Stefan Sniatecki1, Gabriele Meyer2,3, Anna Renom-Guiteras1, Martin N Dichter4, Herbert Mayer1, Astrid Stephan1,5. 1. Fakultät für Gesundheit, Department für Pflegewissenschaft, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Deutschland. 2. Fakultät für Gesundheit, Department für Pflegewissenschaft, Universität Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Deutschland. Gabriele.Meyer@medizin.uni-halle.de. 3. Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Gesundheits- und Pflegewissenschaft, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 8, 06112, Halle (Saale), Deutschland. Gabriele.Meyer@medizin.uni-halle.de. 4. DZNE-Standort Witten, Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, Witten, Deutschland. 5. Medizinische Fakultät, Institut für Gesundheits- und Pflegewissenschaft, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Magdeburger Str. 8, 06112, Halle (Saale), Deutschland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The mini-mental status examination (MMSE) includes a task in which participants are asked to write a sentence of their own choice. The emotional tone of the sentence may be related to the emotions of the writer; therefore, it was investigated whether the emotional tone of the sentence in the MMSE written by people with dementia was associated with health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A secondary analysis was carried out based on the cross-sectional data of 107 people with dementia included in the "7th framework EU project RightTimePlaceCare". Two raters assessed the emotional tone of the sentence based on a standardized procedure as positive, neutral or negative. The association between the emotional tone of the sentence, health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms was investigated. Health-related quality of life was assessed by the quality of life in Alzheimer's disease questionnaire and depressive symptoms by the Cornell scale for depression in dementia questionnaire. RESULTS: The sentences were rated as either positive or neutral in both cases with 42 % and 16 % were judged to have a negative emotional tone. The variance analysis by ANOVA indicated significant differences between the three groups of sentences regarding health-related quality of life of the writer (p = 0.04). The results of the Scheffé test confirmed a significant difference between sentences with a positive and negative tone and the health-related quality of life where people who wrote a sentence with a negative tone showed a lower health-related quality of life (p = 0.043). No significant association was revealed regarding depressive symptoms (p = 0.97). CONCLUSION: It remains to be investigated in future studies whether the emotional tone is a reliable indicator of health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms of people with dementia, so that the written MMSE sentence can be used for diagnostic purposes.
BACKGROUND: The mini-mental status examination (MMSE) includes a task in which participants are asked to write a sentence of their own choice. The emotional tone of the sentence may be related to the emotions of the writer; therefore, it was investigated whether the emotional tone of the sentence in the MMSE written by people with dementia was associated with health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A secondary analysis was carried out based on the cross-sectional data of 107 people with dementia included in the "7th framework EU project RightTimePlaceCare". Two raters assessed the emotional tone of the sentence based on a standardized procedure as positive, neutral or negative. The association between the emotional tone of the sentence, health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms was investigated. Health-related quality of life was assessed by the quality of life in Alzheimer's disease questionnaire and depressive symptoms by the Cornell scale for depression in dementia questionnaire. RESULTS: The sentences were rated as either positive or neutral in both cases with 42 % and 16 % were judged to have a negative emotional tone. The variance analysis by ANOVA indicated significant differences between the three groups of sentences regarding health-related quality of life of the writer (p = 0.04). The results of the Scheffé test confirmed a significant difference between sentences with a positive and negative tone and the health-related quality of life where people who wrote a sentence with a negative tone showed a lower health-related quality of life (p = 0.043). No significant association was revealed regarding depressive symptoms (p = 0.97). CONCLUSION: It remains to be investigated in future studies whether the emotional tone is a reliable indicator of health-related quality of life and depressive symptoms of people with dementia, so that the written MMSE sentence can be used for diagnostic purposes.
Entities:
Keywords:
Dementia; Depression; Health-related quality of life; Language
Authors: Susan D Shenkin; John M Starr; Joanne M Dunn; Samantha Carter; Ian J Deary Journal: Int J Geriatr Psychiatry Date: 2008-12 Impact factor: 3.485
Authors: Hilde Verbeek; Gabriele Meyer; Helena Leino-Kilpi; Adelaida Zabalegui; Ingalill Rahm Hallberg; Kai Saks; Maria Eugenia Soto; David Challis; Dirk Sauerland; Jan P H Hamers Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2012-01-23 Impact factor: 3.295