Longitudinal study of the stage of dementia, the health status, the living environment, and oral status in elderly people with dementia

痴呆症患者的数量将随着65岁以上人口比例的增加而增加。痴呆症有多种形式，其中许多影响牙医有效地为患有这些疾病的患者提供护理的能力。尽管研究进展增加了人们对痴呆症的了解，但关于痴呆症分期、健康状况、生活环境和口腔状况之间关系的报道却很少。本研究为追踪性研究，以一家设有痴呆症住院病房及团体之家的精神病院的痴呆症老人为研究对象，探讨痴呆症的分期、健康状况、生活环境及口腔状况之间的关系。采用日常生活能力（ADL）、Eichner指数、N-ADL、NM量表等进行评定，结果发现：与集体之家相比，精神病院痴呆住院患者的痴呆程度严重。两个设施中的大多数受试者都属于Eichner指数的C组。在这项研究中，这些受试者都是需要义齿的人。我们的这项研究可能表明，义齿佩戴对日常生活的几项活动有影响，虽然对心理功能的影响很小。需要更广泛的纵向研究来确定痴呆的阶段，健康状况，生活环境和口腔状况之间的关系。

The number of individuals with dementia will grow with the increasing percentage of the population over age 65. Dementia comes in many forms, many of which impact on dentists' ability to deliver care effectively to patients suffering from these conditions. Although research advances have increased the understanding of dementia, there are few reports about the relationship among the stage of dementia, the health status, the living environment, and oral status. This longitudinal study was to investigate and examine the relationship among the stage of dementia, the health status, the living environment, and oral status.Elderly people with dementia were investigated in a mental hospital with a dementia hospitalization ward and a group home. They were investigated by oral ADL, Eichner index, N-ADL, NM scale and so on. The stage of dementia of subjects in a mental hospital with a dementia hospitalization ward was severe comparing to that in the group home. Most of the subjects in both facilities belonged to the C group of Eichner index. In this study, these subjects were made to be the ones in which dentures were necessary.Our this study might suggest that denture wearing has an effect on several activities of daily life, although, has little effect on mental function. More extensive longitudinal studies are necessary to identify the relationship among the stage of dementia, the health status, the living environment, and oral status.