Showing papers in "Experimental Aging Research in 2021"
TL;DR: In this article, a national confinement was imposed in France in March 2020 during 55 days to prevent the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable people such as older individuals such as 65 years.
Abstract: Introduction: A national confinement was imposed in France in March 2020 during 55 days to prevent the spread of the virus and protect vulnerable people such as older individuals. This study aimed to describe the movement behaviors, and their determinants, of elderly people (≥ 65 years) during the confinement.Methods: An online survey was conducted from April 1st, 2020 to May 6th, 2020 by the National Observatory for Physical Activity and Sedentary behaviors. This study compared the level of physical activity (PA), sitting and screen time before and during the confinement and identified the impact of initial PA, sedentary profiles of the participants and housing conditions.Results: 1,178 people were included in this study. Reaching PA recommendations before lock-down was associated with the change in PA level during lock-down (p < .001). Besides, geographic location was associated with the change in PA, sitting time and screen time during lock-down (respectively p = .03, p = .02, p = .02).Conclusion: This study confirm the negative impact of confinement on senior movement behaviors, whether or not they met with public health recommendations prior to the pandemic. The housing conditions of older people must be also taken into future public health policies.
14 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the in-hospital and out-of-hospital mortality of elderly patients with dementia appears to be significantly higher than those who do not, and therefore, the importance of caring for elderly patients having dementia after being discharged from hospital should be emphasized.
Abstract: Background Patients with a dementia diagnosis and COVID-19 sometimes manifest an atypical clinical picture. However, differences between elderly COVID-19 patients having dementia and those not having dementia have not been described yet. The in-hospital mortality and out-of-hospital mortality from both groups has not been reported. Objective The primary aim of this study is to determine if there is a significant difference in-hospital and out-of-hospital mortality in the elderly patients admitted for COVID-19, comparing those with dementia and those without dementia. A secondary aim is to determine whether there are significant clinical and laboratory differences between elderly COVID-19 patients with dementia and without dementia. Methods Data collection of hospitalizations of elderly patients aged 70 years old or older admitted for COVID-19 in 2020 at the Hospital de San Juan de Alicante. Results In-hospital mortality in a context of admission for COVID-19 is significantly higher in patients with out dementia. However, post-discharge out-of-hospital mortality is significantly higher in patients with dementia. Conclusion The out-of-hospital mortality of elderly patients with dementia appears to be significantly higher than those who do not. Therefore, the importance of caring for elderly patients with dementia after being discharged from hospital should be emphasized.
11 citations
TL;DR: Polypharmacy was observed to have a significant association with physical function, nutrition, and depression in the elderly aged ≥ 65 years.
Abstract: Background: To investigate the association of polypharmacy with physical function, nutritional status, and depression in the elderly. Method: The study included 675 people aged over 65 years from 8...
10 citations
TL;DR: The prevalence of probable sarcopenia in this study was 50.00%, and was associated with the presence of depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, fear of falls and negative self-perception of health.
Abstract: Background: Sarcopenia has a high prevalence in older adults and is associated with chronic aggravations to health, so therefore it is important to identify older adults who are affected by sarcopenia in order to establish preventative strategies or early interventions.Objective: To estimate the prevalence of probable sarcopenia and verify its association with cognitive impairment, fear of falling, depressive symptoms and health self-perception in community-dwelling older adults.Methods: A cross-sectional study with simple random sampling including 306 older adults of both genders. The outcome variable was probable sarcopenia evaluated by the Five times sit-to-stand test (5XSST) considering probable sarcopenia when the measured time was > 15 seconds, following the recommendation of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People. The predictor variables were cognitive impairment, fear of falling, depressive symptoms and self-perception of health. Multivariate Logistic Regression was performed to verify associations between the variables.Results: The prevalence of probable sarcopenia was 50.00%. The older adults had significantly higher chances of presenting probable sarcopenia when displaying cognitive impairment (OR 2.49; 95%CI 1.46-4.24), fear of falls (OR 4.23; 95%CI 2.51-7.12), depressive symptoms (OR 2.20; 95%CI 1.32-3.67), poor (OR 2.48; 95%CI 1.19-5.16) and fair self-perception of health (OR 2.11; 95%CI 1.22-3.63) when compared to those who did not have the same conditions.Conclusion: The prevalence of probable sarcopenia in this study was 50.00%, and was associated with the presence of depressive symptoms, cognitive impairment, fear of falls and negative self-perception of health.
