The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

Gan, Jinghuan; Liu, Shuai; Wu, Hao; Chen, Zhichao; Fei, Min; Xu, Jiankun; Dou, Yuchao; Wang, Xiaodan; Ji, Yong

doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2021.703481

Cited by 20 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…Sleep quality was measured online with the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) ( 24 ). Cognitive assessment was performed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) ( 10 , 11 , 13 , 19 , 20 ). Montreal Cognitive Assessment – MoCA ( 11 , 29 ), and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) ( 9 , 11 , 18 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Montreal Cognitive Assessment – MoCA ( 11 , 29 ), and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR) ( 9 , 11 , 18 ). Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed with the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) ( 9 , 11 , 14 , 17 , 20 ). Functionality was assessed with the Functional Assessment Questionnaire (FAQ) ( 10 ) and Basic Activities of Daily Living (ABVD) ( 10 , 11 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…All the selected studies followed recommendations from health authorities, so that the assessments were done remotely by phone calls or with an online form and video calls. Some studies used data stored in databases to compare characteristics before and during the pandemic ( 9 , 11 , 12 ). The scales used for the online assessment of depression and anxiety were the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) ( 19 , 22 , 27 ), Personalized Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) ( 12 , 24 ) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) ( 10 , 12 , 24 ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dementia and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

2022

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ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic raised significant concerns related to the management of care for people with dementia, but few studies have examined the mental health of older adults with dementia and their caregivers during the pandemic, when compared to other populations. This systematic review thus aims to compare and discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with dementia and on their caregivers' mental health.MethodsA search was performed in the PubMed/Medline and ISI databases according to the PRISMA methodology. We included studies published in 2020 and 2021 with the following combinations of keywords: “COVID-19 and mental health and elderly,” “COVID-19 and mental health and dementia;” “COVID-19 and dementia and caregivers,” “pandemic and mental health and elderly,” and “pandemic and anxiety.”ResultsTwenty-two studies were included. Technology has proven to be an essential ally during the pandemic, since all 22 studies performed remote data collection. Nearly all the studies emphasized that social isolation and withdrawal can lead to the emergence or increase of neuropsychiatric symptoms and motor difficulties. However, the findings were mixed concerning the pandemic's impact on the cognition of people with dementia. Caregivers also suffered from the pandemic's impact, experiencing an increase in the burden of care and symptoms of stress, depression, and anxiety. Few studies suggested measures to alleviate the difficulties of people with dementia and their caregivers. There are reports of the benefits of technology in communication and treatment through teleconsultations, however, not everyone has access to such technology, making it difficult to disseminate this tool to the target population.ConclusionsThe studies generally showed that social isolation can increase motor deficits and neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregivers' burden and anxiety. New avenues for care and intervention are thus needed for older adults with cognitive deficits and their caregivers to avoid the intensification of physical and psychological suffering. Technological initiatives and support should consider people with cognitive impairment and different levels of technology literacy.Systematic Review Registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Dementia and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

2022

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“…In older adults suffering from cognitive impairment and/or neurodegenerative disorders, few studies support this hypothesis. For instance, Gan et al [ 8 ] reported in 205 patients with cognitive impairment or Alzheimer's disease, a greater decline in several cognitive scales assessed during the pandemic compared with a control group which was assessed before the pandemic. This result is consistent with the study by Tsapanou et al [ 9 ] conducted among 204 family caregivers of older adults with mild cognitive impairment or dementia who reported a significant overall decline in the patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Decline before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the PA-COVID Survey

