Objective To delineate the differences in nocturnal wandering behavior between patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and with frontotemporal dementia (FTD).Methods The study was conducted in a dementia care unit at a hospital in Osaka,Japan from September 2008 to September 2009.Twenty-four-hour movements of 27 ambulatory inpatients with AD and 7 inpatients with FTD were recorded consecutively by the IC tag monitoring system.Results There were no significant differences in the distribution of sex,duration of dementia,clinical dementia rating (CDR) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) scores between two dementia types.However,patients with FTD were much younger than those with AD [(63.43± 14.93) yr vs.(73.89 ±9.12) yr,t=5.56,P＜0.05],and age of onset were significantly different between two dementia types [(58.17±15.16) yr vs.(70.16±9.26) yr,t=6.30,P＜0.05].There was increased distances moved during 6∶ 00-23 ∶ 59 in FTD group comparing with AD group [(4842.44 ± 2617.94)m vs.(2119.39 ±2535.59)m,Z=2.66,P＜0.01],while difference in distances moved during 0 ∶ 00-5 ∶ 59,frequency and intensity of nocturnal ambulation were not significant(P＞0.05)between two groups.Further study showed that AD wanderers had longer distance moved during 0 ∶ 00-5 ∶ 59 [(85.17±142.42)m vs.(1.19±1.71)m] with shorter distance moved during 6 ∶ 00-23 ∶ 59 [(2119.39±2535.59)m vs.(4151.96±1881.35)m],and increased frequency [(0.64±0.29) vs.(0.33±0.22)] and intensity of nocturnal ambulation [(0.21±0.13) vs.(0.07±0.05)],compared with those with frontal variant FTD (all P＜0.05).Conclusions AD patients have more severe nocturnal ambulation than those with frontal variant FTD,which suggests that the increased monitoring and clinical interventions during nighttime should be taken for AD wanderers.

Introduction  The number of foreign tourists and residents, including Muslims, requiring medical care in Japan is increasing. Little is known about the experiences of Japanese healthcare professionals (HCPs) who care for Muslim patients. This study aimed to describe healthcare professionals’ experiences and approaches to caring for Muslim patients as well as the HCPs’ knowledge and attitudes toward these patients. Methods  A key informant interview was conducted by interviewing healthcare professionals experienced in caring for international patients. Content analysis was used to analyze the interview data. Results  A total of 292 codes were extracted, and 18 subcategories were identified. Five categories were consequently identified. Four categories represented cultural competencies, including Islamic cultural and religious knowledge and how to deal with these issues, especially “halal (permissible) medicine” and Ramadan fasting; one category was related to the need for organizational support. The key informants demonstrated expert knowledge and skills in caring for Muslim patients. Our findings have implications for gathering more evidence on “halal medicine” and Ramadan in Japan, requiring the collective efforts of professional and academic organizations. Conclusion  The current study found that participants displayed culturally competent knowledge and attitudes toward Muslim patients. However, further efforts are necessary for developing evidence-based practice regarding the impact of Islamic religious practices on patients.