Age effects on sensory-processing abilities and their impact on handwriting

Background. Sensory-processing abilities are known to deteriorate in the elderly. As a result, daily activities such as handwriting may be impaired. Yet, knowledge about sensory-processing involvement in handwriting characteristics among older persons is limited. Purpose To examine how age influences sensory-processing abilities and the impact on handwriting as a daily performance. Method. The study participants were 118 healthy, independently functioning adults divided into four age groups: 31–45, 46–60, 61–75 and 76+ years. All participants completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). Handwriting process was documented using the Computerized Handwriting Penmanship Evaluation Tool (ComPET). Findings. Age significantly affects sensory processing and handwriting pressure as well as temporal and spatial measures. Both handwriting time and spatial organization of the written product were predicted by sensory seeking. When examining age contribution to the prediction of handwriting by sensory processing, sensory seeking showed a tendency for predicting handwriting pressure (p = .06), while sensory sensitivity significantly predicted handwriting velocity. Implications. Age appears to influence sensory-processing abilities and affect daily performance tasks, such as handwriting, for which sensitivity and seeking for sensations are essential. Awareness of clinicians to sensory-processing deficits among older adults and examining their impact on broader daily activities are essential to improve daily performance and quality of life.

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Validating the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile and Examining its Ability to Screen Sensory Processing Difficulties among Israeli People

British Journal of Occupational Therapy ◽

10.4276/030802212x13418284515839 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 75 (7) ◽

pp. 321-329 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Batya Engel-Yeger

Keyword(s):

Sensory Processing ◽

Daily Living ◽

Sensation Seeking ◽

Age Groups ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Adolescents And Adults ◽

Good Internal Consistency ◽

Hebrew Version ◽

Vast Range

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to (1) validate the Hebrew version of the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP); (2) screen sensory processing difficulties, as expressed in daily living in a vast range of ages of healthy Israeli adolescents, adults and older people; and (3) examine gender effect on sensory processing in the different age groups. Findings: Good internal consistency was found for each of the AASP quadrants, although factor analysis did not find total similarity between the Hebrew version of the AASP and the original AASP. Sensory processing difficulties were shown by 22–42% of the participants in the different age groups. Older participants had lower tendency for Sensation Seeking. Females were more sensitive than males in the age groups of 11–17 years and 18–64 years. Conclusion: In general, the Hebrew version of the AASP was found to be valid and succeeded in profiling sensory processing difficulties along the life span of typical Israeli adolescents and adults. Further studies should apply the Hebrew version of the AASP to screen sensory processing difficulties among individuals with disabilities and elaborate their impact on people's performance/participation in daily activities.

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Sensory Processing as a Predictor of Leisure Participation in Early Adolescents

Children ◽

10.3390/children8111005 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 1005

Author(s):

Young-Eun Choi ◽

Hyerim Jung

Keyword(s):

Sensory Processing ◽

Sensation Seeking ◽

Leisure Activities ◽

Early Adolescents ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Sensory Sensitivity ◽

Leisure Participation ◽

Regression Methods ◽

Processing Abilities ◽

The Relationship

Sensory processing may be associated with adolescents’ preferences for different leisure activities. However, knowledge about how different sensory processing patterns may relate to adolescents’ participation in leisure activities is scarce. This study sought to investigate the relationship between sensory processing and leisure participation in early adolescents. Study participants were typical early adolescents aged from 11 to 12 years (mean = 11.88 ± 0.33, n = 140). The Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP) and Children’s Assessment for Participation and Enjoyment (CAPE) were used to determine the participants’ sensory processing abilities. Correlational and multiple regression methods were employed to analyze the relationship between sensory processing and leisure participation. There were significant positive relationships between sensory seeking and participation (r = 0.177–0.350, p = 0.000–0.037). There were also significant negative relationships between low registration, sensory sensitivity, and overall participation (r = −0.202, p = 0.017, r = −0.212, p = 0.012). We found that formal activities, skill-based activities, and self-improvement activities were the main distinguishing factors between sensory processing types. Results suggest that sensation seeking and sensory sensitivity from the AASP were predictive of leisure participation. This study provides evidence to inform practices regarding the association of sensory processing and leisure participation and supports the need for assessing sensory processing in early adolescents.

