scholarly journals Diminished Melatonin Secretion in the Elderly Caused by Insufficient Environmental Illumination1

2001 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Mishima ◽  
M. Okawa ◽  
T. Shimizu ◽  
Y. Hishikawa
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Bright Light ◽  
Close Relation ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Melatonin Secretion ◽  
Young Control ◽  
Environmental Light ◽  
Age Related

The pineal hormone melatonin has some circadian regulatory effects and is assumed to have a close relation with sleep initiation and maintenance. Many previous reports have described age-related decreases in melatonin levels, especially in elderly insomniacs (EIs), which may act as causal or exacerbating factors in sleep disturbances in the elderly. Ten elderly residents with psychophysiological insomnia (mean age, 74.2 yr), 10 healthy residents of the same home [elderly control (EC) group; mean age, 72.7 yr], and 10 healthy young control subjects (mean age, 20.9 yr) living at home participated in this study. The elderly persons, especially the EIs, were exposed to significantly less environmental light and simultaneously suffered from significantly diminished nocturnal melatonin secretion. Supplementary exposure to 4 h (1000 to 1200 h, 1400 to 1600 h) of midday bright light in the EI group significantly increased melatonin secretion to levels similar to those in the young control group without circadian phase-shifting. There was a tendency for the magnitude of the increase in nocturnal melatonin secretion stimulated by bright light to parallel amelioration of sleep disturbances in these subjects. The present findings suggest that we need to pay attention to elderly individuals who suffer under conditions of poor environmental light resulting in disorganized circadian rhythms, including the sleep-wake cycle.

scholarly journals Study of adverse drug reactions and clinical profile of elderly in relation to polypharmacy

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 80-84
Author(s):  
Nagaraja BS ◽  
Keerthana Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Adverse Drug Reactions ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Case Group ◽  
Drug Reactions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Improve Compliance ◽  
Clinical Conditions

Background: Polypharmacy is a becoming more prevalent in older adults and adverse risk increases with age-related change. Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are common in older adults and worrisome aspect of treatment in elderly. Aims and Objective: The study aimed to identify the common clinical conditions leading to polypharmacy and to compare the adverse drug profiles of the 2 groups. Materials and Methods: This case-control study was conducted in Hospitals attached to BMCRI, where 200 patients aged 65 or more were interviewed. 100 elderly patients using 5 or more drugs were identified as cases and assessed against a control group of 100 patients. Results: Our study found that ADRs were found to be three times higher in individuals on polypharmacy compared to the control group (OR 3.4675 95% CI 1.6241 to 7.4035). The most commonly occurring ADRs were dyspepsia (OR 1.9259), drowsiness (OR 3.5926) and fatigue (OR 1.5319) with increased incidence in the case group. The most common conditions associated with polypharmacy were found to be hypertension (53%), diabetes mellitus(46%), COPD(14%) and IHD(14%). 66% of the study group had two or more of the above diseases, whereas in the control group only 32% had multiple illnesses. The most commonly prescribed medications were antihypertensives (61%), hypolipidemics (44%), antiplatelets (41%) and antibiotics(40%). Conclusion: Polypharmacy in the elderly comes with a significant increase in adverse effects. The reduced pill burden will not only decrease ADRs and improve compliance, but will also result in greater patient satisfaction and mental health, thereby improving the quality of geriatric care.

Only social feedback reduces age-related prospective memory deficits in “Virtual Week”

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 759-767 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Niedźwieńska ◽  
Peter G. Rendell ◽  
Krystian Barzykowski ◽  
Alicja Leszczyńska
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Prospective Memory ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Social Feedback ◽  
Feedback Group ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Memory For Intentions

ABSTRACTBackground:Prospective memory, or remembering to do things in the future, is crucial for independent living in old age. Although there is evidence of substantial age-related deficits in memory for intentions, older adults have demonstrated the ability to compensate for their deficits in everyday life. The present study investigated feedback as a strategy for facilitating prospective memory in the elderly.Method:Young and older adults played a computer-based task, Virtual Week, in which they had to remember to carry out life-like intentions. After each virtual day, specific feedback on prospective memory performance was automatically provided on the computer screen that participants either proceeded through by themselves (non-social feedback) or were taken through by an experimenter (social feedback). The control group received no feedback.Results:We found that, compared with no-feedback group, only social feedback substantially reduced the age-related deficit in prospective memory. Older adults significantly benefited from feedback provided by the experimenter on the tasks of intermediate difficulty. Unexpectedly, prospective memory with non-social feedback was not only worse than with social feedback, but it was not any better than without any feedback at all.Conclusions:The results extended previous findings on the effectiveness of feedback in improving the memory performance of older adults to include memory for intentions. Despite the feedback meeting the critical recommendations of being specific, objective, and well-targeted, it was ineffective when the feedback displayed on the computer was not introduced by the experimenter. This has implications for computerized training tasks where automated feedback is considered crucial.