10 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effect of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) along with gated gated walking was investigated for older adults with physical and mental disorders.
Abstract: Elderly is a part of life that is associated with physical and mental disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of 8 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) along with g...
9 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors evaluated the utility of a mobile phone-based intensive measurement study for measuring cognitive outcomes in clinical trials and longitudinal aging cohorts, and concluded that mobile cognitive test scores demonstrated good reliability, moderate correlations with in-person baseline neuropsychological testing, and significant associations with participant age and education level.
Abstract: Background:There is a pressing need for assessment approaches that can be deployed remotely to measure cognitive outcomes in clinical trials and longitudinal aging cohorts. We evaluated the utility of a mobile phone-based intensive measurement study for this purpose. Method:A small cohort of healthy older adults (N = 17, mean age = 73) completed five assessment "bursts" over 12 months, with each measurement burst involving two assessments daily for five consecutive days. Each assessment included brief tests of visual short-term memory and information processing speed, as well as surveys measuring state factors that can affect cognition. Results:At study endpoint we had 94% retention, 97% compliance, and high participant satisfaction. Mobile cognitive test scores demonstrated good reliability, moderate correlations with in-person baseline neuropsychological testing, and significant associations with participant age and education level. Conclusions: Mobile phone-based intensive measurement designs represent a promising assessment approach for measuring cognition longitudinally in older adults.
6 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated whether increased task difficulty is sufficient to induce heightened conscious control and influence gait performance in older adults through the manipulations of either task difficulty or attentional focus.
Abstract: Objectives: We aimed to address whether increased task difficulty is sufficient to induce heightened conscious control and influence gait performance in older adults through the manipulations of either task difficulty or attentional focus. Method: Fifty older adults, split into high- (HR) and low-reinvestor (LR) groups, performed a walking task on a 7.4 m straight walkway in two conditions: firm level-ground surface (GW) and foam surface (FW). They subsequently performed the same walking task under two attentional focus conditions: Internal focus (IF) and External focus (EF). Electroencephalography (EEG) T3-Fz and T4-Fz coherences were used to indicate real-time conscious motor control and visual-spatial control, respectively. Results: We observed significantly higher T3-Fz and T4-Fz coherences under FW compared to GW. HR reduced their gait speed at a greater extent than LR under FW. Significantly lower T3-Fz coherence and faster gait were demonstrated under EF compared to IF. LR walked slower under IF compared to Baseline while gait speed of HR did not differ. Discussion: Visual-spatial and conscious movement processing increase as a function of task difficulty during gait. Our findings also advocate the use of external focus instructions in clinical settings, with the potential to reduce conscious control and promote movement automaticity, even in relatively complex gait tasks.
6 citations
TL;DR: The results suggested that the effect of disgust-related stimuli on recognition memory may decrease with age and emotion effects cannot solely be accounted for by the valence/arousal dimensions.
Abstract: Background: The effects of emotional stimuli on memory in older adults are often addressed in terms of socio-emotional selectivity theory and the valence dimension. Older adults usually remember po...
6 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors identify the variables that contributed to quality of life (QoL) of Alzheimer's disease caregivers, taking into consideration the caregiving context, stressors, role strains, and resources.
