scholarly journals Older Victims of Mass Marketing Scams: An Analysis of Data Seized From Scammers

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 324-325
Author(s):  
Marguerite DeLiema ◽  
Lynn Langton
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Relevant Information ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Inspection Service ◽  
Mass Marketing ◽  
Age Related Changes ◽  
United States Postal

Abstract Mass marketing scams are some of the most common frauds in America, and include scams perpetrated through the mail. A growing body of research indicates that older adults face a greater risk of victimization due to age-related changes in cognitive functioning and social isolation, and may be more likely to fall victim repeatedly. The aim of this study is to determine the frequency of repeat mass marketing fraud (revictimization) among older adults and patterns of victimization associated with age, scam type, seasonality, and geography. We use two decades of non-public administrative data from the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). These databases were seized during law enforcement investigations of mass mailing scam organizations and contain more than 2 million unique U.S. victims and their transactions with four different fraud organizations. Victims were matched across datasets using name, address, and a change of address file. We find that revictimization rates increase with age in psychic scams. The 10,000 victims who responded the most times (between 82 and 562 times) were 78 years old on average and suffered $4,700 in total losses per person. Other significant trends emerged for lottery and sweepstakes scams. Unlike prior fraud victimization studies, inferences on victim characteristics are based on actual victim experiences with fraud rather than hypothetical scenarios or surveys where victims must self-report fraud. Findings provide valuable policy-relevant information regarding older victims and the patterns of chronic victimization.

scholarly journals Vascular Illness, Cognition, and Subjective Aging: Examining the Vascular Hypothesis of Aging

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 709-709
Author(s):  
Victoria Dunsmore ◽  
Shevaun Neupert
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Psychological Health ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Multilevel Models ◽  
Varicose Veins ◽  
Preliminary Evidence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Changes

Abstract Cognition relates longitudinally and cross-sectionally to physical and psychological health among older adults. The Vascular Hypothesis of Aging (Drewelies & Gerstorf, 2020) suggests that illnesses of a vascular nature (e.g., stroke, hypertension, severe varicose veins) negatively affect cognitive abilities. Awareness of age-related change (AARC) is also related to cognition. What is not known is whether the presence of a vascular illness and daily cognitive abilities interact to predict daily awareness of age-related changes. The purpose of this study is to examine the daily fluctuations of cognition, (i.e., memory failures) and their interaction with vascular illness to predict daily awareness of age-related changes. Data were analyzed from 104 participants (M age = 64.67, 60-90 years) who completed online self-report questionnaires. On Day 1, participants answered baseline questionnaires regarding presence of vascular illness, and on Days 2-9 completed measures regarding AARC losses and memory failures. Multilevel models revealed main effects of daily memory failures on awareness of age-related losses, such that on days with more memory failures, older adults reported more age-related losses. We also found a main effect for vascular illness, such that those with a vascular illness reported higher levels of daily age-related losses. We did not find a significant interaction between vascular illness and daily memory failures on daily reported age-related losses. Our results provide preliminary evidence that the vascular hypothesis of aging may also extend to perceptions of age-related changes. Future research could consider examining daily symptoms of vascular illness as they unfold over time.

scholarly journals Age-Related Changes in Molecular and Whole Muscle Function: Role of Fat Content?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 141-141
Author(s):  
Joseph Gordon III ◽  
Nicholas Remillard ◽  
Chad Straight ◽  
Rajakumar Nagarajan ◽  
Bruce Damon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Fat Deposition ◽  
Muscle Size ◽  
Type I ◽  
Contraction Velocity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Whole Muscle ◽  
Age Related Changes

Abstract Decreases in muscle size and function are a general consequence of old age; the precise mechanisms of these changes remain unclear. Recent studies suggest that fat deposition in muscle may also contribute to dysfunction in older adults. Fat content was quantified in the quadriceps, and its effects on function in healthy young (21-45 y) and older (65-75 y) men and women (n=44) of comparable physical activity were compared. A subset of the young matched with the older group for muscle fat content were also examined. Peak fat-free whole muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA; cm2), volume (MV; cm3), fat content (fat fraction, FF; %), specific torque (Nm/mCSA) and peak contraction velocity (Nm∙s-1) were determined using fat-water magnetic resonance imaging and dynamometry (0-300□∙s-1). To examine potential molecular mechanisms of muscle weakness, vastus lateralis biopsies were obtained (n=31) and cross-bridge kinetics of type I and II fibers were determined. FF was higher in older adults than young (8.4±1.2% (SE), 7.6±1.4; p=0.03), while mCSA (48.9±10.4 vs. 64.2±17.3), MV (1536±532 vs. 2112±708), specific torque (2.6±0.4 vs. 3.2±0.4), and peak voluntary contraction velocity (422±20 vs. 441±23) were lower in older than young (p<0.01). Type II fiber myosin attachment rate was slower and attachment time longer in older muscle (p<0.017), providing a potential mechanism for the slowing of peak contraction velocity with age. Notably, differences at the whole muscle and molecular levels remained for the subset of young and older groups matched for FF, suggesting that fat deposition in muscle does not exacerbate age-related changes in function.