Analysis of Different Melatonin Secretion Patterns in Children With Sleep Disorders: Melatonin Secretion Patterns in Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1000-1008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Checa-Ros ◽  
Antonio Muñoz-Hoyos ◽  
Antonio Molina-Carballo ◽  
Antonio Muñoz-Gallego ◽  
Susana Narbona-Galdó ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Sleep Disorder ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Circadian Variation ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Healthy Controls ◽  
Melatonin Secretion ◽  
Circadian Variations ◽  
Production Pattern ◽  
Circadian Patterns

The objective of this study was to analyze circadian patterns of urinary 6-sulphatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) excretion in children with primary sleep disorders in comparison with healthy controls. A total of 124 control children and 124 patients (aged 4-14 years) diagnosed with diverse primary sleep disorders were recruited. aMT6s concentrations were measured in diurnal and nocturnal urine, as well as in 24-hour urine. aMT6s levels were significantly higher and showed significantly more evident circadian variations in the control group ( P < .001). Four different melatonin (aMT) production and excretion patterns were distinguished in the group with sleep disorders: (1) standard aMT production pattern, (2) low aMT production pattern, (3) aMT production pattern with absence of circadian variation, and (4) aMT hyperproduction pattern. This study highlights the importance of analyzing specific alterations of aMT secretion in each sleep disorder and provides evidences to explain why not all children with sleep disturbances do respond to aMT treatment.

scholarly journals Relationship of ventilatory inefficiency and low cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly: a retrospective observational study

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Murillo Frazão ◽  
Luciana Margarida de Santana Madruga França ◽  
Samarony Caio Moreno Bezerra ◽  
Paulo Eugênio Silva
Keyword(s):  
Cardiorespiratory Fitness ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Test ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Optimal Point ◽  
Healthy Elderly ◽  
Relationship Of

Abstract Objectives : To check if ventilatory inefficiency is related to low cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly and to identify the variable(s) of the cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) best suited to determining this relationship. Methods : A retrospective analysis of 1357 CPETs was performed. Sixty-one subjects over 60 years old with a ventilatory efficiency slope (VE/VCO2) index >35 were selected and divided into two groups: low cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2<80% predicted) (n=22) and normal cardiorespiratory fitness (VO2>80% predicted) (n=39) and were compared with a control group of healthy elderly persons with normal cardiorespiratory fitness and VE/VCO2 slope index <35 (n=16), matched by gender, weight, height, and age. Results : Oxygen consumption had a low correlation with VE/VCO2 slope (r= -0.35, p<0.01), a moderate correlation with the cardiorespiratory optimal point (COP) (r= -0.59, p<0.001) and a strong correlation with oxygen uptake efficiency Slope (OUES) =0.92, p<0.0001). In relation to the ROC curve, the VE/VCO2 slope presented an area under the curve of 0.65, but without statistical significance (p> 0.05); the COP showed an area under the curve of 0.84 (p <0.0001) and the OUES presented an area under the curve of 0.81 (p<0.0001). Conclusion : Ventilatory inefficiency is related to poor cardiorespiratory fitness in the elderly. The COP and OUES were more accurate at predicting low cardiorespiratory fitness.

Cerebrasthenia and social disadaptation of cerebral-dysgemic genesis in the elderly of the Republic of Karelia

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-55
Author(s):  
Igor Viktorovich Khyanikyaynen ◽  
Ekaterina Vladimirovna Molchanova ◽  
Mark Mikhaylovich Burkin
Keyword(s):  
Depression Scale ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Stage I ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Dyscirculatory Encephalopathy ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Republic ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
State Examination

