Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Psychiatry
• Public Health

Background:

• Preliminary analyses indicated similar longitudinal patterns of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in Japan and the United States.
• This study aimed to confirm these patterns and identify associated factors using integrated data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To confirm and identify associated factors of longitudinal BPSD trajectory patterns in long-term care residents across Japan and the United States.
• To establish a foundation for collaborative BPSD prevention measures.

Main Methods:

• Integrated data from long-term care facilities in Japan and the United States (N=644).
• Utilized group-based multi-trajectory modeling to identify BPSD patterns.
• Employed multinomial logistic regression to examine associated factors.

Main Results:

• Identified four distinct BPSD trajectory groups: Low, Agitation/Irritability Predominant, Depression/Anxiety Predominant, and High.
• Associated factors included country, age, gender, marital status, dementia cause, and ADL-cognitive function interaction.
• Variations in associated factors were observed across different trajectory groups.

Conclusions:

• Four BPSD trajectory groups were identified in long-term care residents by integrating data from Japan and the US.
• Associated factors for each trajectory were determined, despite limited variable overlap.
• Findings support collaborative development of tailored BPSD prevention measures for long-term care residents.