Abstract
Patients with dementia are at higher risk of falls due to cognitive impairment and Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia（BPSD）. Bone mass assessment is extremely important because fractures due to falls in elderly people with dementia have shown to contribute to reducing the overall quality of life including a factor in cognitive decline. In this study, we assessed the condition of bone mass in dementia outpatients at Hokuriku Hospital and examined the correlation between bone mass and their nutritional condition. Bone mass of the subjects of the study was measured using a quantitative ultrasound, which provided the bone mass Osteo Sono-Assessment Index （OSI） values showing that they were markedly lower than the young adult mean values. By using the values of the multiple regression analysis using the OSI as the objective variable, the results show that the Body Mass Index （BMI） and plasma hemoglobin levels were contributing factors in male subjects while for female subjects, age, the number of red blood cells and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living （IADL） were contributing factors. These results show that OSI was found to be low in dementia outpatients and suggest that prevention of osteoporosis and falls in elderly dementia outpatients is indispensable. In addition, the relationship between OSI and nutritional condition was observed to be an important factor in males but not in females supporting the premise that early primary prevention is more important for women.
