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Evolution of quality of life in patients with Korsakoff's syndrome in a long-term care facility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 August 2014

Erik Oudman  and
Jan W. Wijnia
Erik Oudman*
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Research Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands Slingedael Korsakoff Center, Slinge 901, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
Jan W. Wijnia
Affiliation:
Slingedael Korsakoff Center, Slinge 901, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: E. Oudman, Department of Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Research Institute, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584 CS Utrecht, the Netherlands. Phone: +31 30 253 4281; Fax: +31 30 253 4511. Email: [email protected].
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Abstract

Background:

Korsakoff's syndrome (KS) is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by severe amnesia. Quality of life (QoL) is becoming an increasingly used outcome measure in clinical practice but little is known about QoL in KS and how it may change over time. The purpose of this study was therefore to assess the QoL in patients with KS at baseline and with a 20-month follow-up.

Methods:

The current study is a longitudinal study on the QoL in patients with KS living in two long-term care facilities for KS patients in the Netherlands. QoL was scored with the proxy-based QUALIDEM scale with a 20-month follow-up.

Results:

Of the 72 KS patients included at baseline, 57 KS patients had a follow-up QoL score (79.2%). On the subscales “Feeling at home,” “Positive affect,” and “Care relationship” of the QUALIDEM, there was a better QoL in the follow-up, although effects were relatively small. Other subscales indicated a stable QoL over time. There were inter-relations between changes in subscales.

Conclusions:

The main finding of this study is that patients with KS on average do show a relatively stable moderate to good QoL despite the severity of the syndrome. On specific subscales, there is a small increase in QoL over time. Results do suggest that prolonged stay in a long-term care facility for KS patients does have a neutral to a positive effect on QoL in KS.

Keywords

quality of life (QoL)longitudinal studieslong-term caretraumatic brain injury (TBI)
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Special Issue 12: young onset dementia , December 2014 , pp. 2073 - 2079
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2014 

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