Abstract: Aim and objective: This study aimed to identify the variables that contributed to Quality of Life (QoL) of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) caregivers, taking into consideration the caregiving context, stressors, role strains, and resources.Methods: The sample included 102 caregivers of AD patients who answered the following instruments: Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21; Satisfaction with Social Support Scale; Revised Memory and Behavioral Problems Checklist; Family Communication and Satisfaction Scales; Spiritual and Religious Attitudes in Dealing with Illness; and Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease - Caregiver Version.Results: Caregivers who were employed, chose the caregiving role, and received help in caring showed better QoL. Also, being younger, less caregiving daily hours, caring for patients with less memory and behavior problems, lower distress, and family satisfaction predicted better QoL. Finally, spirituality was a moderator between family communication and QoL but not between family satisfaction and QoL.Conclusion: Caregiving-context variables (age, professional status, choosing to care, receiving help in the caregiving role and duration of daily care); role strains (family dissatisfaction); stressors (caregivers' distress and patients' memory and behavioral problems); and resources (spirituality) had an impact on caregivers' QoL emphasizing the adequacy of the Stress Process Model. Intervention should also focus on spirituality given its moderating role.
5 citations
TL;DR: Pomegranate has been previously shown to have a dopaminergic neuroprotective effect against parkinsonism as discussed by the authors, and the aim of the current study is to inves...
Abstract: Parkinsonism is a neurodegenerative disorder. Pomegranate (POM) has been previously shown to have a dopaminergic neuroprotective effect against parkinsonism.The aim of the current study is to inves...
4 citations
TL;DR: It is argued on the basis of the model that the performance of older participants on both tasks reflects a slower update of schema thresholds within the basal ganglia, coupled with a decrease in sensitivity to feedback.
Abstract: In order to explore the effect of normal aging on executive function, we tested 25 younger adults and 25 neurologically healthy older adults on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST) and the Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test (BRXT), two classic tests of executive function. We found that older participants were more likely than younger participants to err on both tasks, but the additional errors of older participants tended to be related to task set maintenance and rule inference rather than perseveration. We further found that the tendency to perseverate (across all participants) on the WCST was related to the tendency to produce stimulus or re- sponse perseverations on the BRXT, rather than any tendency to perseverate on BRXT rule application. Finally, on both tasks, older participants were also slower, particularly on trials following an error, than younger participants. To explore the neurocomputational basis for the observed behaviours we then extended an existing model of schema-modulated action selec- tion on the WCST to the BRXT. We argue on the basis of the model that the performance of older participants on both tasks reflects a slower update of schema thresholds within the basal ganglia, coupled with a decrease in sensitivity to feedback.
TL;DR: In this article, an observational cross-sectional study of 2.2 million elderly patients from Turkey was conducted to determine the prevalence and risk factors of poor sleep quality in diabetic elderly patients.
Abstract: Elderly patients frequently experience poor sleep quality. We aimed to determine its prevalence and risk factors in diabetic elderly patients from Turkey.An observational cross-sectional study of 2...
TL;DR: Investigating behavioral (dual-action) demands in dual tasks are mentally represented in older adults and how these representations might contribute to the practice-related improvement of dual- task performance concludes that dual-action requirements in the present dual-task setting are mentally representation in a predominantly structuralist fashion at the end of practice.
Abstract: Aim: The present study was designed to investigate how behavioral (dual-action) demands in dual tasks are mentally represented in older adults and how these representations might contribute to the ...
TL;DR: In this paper, the referred fever of elderly patients admitted for COVID-19 was related to their mortality and no significant differences were detected in terms of mortality with respect to the fever variable, however, patients without fever present significantly different laboratory values that could indicate a greater severity in their evolutionary course.
