Gait Kinematic and Kinetic Characteristics of Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Subjective Cognitive Decline: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundOlder adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) have slower gait speed and poor gait performance under dual-task conditions. However, gait kinematic and kinetic characteristics in older adults with MCI or subjective cognitive decline (SCD) remain unknown. This study was designed to explore the difference in gait kinematics and kinetics during level walking among older people with MCI, SCD, and normal cognition (NC).MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited 181 participants from July to December 2019; only 82 met the inclusion criteria and consented to participate and only 79 completed gait analysis. Kinematic and kinetic data were obtained using three-dimensional motion capture system during level walking, and joint movements of the lower limbs in the sagittal plane were analyzed by Visual 3D software. Differences in gait kinematics and kinetics among the groups were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc analysis. After adjusting for multiple comparisons, the significance level was p < 0.002 for MANCOVA and p < 0.0008 for post-hoc analysis.ResultsTwenty-two participants were MCI [mean ± standard deviation (SD) age, 71.23 ± 6.65 years], 33 were SCD (age, 72.73 ± 5.25 years), and 24 were NC (age, 71.96 ± 5.30 years). MANCOVA adjusted for age, gender, body mass index (BMI), gait speed, years of education, diabetes mellitus, and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) revealed a significant multivariate effect of group in knee peak extension angle (F = 8.77, p < 0.0001) and knee heel strike angle (F = 8.07, p = 0.001) on the right side. Post-hoc comparisons with Bonferroni correction showed a significant increase of 5.91° in knee peak extension angle (p < 0.0001) and a noticeable decrease of 6.21°in knee heel strike angle (p = 0.001) in MCI compared with NC on the right side. However, no significant intergroup difference was found in gait kinetics, including dorsiflexion, plantar flexion, knee flexion, knee extension, hip flexion, and hip extension(p > 0.002).ConclusionAn increase of right knee peak extension angle and a decrease of right knee heel strike angle during level walking were found among older adults with MCI compared to those with NC.

Download Full-text

Intervening factors in the perception of memory decline and life purpose in older adults

REVISTA CIÊNCIAS EM SAÚDE ◽

10.21876/rcshci.v11i4.1106 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 22-28

Author(s):

Daniel Vicentini de Oliveira ◽

Gabriel Lucas Morais Freire ◽

Paulo Victor Suto Aizava ◽

Thais Sporkens Magna ◽

Vinicius Nagy Soares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Memory Loss ◽

Female Gender ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Subjective Cognitive Decline ◽

Life Purpose ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Memory Decline

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the perception of memory decline and the purpose of life in the elderly.Methods: A cross-sectional study that evaluated 235 older adults living in the city of Maringá, Paraná. A sociodemographic questionnaire, the Life Purpose Scale and the Subjective Cognitive Decline Initiative (SCD-I) were used. Data analysis was conducted using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Mann–Whitney “U”, Kruskal-Wallis, and Pearson's Chi-square tests (p < 0.05). Results: The results showed a higher prevalence of women with a perception of memory decline (p = 0.011) and that the elderly with more than three minimum wages had higher scores on the life purpose scale than the elderly with lower income. It was found that the elderly who does not consider that the deterioration of memory affects activities of daily living (ADL) had a greater purpose in life than the elderly who considers that the deterioration of memory impairs their ADL (p = 0.004). Conclusion: female gender seems to be a factor associated with memory decline, while higher monthly income seems to be an intervening factor in the greater purpose of life of the elderly. Not considering that memory loss harms ADLs, it seems to intervene in the best purpose of life.

Download Full-text

The Association of PTSD Symptom Severity With Localized Hippocampus and Amygdala Abnormalities

Chronic Stress ◽

10.1177/2470547017724069 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 ◽

pp. 247054701772406 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Teddy J. Akiki ◽

Christopher L. Averill ◽

Kristen M. Wrocklage ◽

Brian Schweinsburg ◽

J. Cobb Scott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ptsd Symptom ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Ptsd Symptoms ◽

Structural Shape ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Fine Grained ◽

The Right ◽

Post Hoc ◽

The Relationship ◽

Shape Analyses

Background The hippocampus and amygdala have been repeatedly implicated in the psychopathology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While numerous structural neuroimaging studies examined these two structures in PTSD, these analyses have largely been limited to volumetric measures. Recent advances in vertex-based neuroimaging methods have made it possible to identify specific locations of subtle morphometric changes within a structure of interest. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging to examine the relationship between PTSD symptomatology, as measured using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for the DSM-IV, and structural shape of the hippocampus and amygdala using vertex-wise shape analyses in a group of combat-exposed U.S. Veterans (N = 69). Results Following correction for multiple comparisons and controlling for age and cranial volume, we found that participants with more severe PTSD symptoms showed an indentation in the anterior half of the right hippocampus and an indentation in the dorsal region of the right amygdala (corresponding to the centromedial amygdala). Post hoc analysis using stepwise regression suggest that among PTSD symptom clusters, arousal symptoms explain most of the variance in the hippocampal abnormality, whereas reexperiencing symptoms explain most of the variance in the amygdala abnormality. Conclusion The results provide evidence of localized abnormalities in the anterior hippocampus and centromedial amygdala in combat-exposed U.S. Veterans suffering from PTSD symptoms. This novel finding provides a more fine-grained analysis of structural abnormalities in PTSD and may be informative for understanding the neurobiology of the disorder.