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Executive Dysfunctions Mediate Between Altered Sensory Processing and Daily Activity Performance in Older Adults

10.21203/rs.3.rs-56859/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Batya Engel Yeger ◽

Sara Rosenblum

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Daily Activity ◽

Real Life ◽

The Elderly ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Activity Performance ◽

Executive Dysfunctions

Abstract Background: Sensory processing is essential for the interaction with the environment and for adequate daily function. Sensory processing may be deteriorated in the elderly and restrict daily activity performance. Another factor impacted by aging which significantly affects daily activities is Executive functions (EF). Yet, most studies refer separately to the impacts of sensory processing or EF on daily activities and use clinical evaluations that do not necessarily reflect functional restrictions in real life. This study aims to describe the prevalence of altered sensory processing in the elderly as expressed in daily life scenarios and explore whether EF mediate between altered sensory processing and daily activity performance in older adults. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 167 healthy and independently functioning people living in the community and aged 65 years and older. Participants who had sufficient cognitive status and no symptoms of depression completed a demographic and health-status questionnaire, the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Adult Version and the Daily Living Questionnaire. Results: Altered sensory processing, and mainly by the reduced ability to register and modulate sensory input from daily environment, are prevalent in older adults. Their impacts on daily activity performance are mediated by executive dysfunctions. Conclusions: Executive dysfunctions may worsen the negative effects of altered sensory processing on daily activity performance in older adults. The interaction between executive functions and sensory processing should receive growing attention in intervention and prevention programs for older adults, with the emphasis on their expressions in peoples’ real life context.

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Executive dysfunctions mediate between altered sensory processing and daily activity performance in older adults

10.21203/rs.3.rs-56859/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Batya Engel Yeger ◽

Sara Rosenblum

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Daily Activity ◽

Real Life ◽

The Elderly ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Activity Performance ◽

Executive Dysfunctions

Abstract Background: Sensory processing is essential for the interaction with the environment and for adequate daily function. Sensory processing may be deteriorated in the elderly and restrict daily activity performance. Another factor impacted by aging which significantly affects daily activities is Executive functions (EF). Yet, most studies refer separately to the impacts of sensory processing or EF on daily activities and use clinical evaluations that do not necessarily reflect functional restrictions in real life. This study aims to describe the prevalence of altered sensory processing in the elderly as expressed in daily life scenarios and explore whether EF mediate between altered sensory processing and daily activity performance in older adults.Methods: This cross-sectional study included 167 healthy and independently functioning people living in the community and aged 65 years and older. Participants who had sufficient cognitive status and no symptoms of depression completed a demographic and health-status questionnaire, the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Adult Version and the Daily Living Questionnaire.Results: Altered sensory processing, and mainly by the reduced ability to register and modulate sensory input from daily environment, are prevalent in older adults. Their impacts on daily activity performance are mediated by executive dysfunctions.Conclusions: Executive dysfunctions may worsen the negative effects of altered sensory processing on daily activity performance in older adults. The interaction between executive functions and sensory processing should receive growing attention in intervention and prevention programs for older adults, with the emphasis on their expressions in peoples’ real life context.

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Sensory Processing and Aggressive Behavior in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11010095 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 95

Author(s):

Frank van den Boogert ◽

Bram Sizoo ◽

Pascalle Spaan ◽

Sharon Tolstra ◽

Yvonne H. A. Bouman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Aggressive Behavior ◽

Sensory Processing ◽

Short Form ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Sensory Profile ◽

Sensory Sensitivity ◽

Aggression Questionnaire ◽

Adults With Asd

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be accompanied by aggressive behavior and is associated with sensory processing difficulties. The present study aims to investigate the direct association between sensory processing and aggressive behavior in adults with ASD. A total of 101 Dutch adult participants with ASD, treated in outpatient or inpatient facilities, completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP), the Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire (RPQ), and the Aggression Questionnaire—Short Form (AQ-SF). Results revealed that sensory processing difficulties are associated with more aggressive behavior (f2=0.25), more proactive (f2=0.19) and reactive aggression (f2=0.27), more physical (f2=0.08) and verbal aggression (f2=0.13), and more anger (f2=0.20) and hostility (f2=0.12). Evidence was found for an interaction of the neurological threshold and behavioral response on total aggression and hostility. Participants with higher scores in comparison to the norm group in sensory sensitivity had the highest risk of aggressive behavior. In conclusion, clinical practice may benefit from applying detailed diagnostics on sensory processing difficulties when treating aggressive behavior in adults with ASD.