Abstract: Introduction COVID-19 has been responsible for countless deaths during this time. Objectives The main objective of this study was to determine if the referred fever of elderly patients admitted for COVID-19 was related to their mortality. Material and methods Data were obtained from the 2020 hospital admissions records of the Hospital de San Juan de Alicante, Spain. Results Those patients without fever had a greater age and comorbidity. There was not a significant difference related to fever in in-hospital mortality. Discussion Previous studies seem to indicate that fever in its early stages has a protective effect rather than a harmful one. Our results confirm this trend. No data have been found in the literature that express the differences of elderly patients admitted for COVID-19 who presented fever versus those who did not in the context of hospital admission. Conclusion No significant differences were detected in terms of mortality with respect to the fever variable. However, patients without fever present significantly different laboratory values that could indicate a greater severity in their evolutionary course. For example, patients without fever have significantly higher D-dimer and LDH levels in addition to significantly lower arterial oxygen pressure and PaO2/FiO2 and SpO2/FiO2 ratios.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors proposed a strategy to delay and alleviate cognitive impairment in the normal aging process by delaying and alleviating cognitive impairment is an important strategy of anti-aging.
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Cognitive decline in the normal aging process is one of the most common and prominent problems. Delaying and alleviating cognitive impairment is an important strategy of anti-aging. Thi...
TL;DR: The results suggest that thePositivity effect emerges during more controlled stages of informational processing, and it is important to consider individual differences when investigating age-related differences in the positivity effect.
Abstract: Most prior studies on the positivity effect have been conducted in Western cultures, and research in East Asian cultures has been limited, with inconsistent findings. Herein we investigate whether ...
TL;DR: The authors found that older adults are stereotyped in a paternalistic manner (warm, but incompetent), deserving of assistance regardless of their need; however, little is known about how gender contextualize older adults.
Abstract: Background: Older adults are stereotyped in a paternalistic manner (warm, but incompetent), deserving of assistance regardless of their need; however, little is known about how gender contextualize...
TL;DR: Socio-emotional selectivity theory implies that an individual's motives change over their lifespan, starting with a focus on information seeking and shifting toward the motivation of ma... as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: OBJECTIVES. Socio-emotional selectivity theory implies that an individual’s motives change over their lifespan, starting with a focus on information seeking and shifting toward the motivation of ma...
TL;DR: The role of aging on open-mindedness has been examined in a recent study as mentioned in this paper, where the authors found that openmindedness decreased with age, and that the observed differences are the result of a reluctance to change long-established values and ideas at the cognitive level and cortical changes that occur with aging.
Abstract: BACKGROUND As health care improves and more people work into later age, it is important to understand what impacts open-mindedness has on decision-making. This paper examined the role of aging on open-mindedness. METHODS Open-mindedness was measured across 12 studies before data amalgamation. The Actively Open-minded Thinking (AOT) scale and Actively Open-minded Thinking about Evidence (AOT-e) scale measured open-mindedness in this sample (n = 9010) of participants between 18 and 87-years of age. RESULTS Summary AOT positively correlated with AOT-e (r = 0.27). For two subfactors derived from factor analysis based on the AOT, scores for both subfactors positively correlated with AOT-e (subfactor-1: r = 0.17/subfactor-2: r = 0.31) but negatively correlated with age (subfactor-1: r = -0.01/subfactor-2: r = -0.16). Age negatively correlated with both AOT (r = -0.11) and AOT-e (r = -0.13). Regressions revealed that open-mindedness decreased with aging. Age marginally predicted the change in open-mindedness, and sex differences were not a predictor. CONCLUSION It is proposed that the observed differences are the result of a reluctance to change long-established values and ideas at the cognitive level and cortical changes that occur with aging. In an aging population where more adults work into later age, the decrease in open-mindedness could influence many areas of judgments of decision-making. Importantly, this demonstrates that open-mindedness varies across lifespan.
TL;DR: The whole-brain analysis and region-of-interest analysis found that the left inferior frontal gyrus and the middle cingulate cortex were more activated when young compared to older individuals performed a PM task; moreover, the anterior cingulates cortex was selectively activated during non-focal PM when the cues were words.
Abstract: How prospective memory (PM) weakens with increasing age has been largely debated. We hypothesized that automatic and strategic PM processes, respectively mediated by focal and non-focal cues, are d...
