scholarly journals A Systematic review of smartphone and tablet use by older adults with and without cognitive impairment

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha A Wilson ◽  
Paula Byrne ◽  
Sarah E Rodgers ◽  
Michelle Maden

Abstract Background and Objectives A systematic review was conducted to explore the use of smartphones and tablet computers as cognitive and memory aids by older adults with and without cognitive impairment, specifically the effects of smartphone and tablet use on participants’ cognition and memory, and the barriers to facilitators to smartphone and tablet use for cognitive and memory support. Research Design and Methods A systematic search of six key databases found 11,895 citations published between 2010 and 2021. Studies were included if they involved community-dwelling older adults with or without cognitive impairment arising from acquired brain injury, mild cognitive impairment, or dementia, and if they evaluated everyday smartphone or tablet device use for cognition, memory, or activities of daily living. Results A total of 28 papers were included in the narrative synthesis. There was some evidence that the use of smartphones and tablets could aid cognitive function in older adults without cognitive impairment, particularly executive function and processing speed. There was modest evidence that smartphone and tablet use could support memory in both older adults without cognitive impairment and those with acquired bran injury and dementia. Discussion and Implications Smartphones and tablets were seen by users as acceptable, enjoyable, and non-stigmatising alternatives to conventional assistive technology devices; however, current use of smartphone and tablet devices is hindered by the digital literacy of older adults, a lack of accommodation for older adult users’ motor and sensory impairments, and a lack of input from clinicians and researchers. Much of the evidence presented in this review derives from case studies and small-scale trials of smartphone and tablet training interventions. Further research is needed into older adults’ use of smartphones and tablets for cognitive support before and after the onset of cognitive impairment in order to develop effective evidence-based smart technology cognition and memory aids.

2019 ◽  
pp. 155982761987688
Author(s):  
Kristina Zawaly ◽  
Richard Fortier ◽  
Stephen Buetow ◽  
Lynette Tippett ◽  
Ngaire Kerse

Objective. A systematic review with a meta-analysis explored effects of cognitively loaded physical activity interventions on global cognition in community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years of age) experiencing mild cognitive impairment (MCI), compared to any control. Methods. A literature search was conducted in 4 databases (MEDLINE [OvidSP], PubMed, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials [Wiley]) from inception until January 30, 2018. The meta-analysis was conducted with Review Manager 5.3. Results. Six randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with 547 participants were identified. The interventions ranged from 4 to 52 weeks. Baseline and initial follow-up assessments were used. The primary pooled analysis of all RCTs demonstrated a nonsignificant trivial effect (standardized mean difference [SMD] 0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] −0.44 to 0.58) favoring the intervention. In pooled subanalysis of 4 RCTs (n = 405) using the same global cognition measure (Mini-Mental State Examination) and duration of intervention >12 weeks, the intervention group achieved a small but significant improvement for global cognition (SMD 0.45, 95% CI 0.14 to 0.75). Conclusion. When all the RCTs were pooled, the effect of cognitively loaded physical activity intervention on global cognitive function in older adults with MCI remained unclear. The subgroup analysis provides translation evidence for future RCT study designs.


Geriatrics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 84
Author(s):  
Ricardo Pais ◽  
Luís Ruano ◽  
Ofélia P. Carvalho ◽  
Henrique Barros

(1) Background: We proposed to review worldwide estimates of cognitive impairment prevalence and incidence in adults older than 50 years of age living in the community. (2) Methods: Systematic searches were performed in January 2019 using MEDLINE/PubMed. Articles were selected if they referred to cognitive impairment, prevalence, incidence, elders, and population or community-based studies. Analysis, aggregated by different methodologic features, was performed. (3) Results: Prevalence (80 studies) ranged between 5.1% and 41% with a median of 19.0% (25th percentile = 12.0%; 75th percentile = 24.90%). Incidence (11 studies) ranged from 22 to 76.8 per 1000 person-years with a median of 53.97 per 1000 person-years (25th percentile = 39.0; 75th percentile = 68.19). No statistically significant effects were found except for inclusion age. (4) Conclusion: We propose that the homogenization and clarification of the definition of what constitutes cognitive impairment are essential to refine the epidemiological understanding of this entity. The results of this review reinforce the importance of adherence to standardized cut-off scores for cognitive tests to promote study comparability.


Author(s):  
Tran Dai Tri Han ◽  
Keiko Nakamura ◽  
Kaoruko Seino ◽  
Vo Nu Hong Duc ◽  
Thang Van Vo

This study examined the prevalence of cognitive impairment among older adults in central Vietnam and the roles of communication (with or without communication devices) in the association between cognitive impairment and hearing loss. This cross-sectional study was performed on 725 randomly selected community-dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years from Thua Thien Hue province, Vietnam. Participants attended a face-to-face survey. Sociodemographic characteristics, social interaction with or without communication devices, health status and cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination were reported. Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to quantify the association between hearing loss and cognitive function by frequency of communication with and without devices. Mild and severe cognitive impairment had prevalence rates of 23.6% and 19.3%, respectively. Cognitive impairment was more prevalent among older adults with hearing-loss, vision loss and difficulties with instrumental activities of daily living (IADL). The association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment was not significant when older adults had frequent communication with others using devices. This study presented the relatively high prevalence of cognitive impairment in community-dwelling older adults in Vietnam. Frequent communication using devices attenuated the association between hearing loss and cognitive impairment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 6-6
Author(s):  
Sarah Marrs ◽  
Jennifer Inker ◽  
Madeline McIntyre ◽  
Leland Waters ◽  
Tracey Gendron

