title: Prevalence, course, and risk factors for executive impairment in patients hospitalized on a general medicine service.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, course, and risk factors for executive impairment in patients hospitalized on a general medicine service. One hundred patients were administered the Executive Interview (EXIT25), the Executive Clock Drawing Task (CLOX), and the Mini-Mental State Examination at admission and discharge. Fifty-two percent of the patients at admission and 56% at discharge had scores indicating impairment on at least one measure of executive function. Median scores on every measure improved during hospitalization. Older patients and those with a cardiac or gastrointestinal disorder were more likely to have executive impairment. The prevalence of executive impairment on general medicine services is high. Although improvement in executive function occurs during hospitalization, many patients remained impaired.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Dr., San Antonio, TX 78229, USA. schillerstr@uthscsa.edu
authors.forename: Jason E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schillerstrom
authors.forename: Monica S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Horton
authors.forename: Tracy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Schillerstrom
authors.forename: Kaustubh G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Joshi
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Earthman
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Velez
authors.forename: Donald R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Royall
mesh_terms: D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology