Premium
Fragmentation of activity periods in Alzheimer's disease
Author(s) -
Hopkins Robert W.,
Rindlisbacher Peter
Publication year - 1992
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.930071106
Subject(s) - circadian rhythm , ambulatory , fragmentation (computing) , alzheimer's disease , disease , psychology , degenerative disease , audiology , rhythm , medicine , gerontology , neuroscience , biology , ecology
Activity cycles were studied in 12 subjects clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Subjects wore a movement sensor attached to a solid‐state ambulatory monitor for 96 consecutive hours each. Varying degrees of fragmentation of the normal diurnal activity pattern were observed. Subject variables such as age, estimated duration of illness, cognitive ratings, and months since first admission were compared for degree of association with the movement data. Simple regression analyses showed that an estimate of the duration of illness was superior to others in predicting the degree of fragmentation in activity rhythms. Pathology in the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus is discussed in the light of these findings.