scholarly journals Immediate recall of short stories depends on educational level

2008 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 310-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Nitrini

Abstract Memory complaints are frequent in the elderly but the confirmation of memory decline is challenging. Tests employing the recall of paragraphs or short stories have been proposed for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Objectives: To evaluate the influence of educational level on immediate recall of short stories. Methods: A sample of 363 individuals (214 women; median age of 50; median years of schooling of 6; 23 illiterates) without evident physical or mental illnesses were evaluated with simple neuropsychological tests, including the recall of short stories immediately after listening to them read aloud by the examiner. Results: Age showed an inverse correlation whereas years of schooling showed a direct correlation with the scores on the immediate recall of short stories. As age and years of schooling were inversely correlated, logistic regression was employed, which showed that only years of schooling had an influence on the performance in the test. Conclusions: In populations with heterogeneous educational background, the recall of short stories cannot be recommended for the diagnosis of memory impairment. It is possible that tests with larger encoding phases are more appropriate for these populations. From a broader perspective, information released by radio or TV, as well as information disseminated orally in public settings such as hospitals, stations or airports may be less well retained by low educated individuals, especially when the information is presented only once.

2007 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 396-401
Author(s):  
Cristiane Garcia da Costa Armentano ◽  
Julieta Quayle

Abstract The three words-three shapes test is a brief bedside technique for assessment of learning and memory using verbal and non-verbal material. To the best of our knowledge, performance of Brazilian elderly on this test has not yet been reported. Objective: To evaluate the performance of normal Brazilian elderly on the three words-three shapes test. Method: A total of 50 adult patients, 25 males and 25 females, with age ranging from 55 to 81 years (66.0±7.10 years), 1 to 8 years of schooling, different economic conditions and living in the São José do Rio Preto municipality, State of São Paulo, were evaluated. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between performance of males and females. Performance on incidental recall was significantly lower than in delayed recall. The performance in the learning phase improved following at least two further presentations of the stimuli. Approximately 50% of the participants did not remember the six stimuli and had to proceed to the recognition stage. The performance in the recognition stage was significantly better than during spontaneous recall. Patients with low educational level (less years of schooling) had poorer performance on the recall of shapes and on the total score of the test. Conclusions: The three words-three shapes test is rapid, efficient and straightforward to apply in the elderly, but low educational level was associated with poorer performance on this test. Normal elderly individuals had greater difficulty in the encoding process and in searching for stored information.


2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Everton Balduino ◽  
Brian Alvarez Ribeiro de Melo ◽  
Larissa de Sousa Mota da Silva ◽  
José Eduardo Martinelli ◽  
Juliana Francisca Cecato

ABSTRACTIntroduction:The demographic transition is a global event intensified during the last decades that represents population aging. Thus, the studies directed to the elderly 80 years of age or more with preserved cognitive functions (named SuperAgers) emerges as a possible path to full comprehension of the health of those aging with acceptable levels of functionality and independency.Objective:To evaluate the cognitive performance of the elderly over 80 years old, associating the results to their educational level.Method:We evaluated 144 healthy elders with 80 years or more through the following cognitive tests Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG), Clock Drawing Test (CDT), and Verbal Fluency Test (VF) and compared the tests’ scores with their educational level segmented in years of formal education, being the groups ILLITR (<1 year of schooling), 1TO4 (from 1 to 4 years of schooling), and 5MORE (>5 years of schooling).Results:There was positive influence of educational level on the cognitive tests’ score, which indicates higher cognitive reserve of the elderly with higher educational levels.Conclusion:The functionality and independence of the so-called SuperAgers is determined by the cognitive reserve acquired throughout life, mainly developed by the years of formal education.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-26
Author(s):  
Nazaret Martínez-Heredia

Introduction: Intergenerational education encourages cooperation and interaction between two or more generations through experiences, knowledge, skills, attitudes and values. Objective: The main objective of our research was to know the benefits at the psychological, social and educational level of intergenerational education. Methods: This is mixed-type research establishing relationships between young and old. The sample consists of a total of 94 people, 47 young people (aged between 21 and 40 years old) and 47 older (aged between 65 and 85 years). We promote the development of a mixed methodology to know if after the implementation of an intergenerational program we have obtained benefits in the elderly participants. Results: Considering the results we can say that the benefits at the psychological, social and educational level have been very remarkable of our elders. Conclusions: We must bet on intergenerational relationships as an ideal within our daily practice achieving a healthy aging, benefiting continuity in an active social role of our elders.


