scholarly journals Technology Solutions for Everyday Barriers Among Deaf Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 425-425
Author(s):  
Lyndsie Koon ◽  
Shraddha Shende ◽  
Wendy Rogers ◽  
Jenny Singleton ◽  
Megan Bayles
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
American Sign Language ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Future Technology ◽  
Solution Strategies ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Technology Solution ◽  
Primary Form

Abstract American Sign Language (ASL) is the primary form of communication for approximately 250,000 people in the U.S. (Mitchell et al., 2006). As these individuals age, they may experience challenges in their everyday activities. For example, ASL users rely on visual cues, but have age-related change in vision. Moreover, ASL users may need to utilize technology to communicate with non-ASL users, but the technology may not be suitable/usable for older adults. We explored these issues in the Aging Concerns, Challenges, and Everyday Solution Strategies (ACCESS) study, wherein we interviewed Deaf older adults (N=60) in ASL, who provided insights into unique, everyday challenges they encounter. We will focus on the technology solution strategies they incorporate to address and overcome challenges with daily activities. Understanding how participants think about, adapt, and utilize different technologies can inform future technology design to successfully support diverse, aging populations.

Kinematic Analysis of Dance-Based Exergaming: A Cross-Sectional Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ernest K. Ofori ◽  
Savitha Subramaniam ◽  
Shuaijie Wang ◽  
Tanvi Bhatt
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Postural Stability ◽  
Center Of Mass ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Cortical Pathology

Background: Recent studies demonstrate improvements in both postural stability and mobility among aging populations and those with stroke who are exposed to dance-based exergaming (DBExG). However, age-related deficits and aging with cortical pathology may lead to distinct movement adaptation patterns during DBExG, which could impact therapeutic outcomes.Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the movement kinematics (postural stability and mobility) of healthy older adults, older adults with stroke, and young adults for different paces of dance during DBExG. Method: The study included 33 particpants (11 participant from each group of healthy older adults, older adults with chronic stroke, and healthy young adults) who performed the DBExG using slow- (SP), medium- (MP), and fast-paced (FP) songs with movements in the anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) directions. Center of mass (CoM) sway area, excursion (Ex), and peaks as well as hip, knee, and ankle joint excursions were computed. Results: Results of the study revealed that CoM sway areas and Exs were greater for healthy young adults than for older adults with stroke for the SP dance (p < 0.05) and that there were significantly more AP CoM peaks for young adults than for healthy older adults and those with stroke for the FP dance (p < 0.05). Young adults also exhibited greater hip and ankle Exs than older adults with stroke (p < 0.05) for all song paces. Similarly, knee and ankle Exs were greater for healthy older adults than for older adults with stroke for all song paces (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The quantitative evaluation and comparison of the movement patterns presented for the three groups could provide a foundation for both assessing and designing therapeutic DBExG protocols for these populations.

scholarly journals Effect of Age in Auditory Go/No-Go Tasks: A Magnetoencephalographic Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Mei-Yin Lin ◽  
Chia-Hsiung Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Cortical Activation ◽  
Middle Temporal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Source Imaging ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Neural Underpinnings ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

Response inhibition is frequently examined using visual go/no-go tasks. Recently, the auditory go/no-go paradigm has been also applied to several clinical and aging populations. However, age-related changes in the neural underpinnings of auditory go/no-go tasks are yet to be elucidated. We used magnetoencephalography combined with distributed source imaging methods to examine age-associated changes in neural responses to auditory no-go stimuli. Additionally, we compared the performance of high- and low-performing older adults to explore differences in cortical activation. Behavioral performance in terms of response inhibition was similar in younger and older adult groups. Relative to the younger adults, the older adults exhibited reduced cortical activation in the superior and middle temporal gyrus. However, we did not find any significant differences in cortical activation between the high- and low-performing older adults. Our results therefore support the hypothesis that inhibition is reduced during aging. The variation in cognitive performance among older adults confirms the need for further study on the underlying mechanisms of inhibition.

scholarly journals CHILDHOOD SES AND AGE-RELATED BRAIN CHANGES RACIALLY-ETHNICALLY DIVERSE OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S543-S543
Author(s):  
Indira C Turney ◽  
Miguel Arce Rentería ◽  
Anthony G Chesebro ◽  
Juliet M Colon ◽  
Nicole Schupf ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Ethnically Diverse ◽  
Hippocampal Volume ◽  
Sibship Size ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Childhood Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Race Ethnicity

Abstract Socioeconomic disadvantages in childhood has been linked to dementia in late life. However, the underlying pathways through which childhood socioeconomic status (CSES) affects health in old age is unclear. CSES has been linked to age-related differences in regions affected by Alzheimer’s disease (AD; e.g., hippocampus). CSES varies across race/ethnicity; It is critical to examine the relationship between CSES and age-related brain structural changes across diverse aging populations. We used an established proxy for CSES, number of siblings (i.e., sibship size), to examine whether CSES buffered age-related changes in hippocampal volume in a community-based sample of racially/ethnically diverse older adults. Sibship size moderated age-related differences in hippocampal volume in Whites (β=-5.61[-11.09,-0.12]), but not in Blacks and Hispanics. Results indicate that Whites with no sibling (vs. Whites with siblings) show less age-related difference in hippocampal volume. Future analyses will examine other CSES factors (i.e., parental education/occupation) on age-related structural changes across race/ethnicity.

Examining the Effect of Age on Visual–Vestibular Self-Motion Perception Using a Driving Paradigm

Perception ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 566-585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Ramkhalawansingh ◽  
Behrang Keshavarz ◽  
Bruce Haycock ◽  
Saba Shahab ◽  
Jennifer L. Campos
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Motion Perception ◽  
Multisensory Integration ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Lateral Position ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Vestibular Cues ◽  
Self Motion

Previous psychophysical research has examined how younger adults and non-human primates integrate visual and vestibular cues to perceive self-motion. However, there is much to be learned about how multisensory self-motion perception changes with age, and how these changes affect performance on everyday tasks involving self-motion. Evidence suggests that older adults display heightened multisensory integration compared with younger adults; however, few previous studies have examined this for visual–vestibular integration. To explore age differences in the way that visual and vestibular cues contribute to self-motion perception, we had younger and older participants complete a basic driving task containing visual and vestibular cues. We compared their performance against a previously established control group that experienced visual cues alone. Performance measures included speed, speed variability, and lateral position. Vestibular inputs resulted in more precise speed control among older adults, but not younger adults, when traversing curves. Older adults demonstrated more variability in lateral position when vestibular inputs were available versus when they were absent. These observations align with previous evidence of age-related differences in multisensory integration and demonstrate that they may extend to visual–vestibular integration. These findings may have implications for vehicle and simulator design when considering older users.

scholarly journals Exogenous Bimodal Cues Attenuate Age-Related Audiovisual Integration

i-Perception ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 204166952110207
Author(s):  
Yanna Ren ◽  
Ying Zhang ◽  
Yawei Hou ◽  
Junyuan Li ◽  
Junhao Bi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Race Model ◽  
Aging Effect ◽  
Audiovisual Integration ◽  
Exogenous Attention ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Visual Cue ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Exogenous Cue

Previous studies have demonstrated that exogenous attention decreases audiovisual integration (AVI); however, whether the AVI is different when exogenous attention is elicited by bimodal and unimodal cues and its aging effect remain unclear. To clarify this matter, 20 older adults and 20 younger adults were recruited to conduct an auditory/visual discrimination task following bimodal audiovisual cues or unimodal auditory/visual cues. The results showed that the response to all stimulus types was faster in younger adults compared with older adults, and the response was faster when responding to audiovisual stimuli compared with auditory or visual stimuli. Analysis using the race model revealed that the AVI was lower in the exogenous-cue conditions compared with the no-cue condition for both older and younger adults. The AVI was observed in all exogenous-cue conditions for the younger adults (visual cue > auditory cue > audiovisual cue); however, for older adults, the AVI was only found in the visual-cue condition. In addition, the AVI was lower in older adults compared to younger adults under no- and visual-cue conditions. These results suggested that exogenous attention decreased the AVI, and the AVI was lower in exogenous attention elicited by bimodal-cue than by unimodal-cue conditions. In addition, the AVI was reduced for older adults compared with younger adults under exogenous attention.