Download Full-text

The right kind of smart: emotional intelligence’s relationship to cognitive status in community-dwelling older adults

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610218002284 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (9) ◽

pp. 1241-1247 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Odelyah Saad ◽

Leehu Zysberg ◽

Jeremia Heinik ◽

Ron Ben-Itzhak ◽

Anna Zisberg

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Protective Factor ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cognitive Status ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

General Mental Ability ◽

Health History ◽

Memory Clinics ◽

The Right

ABSTRACTObjectives:To examine whether emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with cognitive function (CF) in a sample of community-dwelling, non-demented elderly out-patients.Design:Correlational cross-sectional study.Setting:Two memory clinics in an urban community in central Israel.Participants:Individuals age 60 and older without dementia, recruited from two memory clinics (N= 151).Measurements:Health history was obtained from medical charts. All participants underwent tests measuring CF, basic and instrumental function, general mental ability (GMA), EI, and depression.Results:Mean age of the participants was 79 years (SD = 7.00) with 96 females (63.6%). Mean score for Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) was 21.62 (SD = 3.09) and for EI was 14.08 (SD = 3.30). Linear multiple regression analysis was conducted to examine associations of CF with EI while controlling for gender, age, education, GMA, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). Age, education, GMA, and CCI were significant correlates of CF and accounted for 31.1% of the variance [F(7,143) = 10.8,p<0.01] in CF. EI was added in the second block and was the factor most strongly associated with CF, explaining an additional 9.1% (a total of 40.2%) of the variance in CF [F(8,142) = 13.2,p<0.01].Conclusion:This study is the first to show the association between EI and CF in older adults. Future prospective studies are needed to explicate the possibility of EI as a protective factor against cognitive decline.

Download Full-text

The Status of Ageism in Caring for Elderly Patients From Nurses’ Perspective

Journal of Client-centered Nursing Care ◽

10.32598/jccnc.6.4.346.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 289-296

Author(s):

Mohammad Ali Hosseini ◽

◽

Saeid Mehri ◽

Masoud Fallahi-Khoshknab ◽

Farahnaz Mohammadi-Shahbelaghi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Work Experience ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Admission Ward ◽

The Status ◽

Post Hoc

Background: As the number of elderly people referred to hospitals increases, so does the number of discrimination reports in the care of the elderly, compared with younger people. This study aimed to investigate the status of ageism in caring for elderly patients from nurses’ perspective. Methods: It was a descriptive cross-sectional study that was conducted in three selected hospitals of Ardabil province, Iran, in 2019. A total of 482 nurses were recruited by convenience sampling. The data were collected using a demographics questionnaire and the Ageism Scale in Hospital Care and analyzed using descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (the Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and Scheffe post hoc test) in SPSS V. 20. Results: The mean age of the participants was 33 years. Most nurses showed moderate ageism when providing care to older adults. The level of ageism was significantly associated with age (P=0.002), gender (P=0.001), work experience (P=0.032), and the ward in which the nurses worked (P=0.001) Conclusion: The findings revealed that the study hospitals suffered ageism. Also, the level of ageism was associated with the age, gender, admission ward, and work experience of the nurses. Thus, it is suggested to consider appropriate interventions to prevent ageism, when designing and planning care for older adults.

Download Full-text

“It is the scourge of God” Misconceptions of COVID 19 Pandemic Among Older Market Traders In Ibadan, Nigeria

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3201 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 887-887

Author(s):

Olubukola Omobowale ◽

Adeola Fowotade

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Personal Contact ◽

Community Perception ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Promoting ◽