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Quantifying the impact of air pollution on the urban population of Brazil

Cadernos de Saúde Pública ◽

10.1590/s0102-311x2007001600013 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 23 (suppl 4) ◽

pp. S529-S536 ◽

Cited By ~ 15

Author(s):

Izabel Marcilio ◽

Nelson Gouveia

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Urban Population ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Impact Factors ◽

Pollution Levels ◽

Time Series Studies ◽

The Impact ◽

Respiratory Causes

This study aimed to quantify air pollution impact on morbidity and mortality in the Brazilian urban population using locally generated impact factors. Concentration-response coefficients were used to estimate the number of hospitalizations and deaths attributable to air pollution in seven Brazilian cities. Poisson regression coefficients (beta) were obtained from time-series studies conducted in Brazil. The study included individuals 65 years old and over and children under five. More than 600 deaths a year from respiratory causes in the elderly and 47 in children were attributable to mean air pollution levels, corresponding to 4.9% and 5.5% of all deaths from respiratory causes in these age groups. More than 4,000 hospital admissions for respiratory conditions were also attributable to air pollution. These results quantitatively demonstrate the currently observed contribution of air pollution to mortality and hospitalizations in Brazilian cities. Such assessment is thought to help support the planning of surveillance and control activities for air pollution in these and similar areas.

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The Impact of Cold and Heat on Years of Life Lost in a Northwestern Chinese City with Temperate Continental Climate

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph16193529 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 16 (19) ◽

pp. 3529 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jiangtao Liu ◽

Yueling Ma ◽

Yuhong Wang ◽

Sheng Li ◽

Shuyu Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Respiratory Diseases ◽

Heat Waves ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Weather Variables ◽

Distributed Lag ◽

Heat Effects ◽

The Impact ◽

Continental Climate

Cold spells and heat waves in a changing climate are well known as great public-health concerns due to their adverse effects on human health. However, very few studies have quantified health impacts of heat and cold in the region of Northwestern China. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of cold and heat on years of life lost (YLL) in Lanzhou, a city with temperate continental climate. We compiled a daily dataset including deaths, weather variables, and air pollutants in Lanzhou, China, from 2014–2017. We used a distributed lag non-linear model to estimate single-day and cumulative effects of heat and cold on daily YLL. Results indicated that both cold and heat were associated with increased YLL for registered residents in Lanzhou. Estimated heat effects appeared immediately in the first two days, while estimated cold effects lasted over a longer period (up to 30 days). Cold significantly increased the YLL of all residents except for males and those with respiratory diseases (≥65 years). Our results showed that both heat and cold had more pronounced effects on cardiovascular diseases compared to respiratory diseases. Males might be more vulnerable to heat, while females might suffer more YLL from cold. The effects of cold or heat on the elderly might appear earlier and last longer than those for other age groups.

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The Impact of Non-optimum Ambient Temperature on Years of Life Lost: A Multi-county Observational Study in Hunan, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17082699 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (8) ◽

pp. 2699

Author(s):

Ling-Shuang Lv ◽

Dong-Hui Jin ◽

Wen-Jun Ma ◽

Tao Liu ◽

Yi-Qing Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Disease ◽

Ambient Temperature ◽

Respiratory Disease ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cold Temperature ◽

Years Of Life Lost ◽

Distributed Lag ◽

Preventative Measures ◽

The Impact

The ambient temperature–health relationship is of growing interest as the climate changes. Previous studies have examined the association between ambient temperature and mortality or morbidity, however, there is little literature available on the ambient temperature effects on year of life lost (YLL). Thus, we aimed to quantify the YLL attributable to non-optimum ambient temperature. We obtained data from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2017 of 70 counties in Hunan, China. In order to combine the effects of each county, we used YLL rate as a health outcome indicator. The YLL rate was equal to the total YLL divided by the population of each county, and multiplied by 100,000. We estimated the associations between ambient temperature and YLL with a distributed lag non-linear model (DNLM) in a single county, and then pooled them in a multivariate meta-regression. The daily mean YLL rates were 22.62 y/(p·100,000), 10.14 y/(p·100,000) and 2.33 y/(p·100,000) within the study period for non-accidental, cardiovascular, and respiratory disease death. Ambient temperature was responsible for advancing a substantial fraction of YLL, with attributable fractions of 10.73% (4.36–17.09%) and 16.44% (9.09–23.79%) for non-accidental and cardiovascular disease death, respectively. However, the ambient temperature effect was not significantly for respiratory disease death, corresponding to 5.47% (−2.65–13.60%). Most of the YLL burden was caused by a cold temperature than the optimum temperature, with an overall estimate of 10.27% (4.52–16.03%) and 15.94% (8.82–23.05%) for non-accidental and cardiovascular disease death, respectively. Cold and heat temperature-related YLLs were higher in the elderly and females than the young and males. Extreme cold temperature had an effect on all age groups in different kinds of disease-caused death. This study highlights that general preventative measures could be important for moderate temperatures, whereas quick and effective measures should be provided for extreme temperatures.

