Healthy Elderly People Research Articles

Evaluation of the power deficit of elderly people during stair negotiation: Which joints should be assisted at least by an exoskeleton and with what amount?

Climbing stairs can become a daily obstacle for elderly people, and an exoskeleton can assist here. However, the exoskeletons that are designed to assist stair climbing are actuated in different ways. To find a minimal actuation configuration, we identify the assist phases by evaluating the power deficit of 11 healthy but weak elderly people (72.4 ± 2.1 years; 69-76 years; 1.67 ± 0.10 m; 74.88 ± 14.54 kg) compared to 13 younger people (24.0 ± 1.8 years; 22-28 years; 1.74 ± 0.10 m; 70.85 ± 11.91 kg) in a biomechanical study and discuss moment characteristics. Three-dimensional kinematics and ground reaction forces were collected, and kinematics, kinetics, and power characteristics of each subject for ascent and descent were calculated using inverse dynamics. Significant differences for power between both groups were assessed with statistical parametric mapping method using dynamic time warping. During ascent, the largest significant power deficit of the elderly subjects occurs in the single stance phase (SSP) during pull-up in the knee joint. During descent, significant mean power deficits of 0.2 and 0.8 W/kg for the highest deficit occur in the ankle joint in the beginning of the SSP and also in the knee joint in the same phase. Therefore, an exoskeleton should address the power deficit for knee extension (ascent: 1.0 ± 0.9 W/kg; descent: 0.3 ± 0.2 W/kg) and could assist the ankle during ascent and descent by an additional plantar flexion moment of 0.2 Nm/kg each.

Conception of strategic cooperation between universities and community elderly service centers

At present, about 90% of the elderly in the country choose to live at home. For various reasons, many elderly people feel lonely, even with children around. Using the methods of questionnaire survey and indepth interviews, this paper visited the elderly service centers in 15 communities in Wuhan, and conducted a questionnaire survey on 412 elderly people over 60 years old. The results showed that 54% of the elderly often go to community elderly service centers to participate in activities, but 30% of the elderly never go; the elderly who go to the community have the highest satisfaction with community entertainment activities such as mahjong room and square dance, 50%are satisfied; elderly people with higher education level are less likely to participate in community activities; the elderly generally lack spiritual comfort; 37% of them want to use their expertise to contribute to the community but do not know how to start. To this end, this paper proposes to take advantage of Wuhan’s 83 colleges and universities to seek strategic cooperation between universities and neighboring communities, so that relatively young healthy elderly people aged 60-75 can have lifelong learning opportunities and continue their spiritual growth. At the same time, it promotes the effective combination of theoretical knowledge and social practice of teachers and students in universities. This move will enhance the social participation and well-being of the elderly and promote the construction of an elderlyfriendly society.

Effects of Exercise-Diet Therapy on Cognitive Function in Healthy Elderly People Evaluated by Deep Learning Based on Basic Blood Test Data.

Recent studies reported that vascular cognitive impairment in the elderly caused by arteriosclerosis plays an important role in cognitive disorders in both vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, systemic metabolic disorders such as oxygen metabolism dysfunction could be risk of dementia. Based on these findings, we have developed a deep neural network-based screening test (DNN-based test) of cognitive function using basic blood test data, which allowed prediction of cognitive function expressed by Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores. Here, we investigated whether the DNN-based test could be applicable to assessment of the effects of exercise-diet on cognitive function. We studied the following two groups: (1) seven subjects of the local fitness gym (68.6±3.2years old). We evaluated cognitive function by the DNN-based test using blood data before and after the intervention (for 3months). These results were compared with the measured MMSE score. (2) we studied a total of 230 subjects (67.9±7.4years old) who were members of the Tsuminory health class (Apple classroom). We assessed cognitive function by the DNN-based test before and after the intervention (for 2months). We compared the predicted MMSE scores by the DNN-based test before and after the 2-month intervention. In the first group, the MMSE score predicted by the DNN-based test increased from 27.1±0.8 to 27.6±0.7 after the intervention period (p=0.024). The measured MMSE score also increased after exercise, but not significant (P=0.28). In the second group, the exercise-diet therapy increased the predicted MMSE scores in 189 cases (p<0.001). In contrast, the therapy significantly reduced the mean MMSE score (p<0.001). The MMSE score predicted by the DNN-based test were increased by exercise-diet therapy in most subjects. The DNN-based test may be useful to monitor the effect of exercise-diet therapy on cognitive function aged people.