Severe Infections ◽

Level Of Significance ◽

The Right

Abstract Background Community perception on COVID-19 can influence the development of the right attitude towards mitigating the spread of the Sars CoV 2 virus. Older adults are at risk of severe infections and mortality is high among them. Objectives: This study was conducted to document the knowledge, perceptions and misconceptions of COVID-19 among older market traders in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Methods A cross-sectional study conducted in two densely populated markets in Ibadan. An interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the knowledge and perception of COVID-19. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. Level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results A total of 321 respondents were sampled. All participants were aware, source was mainly through radio (93.5%), and 65.8% believed COVID-19 was as a scourge from God for punishments of sins. Only 41.1% had good knowledge of spread with personal contact (95.3%) mostly reported. On knowledge of symptoms and preventive measures, dry cough (84.7%) and frequent hand washing (95.6%) were mostly reported. Knowledge of cause was significantly associated with age (p=0.04) and marital status (p=0.001), while level of education (p=0.012) was significantly associated with knowledge of spread. Conclusion Misconceptions about the knowledge of the cause and spread of COVID-19 were prevalent among the study population. The implication of this finding among older adults and the significant effect of some sociodemographic factors on the knowledge of the cause and spread of COVID-19 calls for urgent health-promoting interventions that would dispel the misconceptions.

Download Full-text

Distribution and Characteristics of Intrathoracic Lymphadenopathy in TB/HIV Co-Infection

Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871526518666181016111142 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 414-420

Author(s):

Payam Mehrian ◽

Abtin Doroudinia ◽

Moghadaseh Shams ◽

Niloufar Alizadeh

Keyword(s):

Lymph Nodes ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Short Axis ◽

Mediastinal Lymph Nodes ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Hilar Adenopathy ◽

The Right ◽

Pulmonary Abnormalities

Background: Intrathoracic Lymphadenopathy (ITLN) in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infected patients may have various etiologies and prognoses. Etiologies of ITLN can be distinguished based on the distribution of enlarged lymph nodes. Sometimes tuberculosis (TB) is the first sign of underlying HIV infection. Objective: We sought to determine ITLN distribution and associated pulmonary findings in TB/HIV co-infection using Computed Tomography (CT) scan. Methods: In this retrospective, observational, cross-sectional study, chest CT scans of 52 patients with TB/HIV co-infection were assessed for enlarged intrathoracic lymph nodes (>10 mm in short axis diameter), lymphadenopathy (LAP) distribution, calcification, conglomeration, the presence of hypodense center and associated pulmonary abnormalities. LAP distribution was compared in TB/HIV co-infection with isolated TB infection. Results: Mediastinal and/or hilar LAP were seen in 53.8% of TB/HIV co-infection patients. In all cases, LAP was multinational. The most frequent stations were right lower paratracheal and subcarinal stations. Lymph node conglomeration, hypodense center and calcification were noted in 25%, 21.4% and 3.5% of patients, respectively. LAP distribution was the same as that in patients with isolated TB infection except for the right hilar, right upper paratracheal and prevascular stations. All patients with mediastinal and/or hilar adenopathy had associated pulmonary abnormalities. Conclusion: All patients with TB/HIV co-infection and mediastinal and/or hilar adenopathy had associated pulmonary abnormalities. Superior mediastinal lymph nodes were less commonly affected in TB/HIV co-infection than isolated TB.

Download Full-text

Usability of a tablet computer designed for older adults: a qualitative approach based on an intra-hospital living-lab for healthcare (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25186 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Guillaume Sacco ◽

Pauline Carliez ◽

Frédéric Noublanche ◽

Romain Simon ◽

Anne Renaudin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Geriatric Patients ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Satisfaction Score ◽

Tablet Computer ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

System Usability Scale ◽

Perceived Usability

BACKGROUND Usability is the keystone in the evolution of tablet technology in healthcare. The Ardoiz® tablet has been designed with a simplified interface for older adults. OBJECTIVE To assess the perceived usability and satisfaction of the Ardoiz® tablet. METHODS We conducted a mixed methods with cross-sectional study using System Usability Scale (SUS), satisfaction score and workshops, including geriatric patients, healthcare professional and caregivers. RESULTS Between September 25, 2019 and March 11, 2020, 58 participants were included in a cross-sectional study (including 38 patients, mean ±SD 85±6 years, 66% women), 26 in workshops (including 5 patients, mean ±SD 86.4±2.9, 40% women). The SUS was 74±12/100, the satisfaction score was 2.8±0.9/4, with 59% of satisfied participants with the use of Ardoiz® pads. The intent to acquire remained low with 18% (n=6) of participants who would be interested in acquiring the tablet. This tablet computer seemed to be difficult to use by geriatric patients and healthcare professionals, mainly because of its complex homepage. Nevertheless, former caregivers and healthcare professionals thought that the tablet could be of great interest to hospitals for leisure and medical use. The main feedback in order to improve the tablet is to simplify the home page with fewer and more static icons (without switching). CONCLUSIONS Notwithstanding the usability of the tablet, the intent to acquire of Ardoiz® tablet remained low. The interface should be simplified for older adults in order to improve usability and adherence. CLINICALTRIAL NCT04091152

Download Full-text