TL;DR: In this article, the aim of a cross-sectional study was to determine which functional tests are able to predict falls in nursing home residents (NHR) and community-dwelling older adults grouped by age.
Abstract: Aim: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine which functional tests are able to predict falls in nursing home residents (NHR) and community-dwelling (CDW) older adults grouped by age...
TL;DR: The results suggest that participating in memory training can enhance confidence in one’s memory ability, and baseline memory control beliefs did not predict memory performance following the intervention, but participating inMemory Training enhanced memory control belief about current memory function.
Abstract: Objective: To study whether memory control beliefs predict response to memory training, or change as a result of participating in memory training. Methods: Eighty community based participants with ...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a search using the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, SAGE, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and Open repository/archive.
Abstract: BACKGROUND Social disengagement among older persons may result from accumulated physical impact and social stressors experienced throughout life. Conversely, interventions that enhance social participation addresses social isolation with positive influences on health. This article, therefore, aimed to review the range of published studies that evaluated the health benefits of interventions on social participation among community-dwelling older persons. METHOD We conducted a search using the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, PubMed, ProQuest, SAGE, ScienceDirect, SpringerLink, Web of Science, and Open repository/archive. RESULTS Twenty-five studies from Asia, Europe and America were selected. Included articles described randomized controlled trials (9), quasi-experimental studies (9), mixed-methods studies (2), participatory action research (3), and community-based intervention research (2). Social interventions described are group or cultural activities, personal/group monitoring and discussion, and communications devices. Intervention designed utilized theories, models, concepts, principles, and evidence from published literature. CONCLUSION Most social intervention studies evaluating health outcomes have been conducted in North America and Western Europe. Group-based activities were most commonly employed, but personal/group discussions, home visits and technology-based interactions have also been used. While social isolation is now a widely accepted risk factor for ill-health, research evidence for improvement of health through reduction of social isolation remains limited.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined how self-reported sensory impairments relate to happiness with physical autonomy and social engagement as mediators using structural equation modelling and found that subjective hearing impairment was observed to lack association with happiness taking into account all the mediating factors.
Abstract: Introduction: The prevalence of vision and hearing impairments increases through age. This development is individually associated with physical functioning difficulties, self-determination issues, and lower levels of happiness. Method: This study examined how self-reported sensory impairments relate to happiness with physical autonomy and social engagement as mediators using structural equation modelling. Using the nationally representative 2017 Survey of Older Persons in Thailand, the analytic sample size was 34,195 with an age range of 60-103 years and a mean age of 69.6 years. Results: A negative association between subjective vision impairment and happiness was observed through the mediation of limitations in physical functioning and community activity. Subjective hearing impairment was observed to lack association with happiness taking into account all the mediating factors. Conclusion: The care needs of older adults in Thailand where the ageing of the population progresses could then differ depending on their health and well-being status.
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between F2-Isoprostanes, a marker for oxidative stress, and anxiety and mood in 262 healthy adults aged 60-75 years, using baseline data from the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI; ANZCTR12611000487910), a 12-month nutraceutical intervention study.
Abstract: Background/study context: F2-Isoprostanes are putative markers of oxidative stress, one of the processes associated with biological senescence. Evidence exists for elevated F2-Isoprostanes in chronic conditions including psychiatric disorders. Few studies have examined the relationship between oxidative stress and mood in older healthy samples, to establish the influence on mental health. Given current aging demographics in many nations, management of brain and mental health is crucial for longevity, chronic disease management, and quality of life.Method: We investigated the relationship between F2-Isoprostanes, a marker for oxidative stress, and anxiety and mood in 262 healthy adults aged 60-75 years, using baseline data from the Australian Research Council Longevity Intervention (ARCLI; ANZCTR12611000487910), a 12-month nutraceutical intervention study.Results: Higher F2 levels significantly predicted increased Depression-dejection and Anger-hostility subscale scores from the Profile of Mood States (POMS). Fatigue-inertia subscale was predicted by increased Body Mass Index. Spielberger State-Trait Inventory (STAI) scores were significantly higher in females.Conclusion: While the primary outcome data did not find a definitive relationship between F2 and total mood or general anxiety levels, the sub-scale data adds weight toward growing literature that biological processes such as oxidative stress are in part related to mood. This is a modifiable risk factor contributing to physical and mental wellbeing that are crucial to healthy aging.