Features of early diagnosis of cerebral small vessels disease in the elderly: сlinical neurovisualization correlations

Early diagnosis of cerebral small vessels disease (CSVD) in the elderly in the elderly is a daunting task due to the similarity of its clinical and neuroimaging manifestations to age-related changes and high comorbidity with neurodegenerative diseases. The aim of the work is to determine the features of early neuropsychological and neuroimaging manifestations of CSVD, which was first diagnosed in old age. Material and methods. 37 elderly patients (EP: 60-75 years) with arterial hypertension (AH) st. 1-2, stage I-II and CSVD (women – 17 (45.9%), men – 220 (54.1%) were examined. Control groups: KGEP – 20 practically healthy elderly people and a group of middle-aged patients (ME – 44-59 years) with AH st. 1-2, stage I-II and CSVD are identical in age, gender and general duration of education. Total Cerebral volume blood flow (TcVBF) was determined using duplex ultrasound (USDS). MRI (3T) was performed in the following modes: T1-2WI, DWI, 3D Brain FLAIR SHC, 3D tra, VEN BOLD, DTI medium iso SENSE. Neuropsychological studies were performed using: MoCA questionnaire with evaluation of EIS, VIS, AIS, LIS, MIS, OIS domains; MMSE; SSR and PhSR (Semantic and Phonetic Speech Rate); FAB (Fontal Assessment Battery). Results and discussion. Using the modified scoring system for determining the severity of the burden of cerebral small vessels disease (BCSVDearly), it was found that the only difference between patients with clinical manifestations of the pathological process in middle and old age is the presence of lacunar infarctions in 16.2% of elderly patients. The relative changes in pre-visual markers of CSVD (DTI - MRI) in older patients were less pronounced than in middle-aged patients (FA: up to -24.1% in fibers and up to -18.6% in ROI; MD: up to +14, 9% in fibers and + 18.2% in ROI). There are also significant differences in the influence of diffusion disorders in the white matter (WM) of the brain on the cognitive status of patients with CSVD of middle-aged and elderly (emphasis on the number and rank of correlations). In the group of middle-aged patients, 270 out of 280 (96.4%) possible correlations were identified, including 22.1% (60) of those classified as noticeable (≥ + 0.5 / ≤ -0.5). In older subjects, the proportion of established moderate correlations reached only 21.4%, with a minimum negative rs = -0.45. Conclusion. The principal differences of the clinical and neuroimaging manifestation of CSVD in the elderly were determined: the relative decrease in the scores of cognitive functions to 73.0% (against 91.2% in the ME group); the presence of LI in the list of visual signs of CSVD; less pronounced, compared to ME, changes in pre-visual (diffusion) indicators of the state of deep WM; no correlations for MoCA, BCSVDearly, FA and MD domains.

The Effects of Facial Exercise on Mental Health, Facial Expression and EEG in Community-Dwelling Older People

Although it is well documented that exercising is good for the mental health and cognitive function as well as the physical condition in elderly people, exercising is difficult in elderly individuals with a low motor function. To develop an exercise program targeting elderly individuals unsuited for whole-body exercises, we assessed the effects of facial exercises on the mental health and mood in healthy elderly people. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 75, age range = 65-87 yrs) were randomly divided into a facial exercises group and a wait-listed control group. A facial exercises program of 30 min was given twice a week for 12 weeks. This program consisted of rhythmic facial movement, muscle stretching, facial yoga, and Tanden breathing. The GHQ-12 for mental health were administered to both groups before and after the 12-week study period. In addition, facial expression and EEG were measured. Fifty-three participants completed the protocol. In the intervention group, the GHQ-12, facial expression, and α wave in frontal lobe improved post-intervention. These results suggest that facial exercises are effective in improving the mental health, facial expression, α wave in frontal lobe of elderly people, and that exercises may be useful as a therapeutic modality in this population.