Abstract Senior mentoring programs have been established that provide medical students exposure to a community-dwelling older adult mentor. The goal of these programs is to expose students to healthy older adults, increase knowledge of geriatrics, and prepare them to care for an aging population. However, even while participating in a senior mentoring program, health professions students still demonstrate some discriminatory language towards older adults (e.g., Gendron, Inker, & Welleford, 2018). In fact, research suggests ageist practices occur, intentionally or not, among all health professions and within assisted living and long-term care facilities (e.g., Bowling, 1999; Dobbs et al., 2008; Kane & Kane, 2005). There is reason to believe that how we feel about other older adults is a reflection of how we feel about ourselves as aging individuals. As part of an evaluation of a Senior Mentoring program, we found that students’ attitudes towards older adults were not significantly improved (t (92) = .38, p = .70). To further explore this, we collected subsequent qualitative data. Specifically, we asked students to respond to the open-ended prompt before and after completing their senior mentoring program: How do you feel about your own aging? Our findings have revealed just how complex students’ views towards aging and elderhood are, pointing to a need to develop a theoretical framework for how these views are formed. Thus, the results of this qualitative grounded theory study illustrate the stages of development medical students’ progress through as they come to accept themselves as aging humans.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Aline de Bastos Ferreira ◽  
Romulo Roosevelt da Silva Filho ◽  
Luciana Pereira Rodrigues ◽  
Guilherme Vinicius de Souza ◽  
Matias Noll ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Liselotte De Wit ◽  
Vitoria Piai ◽  
Pilar Thangwaritorn ◽  
Brynn Johnson ◽  
Deirdre O’Shea ◽  
...  

AbstractThe literature on repetition priming in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is inconsistent, with some findings supporting spared priming while others do not. Several factors may explain these inconsistencies, including AD severity (e.g., dementia vs. Mild Cognitive Impairment; MCI) and priming paradigm-related characteristics. This systematic review and meta-analysis provides a quantitative summary of repetition priming in AD. We examined the between-group standard mean difference comparing repetition priming in AD dementia or amnestic MCI (aMCI; presumably due to AD) to controls. Thirty-two studies were selected, including 590 individuals with AD dementia, 267 individuals with amnestic MCI, and 703 controls. Our results indicated that both individuals with aMCI and AD dementia perform worse on repetition priming tasks than cognitively older adults. Paradigm-related moderators suggested that the effect size between studies comparing the combined aMCI or AD dementia group to cognitively healthy older adults was the highest for paradigms that required participants to produce, rather than identify, primes during the test phase. Our results further suggested that priming in AD is impaired for both conceptual and perceptual priming tasks. Lastly, while our results suggested that priming in AD is impaired for priming tasks that require deep processing, we were unable to draw firm conclusions about whether priming is less impaired in aMCI or AD dementia for paradigms that require shallow processing.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2308
Author(s):  
Pascale Heins ◽  
Lizzy M. M. Boots ◽  
Wei Qi Koh ◽  
An Neven ◽  
Frans R. J. Verhey ◽  
...  

Social isolation in community-dwelling older adults with dementia is a growing health issue that can negatively affect health and well-being. To date, little attention has been paid to the role of technology in improving their social participation. This systematic review aims to provide a systematic overview of the effects of technological interventions that target social participation in community-dwelling older adults with and without dementia. The scientific databases Medline (PubMed), PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched and independently screened by two reviewers. Results were synthesized narratively. The methodological quality of included studies was independently assessed by two reviewers. In total, 36 studies of varying methodological quality were identified. Most studies evaluated social networking technology and ICT training programs. Three studies focused on people with dementia. Quantitative findings showed limited effects on loneliness, social isolation, and social support. Nevertheless, several benefits related to social participation were reported qualitatively. Social interaction, face-to-face contact, and intergenerational engagement were suggested to be successful elements of technological interventions in improving the social participation of community-dwelling older adults. Rigorous studies with larger sample sizes are highly needed to evaluate the long-term effects of technology on the multidimensional concept of social participation.


Author(s):  
Grainne Vavasour ◽  
Oonagh M. Giggins ◽  
Julie Doyle ◽  
Daniel Kelly

Abstract Background Globally the population of older adults is increasing. It is estimated that by 2050 the number of adults over the age of 60 will represent over 21% of the world’s population. Frailty is a clinical condition associated with ageing resulting in an increase in adverse outcomes. It is considered the greatest challenge facing an ageing population affecting an estimated 16% of community-dwelling populations worldwide. Aim The aim of this systematic review is to explore how wearable sensors have been used to assess frailty in older adults. Method Electronic databases Medline, Science Direct, Scopus, and CINAHL were systematically searched March 2020 and November 2020. A search constraint of articles published in English, between January 2010 and November 2020 was applied. Papers included were primary observational studies involving; older adults aged > 60 years, used a wearable sensor to provide quantitative measurements of physical activity (PA) or mobility and a measure of frailty. Studies were excluded if they used non-wearable sensors for outcome measurement or outlined an algorithm or application development exclusively. The methodological quality of the selected studies was assessed using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-sectional Studies (AXIS). Results Twenty-nine studies examining the use of wearable sensors to assess and discriminate between stages of frailty in older adults were included. Thirteen different body-worn sensors were used in eight different body-locations. Participants were community-dwelling older adults. Studies were performed in home, laboratory or hospital settings. Postural transitions, number of steps, percentage of time in PA and intensity of PA together were the most frequently measured parameters followed closely by gait speed. All but one study demonstrated an association between PA and level of frailty. All reports of gait speed indicate correlation with frailty. Conclusions Wearable sensors have been successfully used to evaluate frailty in older adults. Further research is needed to identify a feasible, user-friendly device and body-location that can be used to identify signs of pre-frailty in community-dwelling older adults. This would facilitate early identification and targeted intervention to reduce the burden of frailty in an ageing population.


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