Jean-François Dartigues

Playing board games, cognitive decline and dementia: a French population-based cohort study

Objectives To study the relationship between board game playing and risk of subsequent dementia in the Paquid cohort. Design A prospective population-based study. Setting In the Bordeaux area in South Western France. Participants 3675 non-demented participants at baseline. Primary outcome measure The risk of dementia during the 20 years of follow-up. Results Among 3675 non-demented participants at baseline, 32.2% reported regular board game playing. Eight-hundred and forty participants developed dementia during the 20 years of follow-up. The risk of dementia was 15% lower in board game players than in non-players (HR=0.85, 95% CI 0.74 to 0.99; p=0.04) after adjustment on age, gender, education and other confounders. The statistical significance disappeared after supplementary adjustment on baseline mini-mental state examination (MMSE) and depression (HR=0.96, 95% CI 0.82 to 1.12; p=0.61). However, board game players had less decline in their MMSE score during the follow-up of the cohort (β=0.011, p=0.03) and less incident depression than non-players (HR=0.84; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.98; p<0.03). Conclusions A possible beneficial effect of board game playing on the risk of dementia could be mediated by less cognitive decline and less depression in elderly board game players.

[The DMS 48: norms and diagnostic proprieties for Alzheimer's disease in elderly population from the AMI cohort study].

UNLABELLED The DMS 48 is a visual recognition memory test designed to detect memory changes in early Alzheimers disease (AD). The aim of this study was to produce normative scores for this test and to assess its psychometric properties in the detection of AD by comparison with a widely used test of verbal episodic memory: the story recall task of the Wechsler memory scale. Methods. Data were collected in a sample of 1002 agricultural retirees, aged 65 years and over, included in the AMI study, a population-based cohort conducted in Southwestern France. The sample used to establish normative data included 750 non-demented elderly while the sample used to study the properties of the test to detect AD included 751 participants whose 34 with AD. To assess AD detection accuracy, DMS 48 was compared to the Wechsler story recall task. Results. Age, sex, and education were significantly associated with DMS 48 performances. Therefore, normative scores were calculated according to sex, age, and educational level, and described by percentiles. Regarding the test properties for AD detection, DMS 48 presented a good balance between sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) both for immediate (Se=70.6%; Sp=79.6%) and delayed recall (Se=79.4%; Sp=72.9%). It also showed high negative predictive values, around 98.5% for both recalls. Detection values were roughly similar to that of Wechsler story recall task. CONCLUSION The DMS 48 seems to be as reliable as the Wechsler story recall task with similar detection properties. The DMS 48 is a test easy to administer in clinical situations and could be a helpful tool for AD screening.

Frailty in elderly: a brief review

The identification of frail older persons is a public health priority. Frailty is defined as an extreme vulnerability of the organism to endogenous and exogenous stressors, a syndrome that exposes the individual at higher risk of negative health-related outcomes as well as a transition phase between successful aging and disability. The theoretical concept of frailty is largely agreed, its practical translation still presents some limitations due to the existence of multiple tools and operational definition. In this brief review, we would like to clarify the frailty concept regarding scientific literature.

Correction: Patterns of brain atrophy associated with episodic memory and semantic fluency decline in aging.

Correction: Patterns of brain atrophy associated with episodic memory and semantic fluency decline in aging Amandine Pelletier, Charlotte Bernard, Bixente Dilharreguy, Catherine Helmer, Melanie Le Goff, Sandra Chanraud, Jean‐François Dartigues, Michèle Allard, Hélène Amieva, Gwénaëlle Catheline Aging (Albany NY). 2017; 9: 741‐752. PMCID: PMC 5391228 PMID: 28278492 In this article, the last and first name of corresponding author is mixed up. http://www.aging-us.com/article/101186/text

Aging without Dementia

Aging without dementia is a matter of public health as well as a consequence of individual behaviors. These results suggest that increasing educational level, encouraging regular involvement in social and leisure activities, facilitating equal access to health care, and promoting a diet rich in fish and antioxidants such as fruit, vegetables, and tea could contribute to healthy cognitive aging. The impact of specific interventions still has to be evaluated. Further research is needed to identify groups of subjects who could most effectively benefit from such interventions.