Amieva

Retuerto

Hernandez-Ruiz

et al. 2022

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord

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Introduction: Even though several studies reported good resilience capacities in older adults in the first period of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, in the long run, social isolation induced by the protective measures adopted by most countries may negatively impact cognitive functioning. Taking the advantage of measures collected up to 15 years before the pandemic in participants followed up in epidemiological studies, we compared cognitive decline before and after the start of the pandemic. Methods: PA-COVID is a phone survey designed in the framework of ongoing population-based studies (PAQUID, 3-City, Approche Multidisciplinaire Intégrée cohorts). Data on social functioning and mental health were collected in participants aged 80 years and older during the pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, the participants followed up in the prospective studies completed the Mini-Mental State Examination. During the PA-COVID survey, they underwent the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. A score was computed with the 11 items shared by the 2 tests. Our analysis was carried out in the participants for whom a cognitive measure was available up to 15 years before the pandemic and during the pandemic (n = 263). Results: Compared to the slow decline of the cognitive subscore observed during the 15 years preceding the pandemic, mixed models showed an acceleration of decline after the start of the pandemic (β = −0.289, p value <0.001). Conclusions: With a design allowing comparing cognitive trajectory before and after the pandemic, this is the first study reporting an accelerated decline in older adults. Future COVID research in older adults will need to pay special attention to cognitive outcomes.

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“…This has been observed in a recent survey of 339 Greek carers of PWD: cognitive decline was reported in patients, especially in those with moderate-to-severe dementia, together with an increase in carers’ burden ( 21 ). Gan et al ( 22 ) found signs of significant objective decline in several screening measures of global cognitive status, behavioural symptoms and daily-living activities in a sample of 205 older people with and without cognitive impairment assessed before and after enforcement of lockdown in China. A study that investigated the pre- vs. post-lockdown cognitive changes in patients with mild cognitive impairment and dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease found significant decline especially in verbal long-term memory and phonemic fluency ( 23 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Social Isolation Due to COVID-19 on Symptom Progression in People With Dementia: Findings of the SOLITUDE Study

et al. 2022

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BackgroundPeople with dementia (PWD) are vulnerable to abrupt changes to daily routines. The lockdown enforced on the 23rd of March 2020 in the UK to contain the expansion of the COVID-19 pandemic limited opportunities for PWD to access healthcare services and socialise. The SOLITUDE study explored the potential long-term effects of lockdown on PWD’s symptoms and carers’ burden.MethodsForty-five carers and 36 PWD completed a telephone-based assessment at recruitment (T0) and after 3 (T1) and 6 months (T2). PWD completed measures validated for telephonic evaluations of cognition and depression. Carers completed questionnaires on their burden and on PWD’s health and answered a customised interview on symptom changes observed in the initial months of lockdown. Longitudinal changes were investigated for all outcome variables with repeated-measures models. Additional post hoc multiple regression analyses were carried out to investigate whether several objective factors (i.e., demographics and time under social restrictions) and carer-reported symptom changes observed following lockdown before T0 were associated with all outcomes at T0.ResultsNo significant changes were observed in any outcomes over the 6 months of observations. However, post hoc analyses showed that the length of social isolation before T0 was negatively correlated with episodic and semantic memory performance at T0. Carers reporting worsening of neuropsychiatric symptoms and faster disease progression in PWD also reported higher burden. Moreover, carer-reported worsening of cognitive symptoms was associated with poorer semantic memory at T0.ConclusionPWD’s symptoms and carers’ burden remained stable over 6 months of observation. However, the amount of time spent under social restrictions before T0 appears to have had a significant detrimental impact on cognitive performance of patients. In fact, carer-reported cognitive decline during social isolation was consistent with the finding of poorer semantic memory, a domain sensitive to progression in Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, the initial stricter period of social isolation had greater detrimental impact on patients and their carers, followed then by a plateau. Future interventions may be designed to maintain an optimal level of social and cognitive engagement for PWD in challenging times, to prevent abrupt worsening of symptoms and associated detrimental consequences on patients’ carers.

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The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

Cited by 20 publications

References 45 publications

Dementia and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Dementia and Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review

Longitudinal Study of Cognitive Decline before and after the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from the PA-COVID Survey

The Impact of Social Isolation Due to COVID-19 on Symptom Progression in People With Dementia: Findings of the SOLITUDE Study

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