

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