Influence of Training and Experience on Skill Acquisition and Maintenance in Older Adults

2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur D. Fisk ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Skill Learning ◽  
Laboratory Studies ◽  
Successful Performance ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Acquisition Rate ◽  
Final Performance ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Age Related

Two important questions are addressed in this article. The first concerns whether performance of well-learned skills is maintained as individuals grow older. The second question concerns whether older adults are able to acquire new skills. The answer to both questions is “yes”; however, the acquisition rate and the final performance level for newly acquired skills is generally less for older adults than for younger adults. The article resolves an apparent puzzle of how it is that older adults are capable of successful performance of everyday activities, given noted declines in cognitive-ability-type tasks shown for performance in laboratory studies. A brief discussion of age-related training strategies to enhance skill learning is provided.

Influence of visual cues on localization of acoustic sound sources in old adults

2012 ◽  
Vol 25 (0) ◽  
pp. 23
Author(s):  
Claudia Freigang ◽  
Marc Stoehr ◽  
Kristina Schmiedchen ◽  
Jan Bennemann ◽  
Rudolf Rübsamen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Stimulus ◽  
Visual Cues ◽  
Spatial Information ◽  
Free Field ◽  
Sensory System ◽  
Visual Cue ◽  
Localization Accuracy ◽  
Old Adults ◽  
Age Related

Localization accuracy of stationary acoustic objects is reduced as people grow older. While it is known that this reduction can be caused by many age-related declines in the peripheral sensory system, at central cortical levels as well as in cognitive processes, it is not known how much localization performance is influenced by concurrent congruent and/or incongruent spatial information from a different sensory system, e.g., vision. In the present study we examined localization accuracy of young and old adults to acoustic stimuli that were presented simultaneously to a visual stimulus that was either spatially congruent or spatially disparate (by ±5°/±10°/±15°) in acoustic free field. The acoustic reference position was presented at frontal (9°), para-frontal (30°), and lateral (64°) positions. To infer how strongly the visual cue interacted with the auditory stimulus a unification task was examined. Here, acoustic and visual stimulus combinations were the same as in the localization task. Participants were instructed to indicate whenever both visual and acoustic information matched in terms of their spatial position. Localization accuracy was not influenced by the visual cue in young adults, but the influence of the visual distractor was strong in old adults, i.e., visual bias was strong. These observations were supported by the unification task where old adults had increased perception of congruent audio–visual directions at all reference positions and even at very large disparities (e.g., ±15°). Conclusively, concurrent information from different sensory systems highly influences auditory localization accuracy in older adults, supporting the notion that multisensory integration is enhanced in older adults.

scholarly journals User Involvement in Research on Aging and Health: Creating Knowledge and Technologies With Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 820-820
Author(s):  
Sofi Fristedt ◽  
Anna Wanka ◽  
Neil Charness
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Successful Development ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Everyday Situation

Abstract Although, user involvement is largely recognized as instrumental when developing relevant knowledge, services as well as products - aging populations are still likely to be sparsely involved in such processes. Surprisingly, many gerontechnologies are still developed based on a technological perspective rather than a gerontological perspective. Consequently, age-related changes as well as needs, actual use or perceptions of older adults are disregarded or neglected. Similar problems apply to public and private environments with potentially negative implications on accessibility. The present symposium includes four presentations that address user involvement, by capturing older adults’ and aging populations’ use as well as perceptions of emerging technologies, successful development of gerontechnologies, and a multigenerational mass-experiment on housing accessibility in later life. The first study from Germany captures the everyday situation of smartphone use as well as aspects of user experience, affect and social context among older adults. The second study addresses perceptions and attitudes of three generations in Sweden related to continuous technological advancement of products intended to support active and healthy aging. The third presentation will describe the iterative development process of the 2020 mass-experiment – the Housing Experiment -- involving older adults, stakeholders in the housing sector, teachers and pupils in Sweden. The fourth presentation from Canada explores the benefits, challenges, and solutions to support older adult engagement in research that leads to the successful development of technologies for and with older adults. Finally, our discussant will further elaborate on the respective study findings and summarize the symposium.

scholarly journals 672 COVID-19 Anxiety and Sleep in Middle-aged and Older Adults: Impact of Age and Sex

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. A262-A263
Author(s):  
Sadhika Jagannathan ◽  
Mikayla Rodgers ◽  
Christina S McCrae ◽  
Mary Beth Miller ◽  
Ashley Curtis
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Sleep Quality ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sleep Efficiency ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Aging Populations ◽  
Middle Aged Adults ◽  
Age And Sex

