Objectives Timely diagnosis of dementia is recommended in national strategies. To what extent is it occurring across Europe, what factors are associated with it, and what is the impact on carers emotions of quality of diagnostic disclosure? Methods/design Survey of family carers recruited through 5 Alzheimer's associations (Czech Republic, Finland, Italy, the Netherlands, and Scotland). One thousand four hundred and nine carers participated, 84% completing online. Fifty‐two percent were adult children, and 37% were spouses, with median age 57. Most (83%) were female. Results Nearly half (47%) of carers reported that an earlier diagnosis would have been preferable. Delaying factors included reluctance of the person with dementia, lack of awareness of dementia, the response of professionals, and delays within health systems. Recent diagnoses were no more likely to be considered timely, although professional responses appeared to be improving. Delayed diagnoses were more often reported by adult child carers and where the diagnosis was made in the later stages of dementia, or another condition had been previously diagnosed. In all countries except Italy, the diagnosis was shared with the person with dementia in the majority of cases. Timely diagnoses and higher quality diagnostic disclosure are associated with better adjustment and less negative emotional impact on carers in the short and medium term. Conclusions Although the study sample were well educated and likely to be in touch with an Alzheimer organisation, many continued to experience the diagnosis of dementia as coming too late, and further work on public awareness, as well as on professional responses, is needed.

BackgroundSelf-management is important for family caregivers of people with dementia, especially when they face changes in their relative’s behavior and mood, such as depression, apathy, anxiety, agitation and aggression. The aim of this study is to give insight into why these changes in behavior and mood are stressful for family caregivers, what self-management strategies family caregivers use when managing these changes and the stress they experience.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted using four online focus groups with 32 family caregivers of people with dementia living in the Netherlands. Transcripts of the focus group discussions were analyzed using principles of thematic analysis.ResultsManaging changes in the behavior and mood of their relative with dementia is stressful for family caregivers because of constantly having to switch, continuously having to keep the person with dementia occupied and distracted, the fact that others see a different side to the relative, and the fact that caregivers know what to do, but are often not able to put this into practice. Caregivers use calming down and stimulation as self-management strategies for influencing the changes in the behavior and mood of their relative. Furthermore, caregivers describe three self-management strategies that let them manage their own stress and keep up the care for their loved ones: looking for distractions, getting rest, and discussing their feelings and experiences.ConclusionsBehavior and mood changes of a person with dementia are stressful for family caregivers. They use several self-management strategies to positively affect the mood and behavior changes, and also to manage their own stress.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12877-016-0268-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a distinct role in battling respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. However, due to a lack of representative animal models and several early controversies, the field is unclear. In this systematic review, we have elucidated conflicting results and outlined important factors that might affect study outcomes. We reviewed studies that used different doses/viral strains, performed virus propagation in different cell lines, or used different mice strains. The following firm conclusions can be drawn: multiple TLRs activate innate immunity upon RSV infection; TLR4 can influence TLR2 expression, suggesting that optimal induction of multiple signaling pathways is required to elicit protective, rather than deleterious innate immune responses following infection; in mice, TLR4, TLR2/-6, and TLR7 have immune-stimulating properties, while TLR3 activation occurs later and appears to downregulate immune responses; in humans, polymorphism studies have demonstrated an important role for TLR4-signaling; and activation of TLR-signaling leads to antiviral cytokine production, such as TNF-a and IFNs. Viral factors may block these pathways, thereby contributing to immune evasion and RSV survival. A better understanding of the complex interplay between TLRs and severe RSV infections might lead to efficient prophylactic and therapeutic treatments, as well as the development of adequate vaccines combined with TLR adjuvants.