scholarly journals The Role of Neuropsychological Factors in Perceived Threat of SARS-CoV-2 in Healthy Ageing

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 5847
Author(s):  
Massimo Bartoli ◽  
Nicola Canessa ◽  
Giuseppina Elena Cipriani ◽  
Stefano F. Cappa ◽  
Martina Amanzio
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Interaction Model ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Information Processing Speed ◽  
Physical Frailty ◽  
Information Campaigns ◽  
Linguistic Resources ◽  
Neuropsychological Factors

The COVID-19 pandemic is known to increase older adults’ vulnerability to adverse outcomes. Alongside increased physical frailty, anxiety symptoms associated with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 contagion appear to represent its most prominent ‘sequelae’. The attentional and linguistic resources required for decoding virus-related information may also influence the perceived threat of contagion. However, the possible role of neuropsychogeriatric factors on the latter dimension has never been assessed in a longitudinal study on the older population. To fill this gap, 50 healthy cognitively preserved older adults underwent a neuropsychological and physical frailty assessment before the pandemic (T0). Subsequently, they agreed to be interviewed and re-assessed during the lockdown (T1) and immediately after it (T2) through a longitudinal one-year study. Perceived threat of SARS-CoV-2 at T2 was predicted both by baseline anxiety and frailty scores, and by decreased performance in information processing speed and language comprehension tests. While confirming the joint role of frailty and anxiety, a moderation/interaction model showed that each of them was sufficient, at its highest level, to support the maximum degree of perceived threat of contagion. The contribution of neuropsychological factors to perceived threat of SARS-CoV-2 highlights their importance of tailoring information campaigns addressed to older people.

scholarly journals Assessing Risk for Adverse Outcomes in Older Adults: The Need to Include Both Physical Frailty and Cognition

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 477-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
Márlon J. R. Aliberti ◽  
Irena S. Cenzer ◽  
Alexander K. Smith ◽  
Sei J. Lee ◽  
Kristine Yaffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Physical Frailty

The Moderating Role of Age-Group Identification and Perceived Threat on Stereotype Threat among Older Adults

2009 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia K. Kang ◽  
Alison L. Chasteen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Group Identification ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Perceived Threat ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Affective Consequences

Although research has shown that older adults are negatively affected by aging stereotypes, relatively few studies have attempted to identify those older adults who may be especially susceptible to these effects. The current research takes steps toward identifying older adults most susceptible to the effects of stereotype threat and investigates the consequence of stereotype threat on the well-being of older adults. Older adults were tested on their recall of a prose passage under normal or stereotype threatening conditions. Memory decrements for those in the threat condition were moderated by perceived stereotype threat such that greater decrements were seen for those who reported greater perceived threat. A similar pattern was observed for negative emotion, such that those in the threat condition who reported higher perceptions of threat experienced a greater decrease in positive emotions. Age group identification also proved to be an important factor, with the strongly identified performing worse than the weakly identified. As well, high age-group identification buffered some of the negative affective consequences associated with stereotype threat, which is consistent with some models of coping with stigma.

scholarly journals LETTER TO THE EDITOR: SETTING GOALS OR SHIFTING GOALPOSTS: ROLE OF FRAILTY FOR CRITICAL CARE DECISIONS DURING COVID-19

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
R. Hsien-Xiong Lee ◽  
E. Peiying Ho ◽  
H.-Y. Neo ◽  
A. Hum ◽  
W.-S. Lim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Critical Care ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
Reliable Assessment ◽  
Patient Prioritization ◽  
Intensive Care Resource ◽  
Triage Decisions ◽  
Increased Susceptibility

Frailty is characterized by a loss of physiological reserves leading to increased susceptibility to adverse outcomes with stressor events (1). With healthcare resources worldwide overstretched by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, there is intense interest in reliable assessment tools to inform patient prioritization for scarce intensive care resource. Not surprisingly, frailty tools have been thrust into the spotlight as the panacea to age-based criteria for critical care triage decisions. However, detractors worry that rigid and indiscriminate application of frailty tools may ironically exacerbate the deprioritising of older adults and other vulnerable populations. Herein, we describe the 3F approach to guide thinking about the role of frailty in critical care decisions for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals New horizons in iron deficiency anaemia in older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 309-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Kirsty Burton ◽  
Luke C Yates ◽  
Lindsay Whyte ◽  
Edward Fitzsimons ◽  
David J Stott
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Iron Deficiency ◽  
Iron Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Deficiency Anaemia ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Dosing Regimens ◽  
Iv Iron