The Effects of Facial Exercise on Mental Health, Facial Expression and EEG in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Although it is well documented that exercising is good for the mental health and cognitive function as well as the physical condition in elderly people, exercising is difficult in elderly individuals with a low motor function. To develop an exercise program targeting elderly individuals unsuited for whole-body exercises, we assessed the effects of facial exercises on the mental health and mood in healthy elderly people. Community-dwelling older adults (N = 75, age range = 65-87 yrs) were randomly divided into a facial exercises group and a wait-listed control group. A facial exercises program of 30 min was given twice a week for 12 weeks. This program consisted of rhythmic facial movement, muscle stretching, facial yoga, and Tanden breathing. The GHQ-12 for mental health were administered to both groups before and after the 12-week study period. In addition, facial expression and EEG were measured. Fifty-three participants completed the protocol. In the intervention group, the GHQ-12, facial expression, and α wave in frontal lobe improved post-intervention. These results suggest that facial exercises are effective in improving the mental health, facial expression, α wave in frontal lobe of elderly people, and that exercises may be useful as a therapeutic modality in this population.

Characteristics of Tip of the Tongue Phenomenon on the Task of Naming Celebrities in Healthy Elderly Adults

Objectives: In general, the incidence of Tip of the tongue (TOT) phenomenon increases with age, but studies on the difference in the incidence of TOT phenomenon according to the age of healthy elderly adults are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence and resolution rate of the TOT, and to find out the change in performance according to the syllabic clues.Methods: Ninety-six healthy elderly people whose age range was between 65 and 84 years old participated in the study. Participants were divided into three groups: 55-64 years old, 65-74 years old, and 75-84 years old age range groups. The TOT task used 30 questions about celebrity naming organized by period and category.Results: First, there was a significant difference of the TOT rate by age group, and as the age increased, the TOT rate due to partial retrieval failure and total retrieval failure increased. Second, the rate of TOT response type that explained the celebrity’s occupation was the highest in all groups. Third, there were significant differences between groups in both the voluntary TOT resolution rate and the TOT resolution rate after providing the syllabic clue. The recovery rate after the syllabic clues decreased with increasing age.Conclusion: This study observed the difference in characteristics of TOT phenomenon in elderly adults according to age group and the importance of phonological clues in TOT phenomenon resolution.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity of the frontal-striatal circuit in elderly with apathy.

Apathy is defined as reduction of goal-directed behaviors and a common nuisance syndrome of neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease. The underlying mechanism of apathy implicates changes of the front-striatal circuit, but its precise alteration is unclear for apathy in healthy aged people. The aim of our study is to investigate how the frontal-striatal circuit is changed in elderly with apathy using resting-state functional MRI. Eighteen subjects with apathy (7 female, 63.7 ± 3.0 years) and eighteen subjects without apathy (10 female, 64.8 ± 3.0 years) who underwent neuropsychological assessment and MRI measurement were recruited. We compared functional connectivity with/within the striatum between the apathy and non-apathy groups. The seed-to-voxel group analysis for functional connectivity between the striatum and other brain regions showed that the connectivity was decreased between the ventral rostral putamen and the right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex/supplementary motor area in the apathy group compared to the non-apathy group while the connectivity was increased between the dorsal caudate and the left sensorimotor area. Moreover, the ROI-to-ROI analysis within the striatum indicated reduction of functional connectivity between the ventral regions and dorsal regions of the striatum in the apathy group. Our findings suggest that the changes in functional connectivity balance among different frontal-striatum circuits contribute to apathy in elderly.

Self-perceived oral health-related salutogenic factors in orally healthy older Swedes. A qualitative interview study

Objective This study aimed to explore oral health-related salutogenic factors in orally healthy older Swedish people, applying the three components of Antonovsky’s Sense of Coherence (SOC) concept: comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness. Material and method Interviews were conducted with 12 orally healthy patients, aged 75 years and older, enrolled at public dental clinics. The interviews were subjected to qualitative content analysis, applying the SOC concept as the theoretical framework. Results Three themes were formulated under the predefined SOC components, describing the central meaning of the informants’ perception of factors favourable to their good oral health. The theme ‘comprehension of cause and effect’ consisted of three categories, for example importance of oral hygiene, and reflected the component comprehensibility. The theme ‘living in confidence and trust in supporting society’ consisted of five categories, for example self-esteem, and reflected the component manageability. The theme ‘good oral health as a basis for satisfaction and social confidence’ consisted of two categories, for example social norms, and reflected the component meaningfulness. Conclusion This study discloses how orally healthy elderly Swedish people perceive the lifelong impact of salutogenic factors in response to lifelong stressors on their oral health and highlights the important roles of their internal resources, dental professionals, family and society in supporting and reinforcing lifelong oral health.

