Disease Containment Measures Among Older Adults During the Covid-19 Pandemia
- Conditions
- DementiaDepression, AnxietyCognitive ImpairmentLoneliness
- Registration Number
- NCT04792086
- Lead Sponsor
- Norwegian Centre for Ageing and Health
- Brief Summary
This study will examine which impact lockdown strategies intending to prevent the spread of COVID-19 had on people with cognitive impairment and dementia.
Comprehensive data from two large health studies in Norway, conducted before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, will be linked with health register data on the use of health care services and medication. Further, it will be conducted a survey addressing questions on social isolation and use of communicative technology, from March 2020 to January 2021. The knowledge gained from this study can improve the health care system's ability to respond more adequately to pandemics and other unforeseen events, so that the negative consequences for older adults with dementia and cognitive impairment can be reduced.
- Detailed Description
Introduction: To prevent the spread of COVID-19 societies around the world have implemented various levels of lockdown strategies. Norway locked down major parts of the society from March 2020. Specifically, this meant that public services were closed (e.g. most in-home healthcare services, day care centres, group exercise/gyms and services that offer physiotherapy, medical and psychological consultation). For people with cognitive impairment and dementia, social distancing and self-isolation may have limited the use of normal strategies (e.g., distraction, stimulation, and social interaction) that are routinely adopted to manage some of the dementia symptoms, such as neuropsychiatric symptoms. A lack of daily routines may change the clinical conditions of patients with dementia. Worsening of preexisting and/or the onset of new neuropsychiatric symptoms may occur, in addition to a possible decline of cognitive and functional capacities
Aim: The overarching aim of this project is to provide decision makers with vital information to improve the healthcare of people with dementia and cognitive impairment in the context of an epidemic.
Method: We will use four data sources:1) The fourth wave of the Trøndelag Health study (HUNT, HUNT4 70+), 2) Three national health registries (The Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR), the Norwegian Registry for Primary Health Care (NRPHC) and the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD)), 3) A postal questionnaire concerning social isolation during the COVID-19 epidemic, and 4) The Ageing in Trøndelag study (AiT), which is a follow-up of the HUNT4 70+ study.
With this linkage of cohort data and national health registry data, we can identify factors that may make people with cognitive impairment and dementia vulnerable to loss of healthcare services because of COVID-19 and subsequently to negative health consequences.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 12000
- Inhabitants living in the designated areas
- None
Study & Design
- Study Type
- OBSERVATIONAL
- Study Design
- Not specified
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Use of Health care services The participants' use of health care services from the period 2021-2022 Information from the Norwegian Patient Registry (NPR) and the Norwegian Registry for Primary Health Care (NRPHC)
Use of psychotropic medications The participants' use of psychotropic medication from the period 2021-2022 Information from the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD)
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Incidence of mild cognitive impairment The participants were assessed when attending the HUNT4 70+-study, and will be assessed with the same measures in the followup study in 2021/2022 Two clinical and scientific experts will independently set at diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia based on all available information applying standard diagnostic criteria DSM-5
Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale The participants were assessed when attending the HUNT4 70+-study, and will be assessed with the same measures in the followup study in 2021/2022 Tests cognitive function in the domain's memory, visuospatial and executive functions, attention, concentration, language and orientation. Scores from 0 - 30 where 30 indicates best function. impairment or dementia, and questions on subjective memory decline
Incidence of dementia diagnosis The participants were assessed when attending the HUNT4 70+-study, and will be assessed with the same measures in the followup study in 2021/2022 Two clinical and scientific experts will independently set at diagnosis of cognitive impairment or dementia based on all available information applying standard diagnostic criteria DSM-5
CERAD Ten-words test The participants were assessed when attending the HUNT4 70+-study, and will be assessed with the same measures in the followup study in 2021/2022 Tests immediate and delayed memory. Scores from 0 - 30 in immediate memory and 0-10 in delayed recall, higher scores indicates better function.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Norwegian National Advisory Unit of Ageing and Health
🇳🇴Tønsberg, Norway