Using a bio-psycho-social approach, the correlations between neurological, psycho-pathological and social criteria were studied in elderly persons of the Republic of Karelia with stage I of dyscirculatory encephalopathy (DE) (n = 280; average age 62,4 ± 6,5; gender index 1:1). The control group included healthy persons (n = 32; average age 60,9 ± 8,1; gender index 1:1; p > 0,05). We used Visual Analog Scale (VAS) of Headache, Asthenia Assessment Scale — Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory (MFI-20), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Mini-test of Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the social frustration test of L. I. Wasserman. It was found that patients with stage I of DE, in contrast to healthy individuals, were characterized by: the presence of cephalgia (according to VAS 5,06 ± 3,03 points); a higher level of asthenia (total points for MFI-20: 82,6 ± 1,2 and 36,7 ± 1,8; p < 0,05); anxiety/depression (scores for HADS: (11,3 ± 4,6/8,4 ± 3,8 and 3,7 ± 2,3/2,6 ± 1,9; p < 0,05); cognitive dysfunction (average MMSE score: 25,16 ± 1,39 and 28,69 ± 0,47; p < 0,05); social frustration (final index: 2,5 ± 0,6 and 1,0 ± 0,4 points; p < 0,05). A highly significant positive correlation of asthenic syndrome with the level of disadaptive social frustration (R = 0,931; p < 0,001) was found in such patients.

Beta Neurofeedback Training Improves Attentional Control in the Elderly

2020 ◽  
pp. 003329411990034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacek Bielas ◽  
Łukasz Michalczyk
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Brain Activity ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Neurofeedback Training ◽  
Age Related

One of the well-documented behavioral changes that occur with advancing age is a decline in executive functioning, for example, attentional control. Age-related executive deficits are said to be associated with a deterioration of the frontal lobes. Neurofeedback is a training method which aims at acquiring self-control over certain brain activity patterns. It is considered as an effective approach to help improve attentional and self-management capabilities. However, studies evaluating the efficacy of neurofeedback training to boost executive functioning in an elderly population are still relatively rare and controversial. The aim of our study was to contribute to the assessment of the efficacy of neurofeedback as a method for enhancing executive functioning in the elderly. We provided a group of seniors with beta up-training (12–22 Hz), consisting of 20 sessions (30 minutes each), on the Cz site and tested its possible beneficiary influence on attentional control assessed by means of the Stroop and Simon tasks. The analysis of the subjects’ mean reaction times during consecutive tasks in the test and the retest, after implementation of neurofeedback training, showed a significant improvement. In contrast, the difference in reaction times between the test and the retest in the control group who had not been submitted to neurofeedback training was not significant.

scholarly journals Aging Affects the Capacity of Photoperiodic Adaptation Downstream from the Central Molecular Clock

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Renate Buijink ◽  
Anneke H. O. Olde Engberink ◽  
Charlotte B. Wit ◽  
Assaf Almog ◽  
Johanna H. Meijer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Clock ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
The Core ◽  
Environmental Light ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Wake Patterns ◽  
Central Clock ◽  
Membrane Components

Aging impairs circadian clock function, leading to disrupted sleep-wake patterns and a reduced capability to adapt to changes in environmental light conditions. This makes shift work or the changing of time zones challenging for the elderly and, importantly, is associated with the development of age-related diseases. However, it is unclear what levels of the clock machinery are affected by aging, which is relevant for the development of targeted interventions. We found that naturally aged mice of >24 months had a reduced rhythm amplitude in behavior compared with young controls (3-6 months). Moreover, the old animals had a strongly reduced ability to adapt to short photoperiods. Recording PER2::LUC protein expression in the suprachiasmatic nucleus revealed no impairment of the rhythms in PER2 protein under the 3 different photoperiods tested (LD: 8:16, 12:12, and 16:8). Thus, we observed a discrepancy between the behavioral phenotype and the molecular clock, and we conclude that the aging-related deficits emerge downstream of the core molecular clock. Since it is known that aging affects several intracellular and membrane components of the central clock cells, it is likely that an impairment of the interaction between the molecular clock and these components is contributing to the deficits in photoperiod adaptation.

scholarly journals Internet use and self-assessed health among older people: an update using SHARE data (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aida-Isabel Tavares
Keyword(s):  
Digital Divide ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Share Data ◽  
Self Assessed Health ◽  
The Relationship

