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The relationship between functional status and judgment/problem solving among individuals with dementia
Author(s) -
Mayo Ann M.,
Wallhagen Margaret,
Cooper Bruce A.,
Mehta Kala,
Ross Leslie,
Miller Bruce
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
international journal of geriatric psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.28
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1099-1166
pISSN - 0885-6230
DOI - 10.1002/gps.3854
Subject(s) - dementia , cognition , psychology , set (abstract data type) , activities of daily living , gerontology , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , medicine , disease , pathology , computer science , programming language
Objective To determine the relationship between functional status (independent activities of daily living) and judgment/problem solving and the extent to which select demographic characteristics such as dementia subtype and cognitive measures may moderate that relationship in older adult individuals with dementia. Methods The National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Universal Data Set was accessed for a study sample of 3,855 individuals diagnosed with dementia. Primary variables included functional status, judgment/problem solving, and cognition. Results Functional status was related to judgment/problem solving ( r = 0.66; p < 0.0005). Functional status and cognition jointly predicted 56% of the variance in judgment/problem solving ( R 2 = 0.56, p < 0.0005). As cognition decreases, the prediction of poorer judgment/problem solving by functional status became stronger. Conclusions Among individuals with a diagnosis of dementia, declining functional status as well as declining cognition should raise concerns about judgment/problem solving. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.