Actimétrie et sujet âgé dément : application dans une unité cognitivo-comportementale (UCC)

This study aims to compare, in a special unit for elderly patients with dementia and with behavioural and psychological symptoms (BPSD), the motor activity measured with actigraphy and the Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory (NPI) scale, between the start and the end of the hospitalisation, and to point out the agitation peaks during the 24 h period to improve the distribution of the nursing staff. Among the 20 patients included there was a significant decrease in the NPI (43 versus 26). Actigraphic outcomes during the 24 h period showed a non-significant decrease in motor activity. During the night period (10 pm-6 am) the decrease was significant. Two peaks were observed: between 9 am and 12 probably because of “physiological” activity (getting washed, dressed, gymnastics) and between 4 and 8 pm related to the “sundown syndrome”. Our weakness was the lack of observance in wearing a watch in a quarter of our demented patients. In this kind of geriatric department, actigraphy has an important part to play as a complementary tool for the study of the BPSD notably during night-time.