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Mathematical modeling of vaccination rollout and NPIs lifting on COVID-19 transmission with VOC: a case study in Toronto, Canada

10.1101/2021.08.11.21261932 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Elena Aruffo ◽

Pei Yuan ◽

Yi Tan ◽

Evgenia Gatov ◽

Iain Moyles ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vaccination Coverage ◽

Age Groups ◽

Vaccination Strategy ◽

The Elderly ◽

Public Health Agencies ◽

Initial Strategy ◽

Working Age ◽

Waning Immunity ◽

Nonpharmaceutical Interventions ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACT Background: Since December 2020, public health agencies have implemented a variety of vaccination strategies to curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2, along with pre-existing Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs). Initial strategy focused on vaccinating the elderly to prevent hospitalizations and deaths. With vaccines becoming available to the broader population, we aimed to determine the optimal strategy to enable the safe lifting of NPIs while avoiding virus resurgence. Methods: We developed a compartmental deterministic SEIR model to simulate the lifting of NPIs under different vaccination rollout scenarios. Using case and vaccination data from Toronto, Canada between December 28, 2020 and May 19, 2021, we estimated transmission throughout past stages of NPI escalation/relaxation to compare the impact of lifting NPIs on different dates on cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, given varying degrees of vaccine coverages by 20-year age groups, accounting for waning immunity. Results: We found that, once coverage among the elderly is high enough (80% with at least one dose), the main age groups to target are 20-39 and 40-59 years, whereby first-dose coverage of at least 70% by mid-June 2021 is needed to minimize the possibility of resurgence if NPIs are to be lifted in the summer. While a resurgence was observed for every scenario of NPI lifting, we also found that under an optimistic vaccination coverage (70% by mid-June, postponing reopening from August 2021 to September 2021can reduce case counts and severe outcomes by roughly 80% by December 31, 2021. Conclusions: Our results suggest that focusing the vaccination strategy on the working-age population can curb the spread of SARS-CoV-2. However, even with high vaccination coverage in adults, lifting NPIs to pre-pandemic levels is not advisable since a resurgence is expected to occur, especially with earlier reopening.

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Disability and the risk of subsequent mortality in elderly: a 12-year longitudinal population-based study

BMC Geriatrics ◽

10.1186/s12877-021-02611-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Yang Yang ◽

Zhaohui Du ◽

Yafei Liu ◽

Jiahui Lao ◽

Xiaoru Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mortality Rate ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Survey Design ◽

Age Groups ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Cumulative Mortality ◽

Hazard Ratios ◽

The Impact ◽

Young Old

Abstract Background Assessment the impact of disability on mortality among the elderly is vital to healthy ageing. The present study aimed to assess the long-term influence of disability on death in the elderly based on a longitudinal study. Method This study used the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS) data from 2002 to 2014, including 13,666 participants aged 65 years and older in analyses. The Katz ADL index was used to assess disability status and levels. Cumulative mortality rates were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox proportional hazards models were conducted to estimate associations between disability and all-cause mortality for overall participants, two age groups as well as specific chronic disease groups. All reported results were adjusted by survey weights to account for the complex survey design. Results During the 12-year follow-up, the death density was 6.01 per 100 person-years. The 3-years’ cumulative mortality rate of nondisabled elderly was 11.9% (95%CI: 10.9, 12.9%). As the level of disability increased, the cumulative mortality rate was from 28.1% (95%CI: 23.0, 33.1%) to 77.6% (95%CI: 63.8, 91.4%). Compared with non-disabled elderly, the multiple-adjusted hazard ratio of death due to disability was 1.68 (95% CI: 1.48, 1.90). The hazard ratios varied from 1.44 (95%CI: 1.23, 1.67) to 4.45 (95%CI: 2.69, 7.38) after classifying the disability levels. The hazard ratios of death in the young-old group (65–79 years) were higher than the old-old group (80 years and over) in both level B (HR = 1.58, 95%CI: 1.25, 2.00 vs. HR = 1.22, 95%CI: 1.06, 1.39, P = 0.029) and level G (HR = 24.09, 95%CI: 10.83, 53.60 vs. HR = 2.56, 95%CI: 1.75, 3.74, P < 0.001). For patients with hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, cerebrovascular disease as well as dementia, disability increases their relative risk of mortality by 1.64 (95%CI: 1.40, 1.93), 2.85 (95%CI: 1.46, 5.58), 1.45 (95%CI: 1.02, 2.05), 2.13 (95%CI: 1.54, 2.93) and 3.56 (95%CI: 1.22, 10.38) times, respectively. Conclusions Disability increases the risk of all-cause death in the elderly, especially those with chronic diseases and the young-old group. Further studies are needed to better understand how to effectively prevent disability in the older population.

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