Rated cognition in nursing home residents with multiple sclerosis: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.
OBJECTIVE
To examine cognitive change in nursing home residents with multiple sclerosis (MS) over the first year of a nursing home stay and to predict cognition functioning in these residents at admission and the 1-year annual assessment.


METHODS
In the first part of this study, the cognitive functioning of nursing home residents with MS (n = 1890) and without MS (n = 22,985) were compared. In the second part, demographic and other variables were used to predict cognition at the admission and 1-year annual assessment for MS residents.


RESULTS
Nursing home residents with MS had better cognitive functioning than residents without MS at admission and 1 year later. Regression analyses demonstrated that higher education and pain predicted higher Minimum Data Set Cognition Scale (MDS-Cog) at admission and at 1 year later, but poorer activities of daily living predicted worse MDS-Cog at admission and 1 year later. For the longitudinal analysis, MDS-Cog at the admission assessment was an independent predictor of MDS-Cog scores at the 1-year annual assessment.


CONCLUSIONS
Nursing home residents with MS have significantly better cognitive functioning than non-MS residents and, over the first year of a nursing home stay, higher education and pain, but lower activities of daily living, predict poorer cognitive functioning.
Demakis
George J
GJ
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, NC 28223-0001, USA. gdemakis@uncc.edu
Buchanan
Robert J
RJ
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology