Depressive symptoms in the elderly are related to the advancing of age, loss of life purpose, medical multi-morbidity, cognitive decline and social-economic problems mounting evidence suggests that lifestyle behaviors and certain dietary patterns may improve mood and overall well-being in older adults. In the present study we investigated (i) the association of adherence to Med-Diet with depressive symptoms and multi-morbidity in a cohort of geriatric medical outpatients and (ii) the role of Med-Diet in mediating the association between depressive symptoms and multi-morbidity.

Morbidity was assessed using the severity index of cumulative illness rating scale for geriatrics (CIRSG-SI). Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and geriatric depression scale (GDS) were administrated to evaluate cognitive and depressive symptoms. Adherence to Med-Diet was evaluated using the Med-Diet 14-Item questionnaire (MDQ). Pearson correlation was used to test association between variables. The Preacher and Hayes’ strategy was used to test the mediational model.

One hundred and forty-three subjects were included in the study. Significant inverse correlations of MDQ with GDS (r = -0.317; P < 0.001) and CIRSG-SI (r = -0.247; P = 0.003) were found, with and without adjustment for potential confounders. A direct correlation between CIRSG-SI and GDS was also observed (r = 0.304; P = 0.001), with this association being moderated by MDQ (b = 0.386; P = 0.047).

These findings (i) add to the accumulating evidence that Med-Diet is crucially involved in the regulation of physical and mental health of elderly people, and (ii) suggest that a Mediterranean-style diet may contribute to protect elderly subjects with higher levels of polypathology/multi-morbidity from the development of depressive symptoms.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of the overlapping infinity loops, wire cube, clock drawing tests (CDT) and the combined score in the detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.

The participants were 60 normal controls (NC), 35 patients with MCI, and 47 patients with dementia. For the overlapping infinity loops and wire cube tests, the participants were told to copy the figures from the examples. For the CDT, the participants were asked to draw a clock face with numbers on it with the hands at ten past five.

The results illustrate that infinity loops, cube, or CDT alone, or combined score, were not able to discriminate between NC and MCI groups. In dementia detection, the CDT had the highest diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity 76.6% and specificity 87.4%) followed by infinity loops (sensitivity 83.7% and specificity 78.9%) and cube (sensitivity 93.6% and specificity 46.3%). Additionally, when the three tests were combined, better diagnostic accuracy was demonstrated with a sensitivity of 87.2% and specificity 86.3%.

This study demonstrates that the three drawing tests are sensitive detectors of dementia but not MCI. The combination of these three drawing tests is a brief tool of good diagnostic accuracy for dementia screening.

The author has not supplied his declaration of competing interest.

It is not rare, old patients asking for better aesthetic results on multi-operated bodies causing anxiety and inconvenience. Objectives of our study is to present the emotional confrontation of patients towards surgery.

We present 4 cases of interest.

A 75-year-old woman with abdominal asymmetry due to lose abdominal walls and prior operations underwent a failed operation because of her own persistence and finally was convinced to stop asking new surgery when she was told that her abdomen would never become symmetrical. A 79- year-old man, keen on parachuting, was interested to improve his sexual performance and tighten his lose skin with a re-operation on his well done hernia operation. A married man of 50-years-old with a temporary colostomy due to ruptured sigmoid colon suffering from acute diverticulitis, two months later was not at all interested in any kind of aesthetic improvement or his sexual life, and his only care was his nutrition and the avoidance of infections. A divorced man of 49-years-old, with a permanent colostomy, due to familial adenomatous polyposis and cancer occurrence on the site of his old operation (prior total colectomy in 1995), not even one time referred to sexual functioning or aesthetic problems, while his constant problem was to take care of his colostomy by himself.

Old age does not mean loss of interest for body icon and sexuality. On the other hand middle-aged men seem to be more practical and less emotional than old patients.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

In 1943, Bleuler defined “late-onset schizophrenia” as a form of schizophrenia with onset after the age of 40. Half a century had passed with no consensus on the late psychosis’ terminology, when in 1998 the international late- onset schizophrenia group Consensus proposed a nosology for these disorders: late-onset schizophrenia and very-late-onset schizophrenia-like psychosis.

Presentation of a case and diagnostic discussion.

Interviews with the patient during his hospitalisation.

We present a case of a 73-year-old single woman, with no psychiatric history, who was driven to the emergency department by her relatives when they noticed her bizarre behaviour: she had drowned and strangled her pet bird. At examination she was agitated, had persecutory delusions, thought broadcasting, cenesthetic and auditory hallucinations in the form of a masculine voice, who sang and dialogued with her. Symptoms had evolved during the past six months with no apparent functional impairment. During hospitalisation she was treated with risperidone (up to 5 mg/day) with improvement in a few days. There were no significant abnormalities on cerebral tomography and analytical exams. Neuropsychological evaluation ruled out cognitive deficits. At the time of discharge although the patient kept referring auditory hallucinatory activity, she had an appropriate behaviour, and no evidence of negative symptoms.

The small group of patients who meet schizophrenia's criteria for the first time at a later age present some particular clinical characteristics to be taken into account. This case highlights some of them, drawing attention to this uncommon diagnosis.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD), the second commonest cause of degenerative dementia after Alzheimer's disease in patients aged 65 years or less is characterized clinically by progressive changes in social, behavioural, and language function.

To do a complete psychiatric and neurological examination of a case with pick dementia.

This case report wants to highlight the combination of psychiatric and neurological symptoms in FTD in order to improve the early diagnosis and therapeutical management.

We report the case of a 62-years-old male who was admitted in psychiatric clinic, I Cluj-Napoca after he was transferred from neurology clinic I for distractibility, impersistence, apathy, loss of interest, emotional blunting, hyperorality, dietary changes, stereotyped behaviour, decline in personal hygiene. The delay in diagnosis was approximately 3 years, probably because his MMSE total score was 30 points and because he presented behavioural and verbal disinhibition, irritability, inappropriate emotional reacting and a CT with minimal changes.

Psychometric evaluations revealed: Frontal Assessment Batery (13/18), Frontotemporal Dementia Rating Scale (50% impairment, moderate severity level), ADL (activities of daily living) (Katz score = 4/7, moderate dependence, low self-care) and IADL (instrumental activities of daily living) (2/8 = high dependency level, low self-maintenance). MRI: fronto-temporal atrophy. The anamnesis, heteroanamnesis, para-clinical investigations led us to a diagnosis of FTD (Pick dementia).

We should acknowledge that behavioural changes progress whatever the presentation, that cognitive decline occurs later and that FTD is a disease with a longer delay in onset of cognitive symptoms and diagnosis.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The increase in aging population is a major advance in society, but also a great challenge, imposing the need for actions that promote successful aging, with higher subjective well-being and better health.

(1) analyse the possible influence of socio-demographic variables in self-compassion, satisfaction with life, affection, physical and mental health (study variables); (2) understand how is that the study variables are associated with each other in old age; and (3) explore which variables best predict satisfaction with life and health in the elderly.

The study sample consists of 155 individuals, aged between 65 and 94 years old, institutionalised and non-institutionalised.

(1) significant correlations were found between some demographic and the study variables. (2) Significant associations were also found between self-compassion, subjective well-being and health. (3) linear regression analysis revealed that physical health is best predicted by greater life satisfaction and lower age; mental health is best predicted by increased satisfaction with life, self-compassion and decreased negative affect; and, finally, life satisfaction is predicted by a higher physical health and self-compassion.

These results suggest the importance of developing psychological skills such as warmth, tolerance and the acceptance of suffering bearing in mind that the elderly may experience difficulties resulting from the developmental characteristics of old age. Our findings suggest the possible beneficial effect of compassion, focused therapies designed for this specific population, particularly contributing to the promotion of life satisfaction and mental health of the Portuguese elderly.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Due to population aging, the health system will face increasing challenges in the next years. Concerning mental disorders, they are major public health issues in late life, with mood and anxiety disorders being some of the most common mental disorder among the elderly. For this reason, increasing attention has to be paid to the evaluation of the elderly in psychiatry emergency settings.

To evaluate the socio-demographic and clinical features of over 65 patients referred to psychiatric consultations in the ER of “Maggiore della Carità” Hospital in Novara, in a 7 years period.

The analysis of the characteristics of the study sample could be potentially useful in resource planning in order to better serve this important segment of the general population.

Determinants of ER visits for over 65 patients referred to psychiatric evaluation were studied retrospectively from 2008 to 2015.

Elderly patients made up 14,7% (n = 458) of all psychiatric evaluation in the ER (n = 3124). About two thirds (65,9%) were females and one third were males (34,1%). The mean age of patients recruited was 75.11 years. The majority of subjects (68.6%) presented without a diagnosis of Axis I according to DSM-IV. The other most frequent diagnosis was “cognitive disorders” (11.4%) and “mood disorders” (10.9%).

The large proportion of patients without a diagnosis of Axis I, could be related to the misunderstanding of the psychosocial aspects of aging. Preliminary results highlight the importance of research on this topic, considering population aging and the impact of mental disorders in late-life.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) has a multifactorial aetiology, and wide-ranging potential health complications, including brain health associations.

A number of diabetes risk factors and complications have a strong evidence base. This study will address ambiguity in the literature regarding others.

Results will inform development of a questionnaire for use among the public and individuals with diabetes, assessing knowledge of diabetes and brain health associations and the role of modifiable risk factors. Aiming to ultimately inform effective preventative strategies for both dementia and depression.

A systematic literature review preceded this two-round modified Delphi study. Respondents rated their agreement with risk factors for T2DM, and potential complications of diabetes on an e-questionnaire.

Of 46 international experts invited to participate in round-one; 14 responded (30.4%). Thirteen respondents (92.9%) completed round-two questionnaire. Consensus was pre-defined as 70% or more agreement between respondents on questionnaire items. On completion, 11/18 risk factor items for T2DM met consensus criteria however ‘depression’ did not. Of diabetes complication items, 13/16 met consensus criteria (see Table 1).

Study results indicate that international experts consider a number of brain health complications to be associated with diabetes. Results will be incorporated in a diabetes and brain health knowledge questionnaire for use among vulnerable populations.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

The haemodialysis, one of the main treatment modalities of chronic renal failure, imposes a great psychosocial burden on elderly patients, which may cause many psychological impacts.

The aim of this study was to screen anxiety and depression in elderly patients on haemodialysis, taking into account factors that may contribute to.

Our study was transversal, descriptive carried out among 38 elderly patients aged more than 60 years with chronic kidney failure on haemodialysis. The structured questionnaire used in this study was gathered information on socio-demographic and disease characteristics. We used the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) to access anxiety and depression.

The mean age of our sample was 71 years. The sex-ratio (♂/♀) was 1.92.,patients were mainly married (73.7%), and have a low school level (76.3%). The mean haemodialysis duration was 5 years ± 4.68. The most common cause of renal failure was polycystic kidney disease (18.4%), diabetes (15.8%), while in 28.9% the cause was unknown. Anxiety was found in 18.4% of patients and it was associated with both low school (P = 0.02) and socio-economic level (P = 0.04). The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 42.1%. It was correlated to the unknown cause of kidney failure and the short duration haemodialysis (P = 0.03).

These data suggest that depression and anxiety are highly prevalent in elderly patients with renal failure on dialysis. This result shows the need for interdisciplinary teamwork in improving the quality of life of those patients.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

With 10 million of patients across the world, Parkinson's disease is the second most common form of neurodegeneration, after Alzheimer's. Among half of patients develop psychotic symptoms, such as visual hallucinations and delusions, which are correlated with higher rate of placement in nursing home, are difficult to treat and severely affect quality of life, making Parkinson's disease psychosis (PDP) a major public health issue.

The aim of this study is to identify treatment options that could be used to treat PDP and clarify underlying pathophysiology.

We conducted a literature review on Pubmed, Goggle scholar and Cochrane library, using a combination of the following: “Parkinson's disease Psychosis” “visual hallucinations” “Pimavanserin” “Clozapine” “atypical anti-psychotics” 120 articles were screened.

Considering that hallucinations arise from overactivation of dopaminergic receptors, treatment options include reducing the dopaminergic drugs used to control motor symptoms; using atypical anti-psychotics such as Risperidone, Olanzapine, Quetiapine, which often results in the worsening of extra-pyramidal symptoms. Another option is the use of low doses of Clozapine, which has been proven efficient with no worsening of non-motor symptoms, suggesting the implication of other pathways, such as serotonin. Finally, Pimavanserin, a 5-HT2A receptor inverse agonist, without any dopaminergic activity, has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of PDP, well tolerated and easy to use.

Serotonin inverse agonists represent a major breakthrough in the pharmacotherapy of PDP, and may lead the way to changes in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is an uncommon disease that involves visual hallucinations in visually impaired individuals, in absence of cognitive impairment or psychiatric illness, although some authors propose CBS as an early maker of dementia.

Show the importance of differential diagnosis in individuals with presence of visual hallucinations, with distinction of CBS from others psychiatric or organic disorders such as hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations, epileptic phenomenon, Parkinson disease, dementia, delirum tremens or late-onset psychosis.

Literature review about visual hallucinations in people with psychiatric illness, dementia or in absence of these status, followed by a case report of a patient who met criteria for CBS.

Eighty one-years-old female with no previous psychiatric illness, experience suddenly visual hallucinations (animals, insects) with secondary anxiety, fear and insomnia as well as disruptive behaviour (throw lye to kill the animals) and delusional interpretations of the hallucinations considering them as a divine proof. Clinical exam, neuroimaging tests and SPECT confirmed just a minimal cognitive impairment nor suggestive of dementia. She had personal history of cataracts and macular degeneration, with no other medical condition. Olanzapine was prescribed but it was withdrew because of adverse effects. Later, haloperidol was introduced with well tolerance and symptom's recovery ad integrum.

Charles Bonnet syndrome is a rare condition that may sometimes be the beginning of a dementia. Medical evaluation and complementary tests help differential diagnosis in order to reject others psychiatric/somatic disorders. Neuroleptic and anti-epileptic treatment should be useful to control symptoms.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Violence against elderly persons is an intricate social, legal and ethic issue. Alzheimer's patients are the most vulnerable individuals to mistreatment and neglect. The aggressor can be even the main helper of the patient. We noticed a wide underestimation of this phenomenon, which remains taboo subject in our society.

– The aim of our study is to identify predictive factors of mistreatment of Alzheimer's patients through a prospective and descriptive study, within patients following in the department of neurology in Razi's hospital.

– we evaluate cognitive function (MMSE) and the importance of behavioural disorders.

– we explored helper's socio-demographic characteristics and the quality of aid relationship.

– anger and hostility within relationship were estimated through family attitude scale.

Our sample accounts 60 informal caregivers predominately female (91.7%) with an average age of 49.67 years, mostly are married (71.66%) and jobless (38.88%):

– in 78.3% of cases, caregivers spent about 12 to 24 hours per day with Alzheimer's patient.

– the average score of FAS was about 52.4% with an important emotional charge (score >60).

– twenty-five caregivers wished the death of the patient and 42 others admitted being sarcastic with him.

– We noticed a correlation between mistreatment and both cognitive function and behavioural disorders.

Our results support the fact that mistreatment of people with dementia is closely related with the exhausting situation of the main caregiver.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

There is a bi-directional relationship between depression and chronic medical disorders.

The objectives of our study were to measure the prevalence of depression in the elderly with chronic medical illness in primary care and to determine the socio-demographic and clinical factors related to depression.

We conducted a descriptive and analytical cross-sectional study of patients aged over 65, followed at the outpatient chronic diseases in Oudhref's district hospital (south of Tunisia) during the month of September 2014. We used two instruments: the activity of daily living (ADL) to determine the degree of autonomy and the geriatric depression scale (GDS) validated in Tunisia.

At the end of our investigation, 100 chronic disease patients met inclusion criteria. The average age of our population was 75 years. Prevalence of depression was 48%. The most frequent chronic pathology was hypertension (79%), followed by diabetes (70%). In analytical study, we noted no correlation between depression and socio-demographic variables such as age, sex and marital status. Regarding clinical variables, depression was significantly more frequent in patients with sensory impairments (82% vs 18%, P = 0.017), dependent (80% vs 20%, P = 0.002). Regarding chronic disease, depression was significantly more frequent in patients with respiratory disease (80% vs 20%, P = 0.033), a higher number of comorbidities (P = 0.005), who were hospitalised at least once (P = 0.015).

Depression is common in elderly with a chronic disease. Using screening instruments for major depression by primary care clinicians will help to detect depression.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Depressive disorder is common psychiatric morbidity among the elderly outpatients. It is also evident that cognitive disorders, ranging from mild cognitive impairment to severe dementia, are widely prevalent in the elderly coexistence of the above is quite common. Treatment for both conditions is quite challenging, aiming at symptomatic relief and improvement in functional status.

To investigate the coexistence of depression and cognitive impairment in aged depressive outpatients, 65 years or older. Correlation of cognitive level and depressive symptomatology was measured.

We used hamilton depression scale (HAM-D) and MMSE in 35 (mean age 68.2 years) depressed outpatients over 65-year-old. We excluded depressed schizophrenics and bipolar patient.

On a preliminary basis, a correlation between low MMSe and HAM-D (P < 0.05) was found. An interesting finding, though not measured primarily, was that low MMSE was accompanied with a low compliance with medication.

The mental deterioration that accompanies cognitive impairment is being widely studied and it is real complex. In our ongoing study previous findings are confirmed and can be interpreted both ways, i.e. depression is a risk factor for dementia and also the fact that existing dementia is positively correlated with a low HAM-D.

Compliance to medication is affected, among other variables, by the patients’ mental state.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

In the clinical practice we encounter different clinical situations that require precise differential diagnosis and special treatment. This poster reviews the diagnosis and pharmacotherapy of two cases that points out how likely is to confuse the diagnosis of two apparently different pathologies, as are bipolar disorder and frontotemporal dementia. We study and compare two cases that were hospitalised in the psychiatric ward of Sant Joan's Hospital. Following their treatment and evolution. The first case is a 75-years-old man that presented behavioural changes, hypomania, and insomnia without previous known psychiatric history other than alcoholism. The family explained a history of episodes of mood changes going from depression to mania, compatible with a bipolar diagnosis never diagnosed, and the neuropsychological exam that was performed did not show any cognitive impairment finally receiving a diagnosis of bipolar disorder after the good response to the lithium treatment. In the second case we have a 58-years-old man with behavioural disturbances and mood fluctuation that changes from short periods of hypomania with disinhibition and insomnia to a predominance of hypothymia, apathy and self-care negligence, which received at the beginning a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and that after the proper complementary tests was shown to be a frontotemporal dementia.

When facing behavioural and mood changes in advance age in the absence of psychiatric history we should take into account the considerable percentage of patients with a final diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia that received previously a mistaken diagnosis of bipolar disorder and vice versa.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

In the context of untimely access to community formal services, unmet needs of persons with dementia (PwD) and their carers may compromise their quality of life.

The Actifcare EU-JPND project (www.actifcare.eu) focuses on access to and (non) utilization of dementia formal care in eight countries (The Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, Italy, Portugal), as related to unmet needs and quality of life. Evaluations included systematic reviews, qualitative explorations, and a European cohort study (PwD in early/intermediate phases and their primary carers; n = 453 days; 1 year follow-up). Preliminary Portuguese results are presented here (FCT-JPND-HC/0001/2012).

(1) extensive systematic searches on access to/utilization of services; (2) focus groups of PwD, carers and health/social professionals; (3) prospective study (n = 66 days from e.g., primary care, hospital outpatient services, Alzheimer Portugal).

In Portugal, nationally representative data is scarce regarding health/social services utilization in dementia. There are important barriers to access to community services, according to users, carers and professionals, whose views not always coincide. The Portuguese cohort participants were 66 PwD (62.1% female, 77.3 ± 6.2 years, 55.5% Alzheimer's/mixed subtypes, MMSE 17.8 ± 4.8, CDR1 89.4%) and 66 carers (66.7% female, 64.9 ± 15.0 years, 56.1% spouses), with considerable unmet needs in some domains.

