Aminoff Suffering Syndrome diagnosed, defined, investigated in progressive medical study, presented and published by Israeli geriatric physician Dr. Bechor Zvi Aminoff. First clinical investigation of Aminoff Suffering Syndrome performed by Dr. Aminoff in Geriatric's D department of Chaim Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer on 1999 – 2005 years. First presentation of Aminoff Suffering Syndrome was in 10th International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders in Madrid on 2006.[1][2] The Aminoff suffering syndrome is characterized by a high MSSE scale score, less than 6 months’ survival for terminal patients, less than 1-month survival for dying patients, irreversible and intractable aggravation of medical conditions, and suffering until demise.[3][4][5]
Mini Suffering State Examination
The MSSE (Table 1) scale below show is the first objective clinical tool for evaluation of suffering level in advanced dementia. The MSSE scale is available in English, Hebrew, Dutch, Germane, Italian, Spanish and Slovenia, and covers 10 items (range 0-10). A high MSSE scale score with range 7-10 indicates a high level of suffering, and reflects the severity of the medical condition in advanced dementia.[6][7]
Date
Not calm
Screams
Pain
Decubitus ulcers
Malnutrition
Eating disorders
Invasive action
Unstable medical condition
Suffering according to family opinion
Suffering according to medical opinion
Total MSSE score
The MSSE Score Interpretation:
Low level of suffering: range 0-3
Intermediate level of suffering: range 4-6
High level of suffering: range 7-10
The MSSE scale was tested using the Cronbach α model, which demonstrated its significant reliability (α = 0.798). Convergent validity of the MSSE scale was proven by Pearson correlation with Symptom Management in End-of-Life in Dementia (SM–EOLD) scale (r = 0.574, P < 0.0001), and Comfort Assessment in Dying with Dementia (CAD–EOLD) scale [26, 27] (r = -0.796, P < 0.0001). The differences between the survival times of the three MSSE scale score groups was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier analysis (Log Rank, P = 0.0018, Breslow, P = 0.0027) and were significant. The results of the Cox proportional Hazard model of survival showed a high correlation between high MSSE scale score and high risk of mortality, and short survival of end-stage dementia patients during the last 6 months of life with significant predicting validity (P = 0.013). According to the MSSE scale, it has been confirmed that patients with end-stage dementia represent a heterogeneous group and have different levels of suffering, and accordingly proved a significant concurrent validity. Aminoff Suffering Syndrome was proposed as the key criterion for enrolling end-stage disease and dying patients to a hospice, or Relief of High Suffering with Dementia Units.[8][9][10]
Less than 20% of end stage the Alzheimer's disease patients in Aminoff Suffering Syndrome had 6 month survival.[11][12][13]
At last day of life 63% of Alzheimer's disease patients were in Aminoff Suffering Syndrome.[14][15][16][17]