TL;DR: Seniors may respond more favorably to persuasive messages framed with a past temporal focus, in turn influencing their preferences and decision-making across several domains including consumer behavior, health promotion, and leadership.
Abstract: As the number of seniors around the world continues to proliferate, research devoted to enhancing our understanding of the specific needs of these individuals is warranted. The present research doc...
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compared the BMD status among the clinical subtypes of PD and healthy controls using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans in femoral and lumbar regions.
Abstract: Background: This study aimed to compare the BMD status among the clinical subtypes of PD and healthy controls.Methods: Sixty patients with PD and 30 healthy age- and sex-matched controls were included in this study. The patients were divided into postural instability gait difficulty-dominant type (PIGDDT) group and tremor-dominant type (TDT) group based on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score. BMD was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans in femoral and lumbar regions.Results: The T-scores in femoral and lumbar regions were similar in all groups. The prevalence of osteopenia was higher than the prevalence of osteoporosis in all three groups for femoral regions. The prevalence of osteoporosis in the intertrochanteric region and total femur in the PIGDDT group was higher than in the TDT group and controls. Our data showed a trend toward higher prevalence of osteoporosis in the PIGDDT group.Conclusion: The prevalence of osteopenia and osteoporosis may differ between clinical subtypes of PD and healthy controls. Osteopenia is more common than osteoporosis for all groups. The patients with PIGDDT of PD tended to have higher prevalence of osteoporosis, even at early stages of disease, compared to those with TDT and healthy controls.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the association between depression and chronic pain in older adults with disabilities and found that severe chronic pain was associated with depression, while mild chronic pain is associated with mild depression.
Abstract: Background The association between depression and chronic pain has been clearly demonstrated in healthy older adults, but not in older adults with disabilities. This study thus aimed to clarify the association between depression and chronic pain in older adults with disabilities. Methods In total, 92 older adults aged 65 years or older subscribed to Japanese long-term care insurance services were included in this study. Depression was assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Version-Japanese (GDS-S-J) and was diagnosed among respondents who scored 6 or more points. Chronic pain was assessed using a questionnaire and defined as a "pain that persists in the present and has lasted for more than three months." Results Chronic pain was associated with depression in older adults with disabilities (odds ratio: 3,355, 95% confidence interval: 1,232-9,135, p = 0,018). There was a strong association between severe chronic pain and depression (odds ratio: 3,699, 95% confidence interval: 1,345-10,173, p = 0,011). Conclusion Our findings suggest that it is necessary to focus on intensity of chronic pain to improve depression in older adults with disabilities who are more difficult to treat than healthy older adults.
TL;DR: In this article, age-related differences in working memory (WM) can be studied in online samples, and whether such differences reflect an inhibitory deficit, and the results showed that such differences reflected an increase in the inhibition of working memory.
Abstract: Background: This study addresses two issues: Whether age-related differences in working memory (WM) can be studied in online samples, and whether such differences reflect an inhibitory deficit. Cur...
TL;DR: In this article, the use of laboratory-generated stimuli (e.g., images, film clips) may overestimate age difference in reappraisal efficacy, and the authors concluded that laboratory generated stimuli may over-estimate age differences.
Abstract: Background: Past studies have been equivocal regarding age differences in reappraisal efficacy. Moreover, the use of laboratory-generated stimuli (e.g., images, film clips) may overestimate age dif...