Abstract Iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) is common in older adults and associated with a range of adverse outcomes. Differentiating iron deficiency from other causes of anaemia is important to ensure appropriate investigations and treatment. It is possible to make the diagnosis reliably using simple blood tests. Clinical evaluation and assessment are required to help determine the underlying cause and to initiate appropriate investigations. IDA in men and post-menopausal females is most commonly due to occult gastrointestinal blood loss until proven otherwise, although there is a spectrum of underlying causative pathologies. Investigation decisions should take account of the wishes of the patient and their competing comorbidities, individualising the approach. Management involves supplementation using oral or intravenous (IV) iron then consideration of treatment of the underlying cause of deficiency. Future research areas are outlined including the role of Hepcidin and serum soluble transferrin receptor measurement, quantitative faecal immunochemical testing, alternative dosing regimens and the potential role of IV iron preparations.

The relation of education, occupation, and cognitive activity to cognitive status in old age: the role of physical frailty

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1469-1474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Ihle ◽  
Élvio R. Gouveia ◽  
Bruna R. Gouveia ◽  
Duarte L. Freitas ◽  
Jefferson Jurema ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Cognitive Activity ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Cognitive Level ◽  
Physical Frailty

ABSTRACTBackground:It remains unclear so far whether the role of cognitive reserve may differ between physically frail compared to less frail individuals. Therefore, the present study set out to investigate the relation of key markers of cognitive reserve to cognitive status in old age and its interplay with physical frailty in a large sample of older adults.Methods:We assessed Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) in 701 older adults. We measured grip strength as indicator of physical frailty and interviewed individuals on their education, past occupation, and cognitive leisure activity.Results:Greater grip strength, longer education, higher cognitive level of job, and greater engaging in cognitive leisure activity were significantly related to higher MMSE scores. Moderation analyses showed that the relations of education, cognitive level of job, and cognitive leisure activity to MMSE scores were significantly larger in individuals with lower, compared to those with greater grip strength.Conclusions:Cognitive status in old age may more strongly depend on cognitive reserve accumulated during the life course in physically frail (compared to less frail) older adults. These findings may be explained by cross-domain compensation effects in vulnerable individuals.

Effect of physical frailty on elder mistreatment in a national survey: examining psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, and financial independence as mediators

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Yunjun Li ◽  
Honglin Chen ◽  
Xizhe Peng
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Psychosocial Variables ◽  
Physical Frailty ◽  
Financial Independence ◽  
Chinese Older Adults ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Past ◽  
Psychological Vulnerability

ABSTRACT Objectives: To explore the prevalence of EM in an older Chinese population and examine the mediating role of three psychosocial variables – psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, and financial independence – in the relationship between physical frailty and EM. Design: Cross-sectional analysis. Setting: The data source was the Third Survey on Chinese Women’s Social Status (SCSSW), which is a nationwide decennial survey conducted in 2010. Participants: Community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older who participated in SCSSW (N = 3516). Measurements: The past-year prevalence of EM and its seven subtypes, physical frailty, psychological vulnerability, housework involvement, financial independence, and demographic characteristics. Results: The past-year prevalence of EM was 4% among Chinese older adults, with psychological abuse being the most common subtype (3.9%). A higher level of physical frailty had a direct influence on EM. Older adults with higher levels of physical frailty were more likely to have higher levels of psychological vulnerability (anxiety, loneliness, and uselessness) and lower levels of housework involvement, which further correlated with increased risk of EM. Frail Chinese older adults were less likely to have financial independence, which in turn, surprisingly predicted a lower probability of EM. Conclusions: In this nationally representative sample, we provided the first evidence of the prevalence of EM among Chinese older adults and expanded the global understanding of EM by examining the mediating role of three psychosocial variables. Future studies are warranted to corroborate our findings and identify factors contributing to the complex mechanism of EM.

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