Abstract Introduction COVID-19 is an infectious respiratory illness that was declared a pandemic in March 2020. During the course of COVID-19, studies have demonstrated worsening sleep quality and anxiety. No studies have examined age-related and sex-specific associations between COVID-19 anxiety and sleep in aging populations. We examined associations between COVID-19 anxiety and sleep, and evaluated age and sex as moderators, in middle-aged/older adults. Methods Two hundred and seventy-seven middle-aged/older adults aged 50+ (Mage=64.68, SD=7.83; 44% women) living in the United States who were cognitively healthy (no cognitive impairment/dementia/neurological disorders) completed an online Qualtrics survey in July/August 2020 measuring sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; PSQI) and COVID-19 anxiety (Coronavirus Anxiety Scale; CAS). Multiple regressions examined whether CAS was independently associated with or interacted with age or sex in its associations with PSQI total score/subscores (sleep quality, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction), controlling for age, education, number of medical conditions, sleep/pain medication use, and COVID-19 status. Results CAS interacted with age (B=-.008, SE=.003 p=.02, R-squared=.02), not sex (p=.31), in its association with sleep duration. Higher CAS was associated with shorter sleep duration in oldest-older adults (~73 years old; B=.12, SE=.05, p=.01) and younger-older adults (~65 years old; B=.07, SE=.03, p=.02), not middle-aged adults (~57 years old, p=.47). CAS interacted with age (B=.01, SE=.004, p=.02), not sex (p=.56), in its association with sleep efficiency. Higher CAS was associated with worse sleep efficiency in oldest-older adults (B=.14, SE=.05, p=.009) and younger-older adults (B=.08, SE=.04, p=.03), not middle-aged adults (p=.60). Higher CAS was associated with greater daytime dysfunction (B=.26, SE=.07, p&lt;.001) and higher PSQI total score (B=.82, SE=.33, p=.01), and did not interact with age or sex (ps&gt;.05). Conclusion Increased COVID-19 anxiety is associated with several aspects of worse sleep (shorter sleep duration, sleep efficiency) in older adults but not middle-aged adults. Generally, in middle-aged/older adults, higher COVID-19 anxiety is associated with worse daytime dysfunction and overall sleep quality. Sex does not moderate these associations. Increased COVID-19 morbidity and mortality in aging populations may translate to increased anxiety and subsequent sleep disruptions. Interventions aimed at mitigating negative pandemic-related psychological and sleep outcomes may be particularly relevant for older adults. Support (if any):

scholarly journals Computerized Music-Reading Intervention Improves Resistance to Unisensory Distraction Within a Multisensory Task, in Young and Older Adults

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandros T. Karagiorgis ◽  
Nikolas Chalas ◽  
Maria Karagianni ◽  
Georgios Papadelis ◽  
Ana B. Vivas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Audiovisual Integration ◽  
Response Strategy ◽  
Cognitive Domain ◽  
Music Reading ◽  
Cognitive Mechanisms ◽  
Temporal Area ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽  
Aging Populations

Incoming information from multiple sensory channels compete for attention. Processing the relevant ones and ignoring distractors, while at the same time monitoring the environment for potential threats, is crucial for survival, throughout the lifespan. However, sensory and cognitive mechanisms often decline in aging populations, making them more susceptible to distraction. Previous interventions in older adults have successfully improved resistance to distraction, but the inclusion of multisensory integration, with its unique properties in attentional capture, in the training protocol is underexplored. Here, we studied whether, and how, a 4-week intervention, which targets audiovisual integration, affects the ability to deal with task-irrelevant unisensory deviants within a multisensory task. Musically naïve participants engaged in a computerized music reading game and were asked to detect audiovisual incongruences between the pitch of a song’s melody and the position of a disk on the screen, similar to a simplistic music staff. The effects of the intervention were evaluated via behavioral and EEG measurements in young and older adults. Behavioral findings include the absence of age-related differences in distraction and the indirect improvement of performance due to the intervention, seen as an amelioration of response bias. An asymmetry between the effects of auditory and visual deviants was identified and attributed to modality dominance. The electroencephalographic results showed that both groups shared an increase in activation strength after training, when processing auditory deviants, located in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. A functional connectivity analysis revealed that only young adults improved flow of information, in a network comprised of a fronto-parietal subnetwork and a multisensory temporal area. Overall, both behavioral measures and neurophysiological findings suggest that the intervention was indirectly successful, driving a shift in response strategy in the cognitive domain and higher-level or multisensory brain areas, and leaving lower level unisensory processing unaffected.

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