scholarly journals Developing a recovery-focused therapy for older people with bipolar disorder: a qualitative focus group study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e049829
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Tyler ◽  
Fiona Lobban ◽  
Rita Long ◽  
Steven H Jones
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Age Related Changes

ObjectivesAs awareness of bipolar disorder (BD) increases and the world experiences a rapid ageing of the population, the number of people living with BD in later life is expected to rise substantially. There is no current evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological interventions for older adults with BD. This focus group study explored a number of topics to inform the development and delivery of a recovery-focused therapy (RfT) for older adults with BD.DesignA qualitative focus group study.SettingThree focus groups were conducted at a university in the North West of England.ParticipantsEight people took part in the focus groups; six older adults with BD, one carer and one friend.ResultsParticipant’s responses clustered into six themes: (1) health-related and age-related changes in later life, (2) the experience of BD in later life, (3) managing and coping with BD in later life, (4) recovery in later life, (5) seeking helping in the future and (6) adapting RfT for older people.ConclusionsParticipants reported a range of health-related and age-related changes and strategies to manage their BD. Participants held mixed views about using the term ‘recovery’ in later life. Participants were in agreement that certain adaptations were needed for delivering RfT for older adults, based on their experience of living with BD in later life. The data collected as part of the focus groups have led to a number of recommendations for delivering RfT for older adults with BD in a randomised controlled trial (Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN13875321).

scholarly journals Losing touch: age-related changes in plantar skin sensitivity, lower limb cutaneous reflex strength, and postural stability in older adults

2016 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 1848-1858 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Peters ◽  
Monica D. McKeown ◽  
Mark G. Carpenter ◽  
J. Timothy Inglis
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lower Limb ◽  
Postural Stability ◽  
Tibialis Anterior ◽  
Tibialis Anterior Muscle ◽  
Quiet Standing ◽  
Detection Thresholds ◽  
Cutaneous Reflex ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Changes

Age-related changes in the density, morphology, and physiology of plantar cutaneous receptors negatively impact the quality and quantity of balance-relevant information arising from the foot soles. Plantar perceptual sensitivity declines with age and may predict postural instability; however, alteration in lower limb cutaneous reflex strength may also explain greater instability in older adults and has yet to be investigated. We replicated the age-related decline in sensitivity by assessing monofilament and vibrotactile (30 and 250 Hz) detection thresholds near the first metatarsal head bilaterally in healthy young and older adults. We additionally applied continuous 30- and 250-Hz vibration to drive mechanically evoked reflex responses in the tibialis anterior muscle, measured via surface electromyography. To investigate potential relationships between plantar sensitivity, cutaneous reflex strength, and postural stability, we performed posturography in subjects during quiet standing without vision. Anteroposterior and mediolateral postural stability decreased with age, and increases in postural sway amplitude and frequency were significantly correlated with increases in plantar detection thresholds. With 30-Hz vibration, cutaneous reflexes were observed in 95% of young adults but in only 53% of older adults, and reflex gain, coherence, and cumulant density at 30 Hz were lower in older adults. Reflexes were not observed with 250-Hz vibration, suggesting this high-frequency cutaneous input is filtered out by motoneurons innervating tibialis anterior. Our findings have important implications for assessing the risk of balance impairment in older adults.

scholarly journals Auditory word recognition across the lifespan

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 119-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrike K. Blumenfeld ◽  
Scott R. Schroeder ◽  
Susan C. Bobb ◽  
Max R. Freeman ◽  
Viorica Marian
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Auditory Word ◽  
Auditory Word Recognition ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Age Related Changes