All Actifcare milestones are being reached. The consortium is now analyzing international differences in (un) timely access to services and its impact on quality of life and needs for care (e.g., formal community support is weaker in Portugal than in many European countries). National best-practice recommendations in dementia are also in preparation.

Abstract submitted on behalf of the Actifcare Eu-JPND consortium.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Older adults constitute the age group in which suicide more often reaches its most categorical expression: consummation.

Identify risk factors for suicide in older people.

Systematic review of the literature on the subject. The databases consulted were Dialnet and Pubmed. The descriptors used have been: “suicide”, “risk factors” and “elderly”, accepting the works found in English and Spanish, with a total of 501 references found after the search, from which 75 have been selected.

As shown in the reviewed studies, there is a progressive increase in suicide rate with age in males. The purpose of dying in the old man is usually characterized by his firm conviction, not infrequently reflexive and premeditated. In the multifactorial etiology of suicidal behaviour in this age group, the main elements to be considered would be psychosocial factors, psychiatric diseases and chronic somatic diseases, resulting in a potentiation among them due to their frequent interaction. The feeling of abandonment, the feeling of emptiness, the despair of the organic collapse and the self-perception of being a useless person, without projects, generates deterioration in the quality of life.

In the multifactorial etiology of the suicidal behaviour of the elderly, they usually play coprotagonic roles, loneliness, isolation, somatic illness and depression. The most likely profile of the suicidal elder would be represented by a man with a history of depressive episode after age 40, who lives alone, with a family history of depression or alcoholism and a recent loss.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

In the early stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) motor and cognitive dysfunctions has been observed.

In previous studies we have shown that AD patients present abnormalities of selected graphomotor skills, but results were vary and not conclusive. In this study, we conducted more extensive tests on a larger study group.

The aim of the study is to identify which graphomotor functions are impaired in the early stages of AD.

Seventy-one patients with mild and moderate AD (F.00.0, F.00.1, F.00.2) (MMSE 20.3 ± 3.8; age 79.1 ± 5.21) were examined. Forty-four healthy ones (C) without symptoms of dementia, matched for demographic characteristics (MMSE 29 ± 1.1; age 78.3 ± 4.7) were examined. Graphomotor skills were assessed by the original drawing test (the eight figures and the signature) performed in a magnetic field (resolution 2540 dpi and 1024 pressure levels). These test were implemented on a graphic tablet (Wacom Intuos) with the specialized software. The length and time of drawing, the average and maximum speed of drawing, the average and maximum momentary speed, the amplitude and frequency (with FFT spectrum analysis) of hand tremors were measured.

Statistical analysis of the graphomotor signal revealed differences between the AD group and the C group with respect to various parameters. The largest differences have been observed in partially automated skills such as signature, and not drawing shapes (lines, spiral, etc.). The average speed of signature and maximum momentary speed of signature is lower in the AD group.

This method allows for quantitative and objective measurement of the biophysical signal and assessment of the graphomotor skills.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Appearing in the early stages of the disease pathological changes in different parts of the brain in Alzheimer's disease (AD) subjects cause disruption of neural circuits between the cortex and the basal ganglia. It may affect the ocular movement disturbances.

In previous studies we have shown that AD patients present abnormalities of saccadic eye movements. In this study, we conducted for the first time the advanced quantitative analysis profile of saccades on a large study group.

The aim of this study is to find the features and the values of parameters in patients with AD differ from healthy individuals using quantitative measurement methods that could help in the future to differentiate people with an uncertain diagnosis.

Seventy-one patients with mild and moderate AD (age 79.1 ± 5.21) were examined. Forty-four healthy ones (C) without symptoms of dementia, matched for sex, age and education level (age 78.3 ± 4.7) were examined. In this study we made use of the Saccadometer Advanced (ACI, Cambridge, UK), allowing the measurement of eye position with the time resolution of 1 ms (1000 Hz).

Statistically significant differences between AD and C groups were found (P < 0.05). The analysis of saccadic profile allows to differentiate Alzheimer's disease. The rising slope duration and the rising slope percent is lower in AD group, but the falling slope duration and the falling slope percent is larger in AD group.

AD patients have much smaller slope in the rising phase of the saccade. The results show that the use of saccadometry may improve diagnosis of the AD.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.