BACKGROUND Ten years ago, an age-related digital divide was identified, where the elderly were a group of people at risk of losing the benefits of a digital society. Since then a 'new' generation of elderly has emerged. We are now updating previous studies on the relationship between self-assessed health and internet use by elderly persons. OBJECTIVE The two aims of this work are to find a relationship between self-assessed health and internet use by elderly people in European countries and to ascertain whether this relationship differs in countries with a more developed eHealth policy. METHODS Individual data from the SHARE survey version 6.0.0 published in 2017 for 18 countries are used. An ordered logistic regression is estimated for all the countries in the sample and for two subsets of countries which differ in their eHealth performance. RESULTS Results show that elderly people who use the internet tend to report better health status. The estimated coefficient equals 0.288 (p=0.00). This relationship is stronger in countries with higher eHealth performance where the estimated coefficient equals 0.413 (p=0.00). In countries with lower eHealth performance, that coefficient equals 0.148 (p=0.00). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that internet use is a determinant of self-assessed health among the elderly. There are lines for future research such as explaining 'why' and 'how' trust may influence the relationship between internet use and self-assessed health and examining the digital divide due to socioeconomic inequality.

scholarly journals The Endocannabinoid System May Modulate Sleep Disorders in Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-108
Author(s):  
Eric Murillo-Rodríguez ◽  
Henning Budde ◽  
André Barciela Veras ◽  
Nuno Barbosa Rocha ◽  
Diogo Telles-Correia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sleep Disorders ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Sleep Problems ◽  
Endocannabinoid System ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Therapeutic Approaches ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Demographic Projections ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Therapeutic Tools

Aging is an inevitable process that involves changes across life in multiple neurochemical, neuroanatomical, hormonal systems, and many others. In addition, these biological modifications lead to an increase in age-related sickness such as cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, neurodegenerative disorders, and sleep disturbances, among others that affect activities of daily life. Demographic projections have demonstrated that aging will increase its worldwide rate in the coming years. The research on chronic diseases of the elderly is important to gain insights into this growing global burden. Novel therapeutic approaches aimed for treatment of age-related pathologies have included the endocannabinoid system as an effective tool since this biological system shows beneficial effects in preclinical models. However, and despite these advances, little has been addressed in the arena of the endocannabinoid system as an option for treating sleep disorders in aging since experimental evidence suggests that some elements of the endocannabinoid system modulate the sleep-wake cycle. This article addresses this less-studied field, focusing on the likely perspective of the implication of the endocannabinoid system in the regulation of sleep problems reported in the aged. We conclude that beneficial effects regarding the putative efficacy of the endocannabinoid system as therapeutic tools in aging is either inconclusive or still missing.

FEATURES OF THE PICTURE OF BLOOD CELLS IN ELDERLY PERSONS WITH PRIMARY OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

2020 ◽  
pp. 346-351
Author(s):  
У. Р. Сагинбаев ◽  
С. А. Рукавишникова ◽  
В. В. Потемкин ◽  
Т. А. Ахмедов ◽  
А. С. Пушкин ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Primary Open Angle Glaucoma ◽  
Open Angle Glaucoma ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Blood Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Elderly Persons ◽  
Age Changes ◽  
Hematological Indices ◽  
Laboratory Screening

Во всем мире живут около 1,3 млрд человек с такими нарушениями зрительного анализатора, как глаукома и катаракта. Данные заболевания особенно широко распространены у лиц пожилого возраста. От глаукомы ежегодно 10 млн человек полностью теряют зрение, одним из факторов которого является несвоевременная диагностика. Донозологическая диагностика и лабораторный скрининг могут играть ключевую роль в выявлении данной патологии и значительного повышения качества жизни старшего поколения. В статье приведены результаты сравнительного анализа показателей общего анализа крови у больных глаукомой и контрольной группы. Проведено сравнение показателей гематологических индексов также в зависимости от пола и возраста. Выявлены изменения некоторых показателей, согласующиеся с существующими теориями патогенеза глаукомы. Намечены перспективные направления применения общего анализа крови как рутинного метода дополнительной диагностики глаукомы в будущем. Around 1,3 billion people live worldwide with visual analyzer disorders such as glaucoma and cataract. These diseases are particularly common among the elderly. From glaucoma every year 10 million people completely lose vision, one of the factors of which is untimely diagnosis. Donosological diagnosis and laboratory screening can play a key role in detecting this pathology and significantly improving the quality of life of the older generation. The article presents the results of comparative analysis of the general blood analysis of glaucoma patients with a control group. The hematological indices are also compared by sex and age. Changes in some indicators consistent with existing theories of glaucoma pathogenesis have been identified. Promising directions of application of general blood analysis as a routine method of additional diagnostics of glaucoma in the future are planned.

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