THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN COGNITIVE FUNCTION AND AGITATION IN SENIOR DAY-CARE PARTICIPANTS

The relationship between cognitive impairment and functional status wi th agitation was assessed in 200 participants of senior day care progr ams. Results revealed better than 85% agreement in measures of cogniti ve impairment (BCRS, MMSE, physician assessment of dementia). Regressi on analyses showed that physically non-aggressive and verbally aggress ive behaviors were related to level of cognitive impairment (BCRS, MMS E). These results showed that physically non-aggressive behaviors were manifested at earlier stages of dementia than physically aggressive b ehaviors, which were not manifested until late stages of dementia. Ver bally non-aggressive behaviors increased with severity of dementia up to moderate-severe levels of impairment and then diminished. In contra st, verbally aggressive behaviors tended to be manifested fairly consi stently across levels of dementia with a small increase at the severes t levels. Findings are discussed in relation to previous findings for nursing home residents.