Abstract Recent research suggests that bilingual experience reconfigures linguistic and nonlinguistic cognitive processes. We examined the relationship between linguistic competition resolution and nonlinguistic cognitive control in younger and older adults who were either bilingual or monolingual. Participants heard words in English and identified the referent among four pictures while eye-movements were recorded. Target pictures (e.g., cab) appeared with a phonological competitor picture (e.g., cat) and two filler pictures. After each eye-tracking trial, priming probes assessed residual activation and inhibition of target and competitor words. When accounting for processing speed, results revealed that age-related changes in activation and inhibition are smaller in bilinguals than in monolinguals. Moreover, younger and older bilinguals, but not monolinguals, recruited similar inhibition mechanisms during word identification and during a nonlinguistic Stroop task. Results suggest that, during lexical access, bilinguals show more consistent competition resolution and recruitment of cognitive control across the lifespan than monolinguals.

scholarly journals Effects of Reallocating Time Spent in Different Physical Activity Intensities on Sarcopenia Risk in Older Adults: An Isotemporal Substitution Analysis

Biology ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Jort Veen ◽  
Diego Montiel-Rojas ◽  
Fawzi Kadi ◽  
Andreas Nilsson
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Protein Intake ◽  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Linear Regression Models ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Muscle Health ◽  
The Impact

The role of daily time spent sedentary and in different intensities of physical activity (PA) for the maintenance of muscle health currently remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the impact of reallocating time spent in different PA intensities on sarcopenia risk in older adults, while considering PA type (muscle strengthening activities, MSA) and protein intake. In a sample of 235 community-dwelling older adults (65–70 years), a sarcopenia risk score (SRS) was created based on muscle mass assessed by bioimpedance, together with handgrip strength and performance on the five times sit-to-stand (5-STS) test assessed by standardized procedures. Time spent in light-intensity PA (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and being sedentary was assessed by accelerometry, and PA type (MSA) by self-report. Linear regression models based on isotemporal substitution were employed. Reallocating sedentary time to at least LPA was significantly (p < 0.05) related to a lower SRS, which remained evident after adjustment by PA type (MSA) and protein intake. Similarly, reallocating time in LPA by MVPA was related to a significantly (p < 0.05) lower SRS. Our results emphasize the importance of displacing sedentary behaviours for more active pursuits, where PA of even light intensities may alleviate age-related deteriorations of muscle health in older adults.

scholarly journals Electrophysiological Evidence for Preserved Primacy of Lexical Prediction in Normative Aging

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shruti Dave ◽  
Trevor A. Brothers ◽  
Matthew J. Traxler ◽  
Fernanda Ferreira ◽  
John M. Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Prediction Accuracy ◽  
Predictive Accuracy ◽  
Accurate Prediction ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Contextual Support ◽  
Normative Aging

Young adults show consistent neural benefits of predictable contexts when processing upcoming words, but these benefits are less clear-cut in older adults. Here we conduct two ERP experiments to examine whether aging uniquely affects neural correlates of prediction accuracy, as compared to contextual support independent of accuracy. In Experiment 1, readers were asked to predict sentence-final words and self-report prediction accuracy, allowing for separation of ERP effects of accurate prediction and contextual support. While N250 and N400 effects of accurate prediction were reduced in older readers, both temporal primacy and relative amplitudes of predictive compared to contextual processing were similar across age. In Experiment 2, participants read for comprehension without an overt prediction task and showed similar age-related declines in N400 amplitude across experiments. In both studies, older adults showed relatively larger frontal post-N400 positivities (PNPs) than young adults, suggesting age-graded differences in revision following unexpected items. Previous research suggests the production system may be linked to lexical prediction, but here we found that verbal fluency modulated PNP effects of contextual support, but not predictive accuracy. Taken together, our findings suggest that normative aging does not result in specific declines or boosts of lexical prediction.

Exercise Impacts Age-Related Changes in Cognitive Function and Neural Complexity

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer J. Heisz ◽  
Ana Kovacevic
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Neural Network ◽  
Future Work ◽  
The Brain ◽  
Age Related Changes

Age-related changes in the brain can compromise cognitive function. However, in some cases, the brain is able to functionally reorganize to compensate for some of this loss. The present paper reviews the benefits of exercise on executive functions in older adults and discusses a potential mechanism through which exercise may change the way the brain processes information for better cognitive outcomes. Specifically, older adults who are more physically active demonstrate a shift toward local neural processing that is associated with better executive functions. We discuss the use of neural complexity as a sensitive measure of the neural network plasticity that is enhanced through exercise. We conclude by highlighting the future work needed to improve exercise prescriptions that help older adults maintain their cognitive and physical functions for longer into their lifespan.

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