Gerontology & Geriatric Research

EMBRACING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE ASSESSMENT OF DEPRESSION AND SLEEP IN THE ELDERLY

4^th International Conference on Geriatrics & Gerontological Nursing

October 3-4, 2016 | London, UK

Colin Shapiro

University of Toronto, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Gerontol Geriat Res

Abstract:

Depression and sleep disorders are prevalent yet widely under-recognized in the elderly. Depression results in poor quality of life and increases the risk of suicide. Untreated sleep disorders lead to early-onset dementia and worsen outcome in medical illness. Further, untreated sleep disorders substantially increase the risk of developing new onset depression, promotes recurrence of remitted depression and gives rise to treatment-resistant depression. Notably, the elderly have a disproportionately high rate of suicide and poor sleep is a risk factor for suicide, even in the absence of depression. Primary care physicians have a poor track record of detecting depression in the elderly, in part due to the different presentation and symptomatology in younger versus older individuals with depression. Similarly, despite the higher prevalence in older adults, sleep disorders are inadequately identified in primary care. This unmet medical need underscores the requirement for new technology employing biological markers to detect depression and sleep disorders in older adults. An innovative diagnostic technology has recently been unveiled. The benefits of this technology include: The ability to simultaneously screen for depression and sleep disorders; the convenience of in-home diagnostic testing; cloud-based computerized algorithms to ensure quick dissemination of test results; the ability to any number of individuals simultaneously, thereby avoiding long wait-lists; and the low cost of testing with this technology is paramount given the lack of medical insurance and fixed income of seniors. This technology represents a promising development to improve the detection of depression and sleep disorders in the elderly.