Cognitive status changes based on time of day in nursing home patients with and without dementia.
BACKGROUND
Changes in behavior and cognition have been observed with disruption of the circadian rhythm.


METHODS
This study examined the effects of time of day (TOD) on administration of Mini-Mental State Examinations (MMSEs) in nursing home patients with dementia (patients) or functional psychiatric disorders (control), using repeated measures analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs).


RESULTS
Controls (n = 34) scored significantly higher than patients (n = 38) on total MMSE and all subscales. Within the patients, men and women performed equally in the morning, but women performed marginally worse in the afternoon on total MMSE scores, orientation, and immediate recall and men performed significantly better in the afternoon. Within the control, no gender or time effects were detected.


CONCLUSIONS
Results indicate that TOD had no significant impact on cognitive status in patients with dementia or patients with other psychiatric illnesses. No changes in activity timings are recommended in nursing home patients with dementia.
Madhusoodanan
Subramoniam
S
Department of Psychiatry, St. John Episcopal Hospital, Far Rockaway, NY, USA. sdanan@ehs.org
Madhusoodanan
Neha
N
Serper
Mark
M
Sullivan
Stephen J
SJ
D'Antonio
Emily
E
Negi
Rohini
R
Brenner
Ronald
R
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009735:Nursing Homes