Behavioral and psychological effects of coronavirus disease-19 quarantine in patients with dementia

Background: In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic due to the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and several governments planned a national quarantine in order to control the virus spread. Acute psychological effects of quarantine in frail elderly subjects with special needs, such as patients with dementia, have been poorly investigated. The aim of this study was to assess modifications of neuropsychiatric symptoms during quarantine in patients with dementia and their caregivers. Methods: This is a sub-study of a multicenter nation-wide survey. A structured telephone interview was delivered to family caregivers of patients with diagnosis of Alzheimer disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and vascular dementia (VD), followed regularly at 87 Italian memory clinics. Variations in behavioral and psychological symptoms (BPSD) were collected after 1 month since quarantine declaration and associations with disease type, severity, gender, and caregiver\u2019s stress burden were analyzed. Results: A total of 4,913 caregivers participated in the survey. Increased BPSD was reported in 59.6% of patients as worsening of preexisting symptoms (51.9%) or as new onset (26%), and requested drug modifications in 27.6% of these cases. Irritability, apathy, agitation, and anxiety were the most frequently reported worsening symptoms and sleep disorder and irritability the most frequent new symptoms. Profile of BPSD varied according to dementia type, disease severity, and patients\u2019 gender. Anxiety and depression were associated with a diagnosis of AD (OR 1.35, CI: 1.12\u20131.62), mild to moderate disease severity and female gender. DLB was significantly associated with a higher risk of worsening hallucinations (OR 5.29, CI 3.66\u20137.64) and sleep disorder (OR 1.69, CI 1.25\u20132.29), FTD with wandering (OR 1.62, CI 1.12\u20132.35), and change of appetite (OR 1.52, CI 1.03\u20132.25). Stress-related symptoms were experienced by two-thirds of caregivers and were associated with increased patients\u2019 neuropsychiatric burden (p<0.0001). Conclusion: Quarantine induces a rapid increase of BPSD in approximately 60% of patients and stress-related symptoms in two-thirds of caregivers. Health services need to plan a post-pandemic strategy in order to address these emerging needs

Oral health status of the ethnic group Xukuru from Ororubá: multilevel analysis

Objective: To analyse the oral health status of the indigenous people Xukuru from Ororubá aged 10 to 14 years old, in Pernambuco, Brazil. Method: A cross-sectional population-based study developed within the limits of the Indigenous Land Xukuru, from January to March 2010. Oral examinations were performed on a sample of 233 indigenous people. The software SPSS 13.0® was used for descriptive analysis. Later, in order to measure the effect of factors associated with the absence of caries, Poisson log-linear multilevel models were tested with the statistical software MLwiN 2.02®. Results: Oral examinations identified a DMFT Index average of 2.38 (± 2.62). Among all individuals examined, 26.61% were caries free. Multiple regression analysis revealed a negative association between the absence of caries and the variables: higher average of people per household in the villages, higher number of residents per household, older age, male sex, not knowing how to read and write, and very dissatisfied/dissatisfied with teeth/mouth. The variables higher income per capita, not sleeping due to dental problems, had never been to the dentist, no occurrence of toothache, and no need for dental treatment were positively associated with the absence of caries. Conclusion: The absence of caries is associated with contextual and individual factors of the indigenous people Xukuru from Ororubá, aged 10 to 14 years old