2009 ◽  
Vol 67 (2a) ◽  
pp. 185-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cássio M.C. Bottino ◽  
Sonia E. Zevallos-Bustamante ◽  
Marcos A. Lopes ◽  
Dionisio Azevedo ◽  
Sérgio R. Hototian ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVE: To determine which combination of cognitive tests and informant reports can improve the diagnostic accuracy of dementia screening in low educated older people. METHOD: Patients with mild to moderate dementia (n=34) according to ICD-10 and DSM-III-R criteria and 59 older controls were assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Fuld Object Memory Evaluation (FOME). Informants were assessed using the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly and the Bayer-Activities of Daily Living Scale. RESULTS: The 4 instruments combined with the mixed rule correctly classified 100% and the logistic regression (weighted sum) classified 95.7% of subjects. The weighted sum had a significantly larger ROC area compared to MMSE (p=0.008) and FOME (p=0.023). The specificity of the tested combinations was superior to the MMSE alone (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive tests combined with informant reports can improve the screening of mild to moderate dementia in low educated older people.


2007 ◽  
Vol 98 (5) ◽  
pp. 1046-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Féart ◽  
Marthe A. Jutand ◽  
Sophie Larrieu ◽  
Luc Letenneur ◽  
Cécile Delcourt ◽  
...  

Few data are available regarding dietary habits of the elderly, in particular about fatty acid consumption, whereas these are major risk or protective factors of several age-related diseases. The aim of the present study was to characterise the dietary intake of a French elderly population in terms of energy, macronutrients and fatty acids based on their socio-demographic characteristics. The study population (age range 67·7–94·9 years) consisted of 1786 subjects from Bordeaux (France), included in the Three-City cohort. Dietary assessment was performed by a 24 h recall, allowing the estimation of energy, protein, carbohydrate, total fat, SFA, MUFA and PUFA intakes. Socio-demographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, educational level and income), practice of sports and BMI were registered. Total energy intake (EI) was lower in women and in older participants ( ≥ 85 years) but higher in single subjects. Higher EI was associated with higher income, but not with educational level. Mean contribution of macronutrients to EI (protein 18 %, carbohydrate 46 % and total fat 31 %) was higher in women than men, except for alcohol. The oldest individuals consumed less protein and more mono- and disaccharides. Excess saturated fat intake (43 % of total fat), associated with a relative deficit in MUFA consumption (36 % of total fat), was observed. The mean 18 : 2n-6 : 18 : 3n-3 ratio was 9.9 and decreased with higher educational level. The present results suggest that being female, older age, being widowed and low income level could be considered as risk factors of inadequate dietary intake.


2009 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thais Helena Machado ◽  
Helenice Charchat Fichman ◽  
Etelvina Lucas Santos ◽  
Viviane Amaral Carvalho ◽  
Patrícia Paes Fialho ◽  
...  

Abstract Phonemic verbal fluency tests assess the production of words beginning with specific letters. Of these letters, the most frequently used are F, A and S. It is a sensitive test for assessing frontal lobe functions. Objective: To provide normative data for the elderly Brazilian population on the FAS test and to investigate the effects of age and schooling on test performance. Methods: The individuals were divided into three age groups (60-69, 70-79 and ³80 years), and into four groups according to education (1-3, 4-7, 8-11 and ³12 years). All subjects were assessed by the Mini Mental State Examination and the FAS. Data were analyzed with Student's t test, ANOVA, simple linear regression and Spearman's correlation. Results: We evaluated 345 cognitively healthy volunteers, 66.66% being female, aged 60 to 93 years, with an educational level ranging from one to 24 years. The average (number of items) ±SD for the whole sample was 28.28±11.53. No significant effect of gender was observed (p=0.5). Performance on the MMSE and education exerted a direct influence on FAS scores (p<0.001), with education being the most significant factor. A positive correlation was found between FAS and the MMSE (r=0.404; p<0.001). Conclusion: The performance of Brazilian elderly on the phonemic verbal fluency tests-FAS is significantly influenced by education, where individuals with higher educational level present better performance than those with fewer years of schooling. Age and gender did not prove significant with the FAS.


