Insights & Implications in Gerontology

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Publications

Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease

This issue of Insights & Implications in Gerontology provides an overview of agitation in Alzheimer’s disease (AAD) and outlines a process for assessing and treating the condition with a focus on collaborating with caregivers and, to the extent possible, individuals with AAD. It also shares implications from appropriate interdisciplinary care and how the lack of such care can be detrimental to individuals with AAD, their caregivers, and family members. AAD can occur along the entire spectrum of Alzheimer’s disease, but it is reported at higher rates in those with more severe dementia. It is also associated with many negative outcomes, including accelerated disease progression, physical and mental health deterioration, functional decline, and poor quality of life. This publication illustrates how proper treatment (from assessment to non-pharmacologic interventions and, if needed, pharmacologic treatment) can reduce the symptoms of agitation.

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Understanding Pseudobulbar Affect

Pseudobulbar affect (PBA) is a relatively common disorder in patients with neurologic conditions that can have a substantial negative impact on quality of life. Characterized by sudden bouts of uncontrollable crying and/or laughing that are disproportionate or inappropriate to the social context and are not associated with depression or anxiety, PBA is often underrecognized and undertreated. Treatment options available for PBA can reduce symptoms and improve quality of life, and coordinated care from the interprofessional health care team, along with the patient’s caregivers, can optimize management and outcomes for patients.  

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Infographics

Agitation in Alzheimer's Disease

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Understanding Pseudobulbar Affect

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Webinars

Insights and Implications of ICD-11 Codes Related to Aging

July 25, 2022

The recently published ICD-11 is the eleventh revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). ICD is a common language for the reporting and monitoring of disease in countries around the world. ICD codes are widely used by clinicians, researchers, funders, governments, public health agencies, and insurance providers to report diagnoses. The data can be used to track disease prevalence and epidemics, and they allow for comparisons across ages and geographic areas, including the reporting of worldwide, national, or regional mortality and morbidity statistics. Data collection based on ICD codes can also be used to predict future health care expenditures and guide research and development of new therapies and practices.

Countries are able to report health data using ICD-11 now, but none have adopted it yet. In the United States, it likely will not be adopted until 2025 or later. Among the changes included in this update to the ICD, “old age” is classified under general symptoms (code MG2A) and there is an extension code for age-related disease (XT9T). This classification of old age as a disease raises numerous issues of concern to the gerontology and geriatrics community. Join GSA leaders for a conversation on the insights and implications.

Presented by:

  • Matt Kaeberlein, PhD, FAAAS, FAAA, FGSA, Professor of Pathology, Adjunct Professor of Genome Sciences, and Adjunct Professor of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington ("Aging as a Disease—Insights")
  • Becca Levy, PhD, FGSA, Professor of Public Health and Psychology, Yale University School of Public Health; Affiliated Faculty, Yale Institute for Global Health ("Impact of Ageism on Individuals and Their Well-Being—Implications")
  • Nancy Morrow-Howell, PhD, MSW, ACSW, FGSA, Bettie Bofinger Brown Distinguished Professor, and Director, Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging, Washington University in St. Louis ("Impact on the Conversation on Aging—Implications")
  • John W. Rowe, MD, FAAAS, FGSA, Julius B. Richmond Professor of Health Policy and Aging, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health ("Why Aging Should Not Be Classified as a Disease—Insights")
  • Peter Lichtenberg, PhD, ABPP, FGSA, FAPA, President, The Gerontological Society of America; Director, Institute of Gerontology, and Distinguished Professor of Psychology, Wayne State University (Moderator)