THE IMPACT OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND BEHAVIORAL-FACTORSAND CEREBROVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS AS POTENTIAL PREDICTORS OF THE MATTIS DEMENTIA RATING-SCALE
W. Freidl et al., THE IMPACT OF SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND BEHAVIORAL-FACTORSAND CEREBROVASCULAR RISK-FACTORS AS POTENTIAL PREDICTORS OF THE MATTIS DEMENTIA RATING-SCALE, The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, 52(2), 1997, pp. 111-116
Background. Age and education have been found to affect the Mattis Dem
entia Rating Scale (MDRS) score of elderly normals, but there have bee
n no studies assessing the influence of environmental and behavioral f
actors on this scale. Their role as potential predictors of the MDRS t
otal score was investigated. Methods. The MDRS was administered to 1,9
27 normal elderly subjects in the setting of a stroke prevention study
. Results were correlated with 16 sociodemographic, environmental, and
behavioral factors, and cerebrovascular risk factors. Study statistic
s resulted from multiple logistic regression analysis. Results. Result
s indicated that higher age and arterial hypertension were associated
with poorer cognitive performance, while better education and moderate
general life stress exerted a positive effect on the participants' te
st results. Conclusions. Thus, besides the well-established factors of
age and educational level, moderate general life stress and hypertens
ion were identified as relevant predictors in determining the MDRS tes
t performance of elderly normals.