Author(s):  
Nadia Mulyanti Gunawan ◽  
Raden Mohammad Budiarto ◽  
Andriati Andriati

Introduction: The most common valvular heart disease is mitral stenosis. Mitral stenosis is an abnormality of the heart valve which causes reduced blood flow from the left atria to the left ventricle due to narrowing of mitral valve orifice during its opening motion. If the condition continues, it will result in complications. The most common complications are pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, heart failure, and stroke. Appropriate treatment for mitral stenosis may produce more favorable prognosis in these patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe the profile of patients with mitral stenosis in Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine, Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya from January 2015 to December 2017. It is expected that mitral stenosis can be detected earlier, thus the appropriate treatment can be administered promptly and further complications can be prevented. Methods: This study was a descriptive retrospective study with cross-sectional approach and accidental sampling method obtained from the inpatients medical records of patients diagnosed with mitral stenosis from echocardiography in Department of Cardiology and Vascular Medicine Dr. Soetomo General Hospital, Surabaya from January 2015 to December 2017. The variables were age, gender, disease severity, and the patient’s educational background. The data was processed using Microsoft Excel and IBM SPSS version 20. Results:  This study obtained 41 patients who met the inclusion criteria, then the patients were categorized according to their age, gender, disease severity, and educational background. The results of the study showed that the subjects were dominated by those of productive age at 30-39 years old (39%), the most prevalent gender was female (85.4%), severe disease severity (85.4%), and educational level was from high school (85.4%). Conclusion: The majority of the patients with mitral stenosis were from productive age, female, with severe disease severity, and educational background from middle educational level (high school). 


2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 801-814
Author(s):  
Madson Alan Maximiano-Barreto ◽  
André Fernando de Oliveira Fermoseli

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia I. Martínez-Alcalá ◽  
Alejandra Rosales-Lagarde ◽  
Yonal M. Pérez-Pérez ◽  
Jose S. Lopez-Noguerola ◽  
María L. Bautista-Díaz ◽  
...  

The current sanitary crisis due to COVID-19 has further evidenced the enormous digital exclusion of older adults. Furthermore, the crisis has urged older adults to adopt new technologies to facilitate their tasks, as well as to provide them with an effective means against loneliness and social isolation caused by the confinement. In light of this, Digital Literacy is necessary for all those excluded from the digital era, who are characterized mainly by little or no ability to effectively use technologies. Nevertheless, detailed studies showing the leap from mixed (Blended Learning, BL) to digital literacy in the elderly have not been published. The objective of the present research was to analyze the level of Digital Literacy with the Digital Literacy Evaluation (DILE) of two groups of elderly adults with different levels of literacy (Group 1: G1, and Group 2: G2) during three stages: BL (Aug–Dec 2019); Transition (Feb–Jun 2020); and Digital (Aug–Dec 2020). Comparisons were made before each educational level (pre-pre-pre) and after each educational level (post-post-post) and during consecutive periods before and after each semester (pre vs post) and throughout different educational levels (G1: Basic 1, B1; Basic 2, B2; and intermediate 1, I1; and G2: Intermediate 1 to 3, I1, I2, and I3). Subsequently, considering all the elderly who had passed at least one of the literacy levels, we worked with a total sample of 176 older adults. The comparisons showed that, before the pandemic, G1’s pre digital literacy levels increased between B1 and B2 and that the differences continued with that increasing trend between the B1 level and the I1 completely digital treatment, and the same was observed for post measurements. On the other hand, for the G2, the differences in the DILE were statistically significant between the pre-condition of I2 (before the pandemic) and the I3 (completely digital treatment); and between the pre-conditions of I1 and I3; the same results were obtained for post treatments. Also, pre vs post scores on the DILE were statistically significant and older adults increased progressively their digital literacy despite the COVID-19 pandemic and jumped to the digital age.


Author(s):  
Jayanthi Tarugu ◽  
R. Pavithra ◽  
Sivagami Vinothchandar ◽  
Aniruddha Basu ◽  
Sirshendu Chaudhuri ◽  
...  

Background: The proportion of the elderly population is increasing in low and middle-income countries. Apart from systemic illnesses, elderly people face mental illnesses. Effect of group reminiscence therapy in reducing some of the mental health aspects showing a promising effect but the evidence is lacking in Indian settings. The present study aimed to determine the effect of reminiscence therapy in decreasing the level of loneliness, depressive symptoms, and anxiety among the elderly population at an institutional level.Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, residents of an old age home were evaluated for loneliness, depressive symptoms and anxiety through revised UCLA, geriatric depression scale, and Geriatric Anxiety Scale respectively. Group reminiscence therapy was applied to them and post-intervention assessment was done by the same scales.Results: Significant reduction of anxiety score [1.33 (0.03, 2.64)] was noticed in anxiety. Depressive symptoms showed a mean reduction in score [0.59 (-0.41, 1.6)] but statistically not significant. When graded into severity, all three outcomes showed improvement from higher severity grade to lower grade in post-intervention assessment. The intervention resulted in an improvement of 66.7% in depressive symptoms, 33.3% in anxiety and 30.8% in loneliness.Conclusions: The study found reminiscence therapy could be encouraging in resource-poor Indian settings. We recommend for further exploration of the long-term effects of this program, its feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and validation of the content for large-scale implementation. 


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