Discriminating speech traits of Alzheimer's disease assessed through a corpus of reading task for Spanish language

It is estimated that between 50% and 75% of all cases of dementia are due to Alzheimer's disease (AD), the most common neurodegenerative disease among World population. However, a long preclinical period of AD makes it difficult to differentiate between people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) that would progress to dementia from people with MCI that would not. One of the most promising solutions to detect MCI which will evolve to dementia (preAD) comes from the field of automatic speech analysis. Speech is a complex physiological and neurocognitive language-mediated process, which can be significantly altered in pathological aging and exhibit high levels of sensitivity for the diagnosis of neurological diseases. The purpose of this research is to offer a detailed perspective on the speech changes in MCI and mild AD when compared to healthy aging (HA), that would allow to detect pathological processes prior to the clinical expression of AD. Based on our previous research record on speech in HA, MCI and AD, we provide a global review of dementia-related speech traits and propose a reading-based protocol for assessing ongoing neurodegenerative processes in the elderly. We report the results of speech analysis in elderly people with different cognitive profiles, who performed a standardized reading task and were further analyzed for correlations between neurocognitive assessment indicative of cognitive impairment stage (HA, MCI or AD) and acoustic, temporal and prosodic traits in speech. We show that evolution from HA to AD exhibits a steady pattern of speech changes in parallel to the cognitive decline, which consists in significant increase in duration and phonation time, extension of pauses and voice breaks, intensification of variation in syllabic production, and decrease in speech energy and intensity leading to dysphony. In doing so, we prove that a standardized reading task is a very useful type of stimuli for detecting dementia-related speech traits and, in view of this, we discuss the relevance of reading for preclinical automated diagnosis of AD. The main contribution of this paper is a corpus of recordings of the standardized reading task performed by healthy elderly people and people with MCI and AD in Spanish language, and which can be used for further research purposes. In this respect, our work fills an important gap existing in corpora-based studies of speech and language impairments related to progression to dementia.

Exposure to organophosphate esters in elderly people: Relationships of OPE body burdens with indoor air and dust concentrations and food consumption.

Human exposure to OPEs is pervasive and should be of great concern due to associations with adverse health effects, especially in susceptible populations. In this study, body burdens and exposure pathways of OPEs were investigated for 76 healthy elderly people in Jinan, China based on the measured OPE and metabolite concentrations in human bio-samples (whole blood and urine) and paired environmental matrices (air and dust), as well as food frequency questionnaire. Eight of 16 OPEs and 5 of 11 metabolites were detected in>50% of whole blood and urine samples, respectively. Tri(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCIPP), tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tri-phenyl phosphate (TPHP), and 2-ethylhexyl di-phenyl phosphate (EHDPP) were frequently detected and abundant in whole blood, while their corresponding metabolites were detected at low frequencies or levels in urine. The reduced metabolic and/or excretory capacity of elderly people may be an important reason, implying a higher health risk to them. Fourteen OPEs had over 50% detection frequencies in indoor air and dust, while 6 di-esters in indoor dust. Tris(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate (TEHP) in indoor dust and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP) in indoor air were positively correlated with paired levels in blood but not with their metabolites (BEHP and DnBP) in urine. Combined with the direct intakes of BEHP and DBP from dust, blood is indicated as more suitable biomarker for TEHP and TnBP exposure. High consumption frequencies of several foods were associated with higher blood concentrations of three OPEs and urinary levels of four di-OPEs, indicating the importance of dietary exposure pathway. Estimated daily total intakes of OPEs via inhalation, dust ingestion, and dermal absorption ranged from 2.78 to 42.0ng/kg bw/day, which were far less than the reference dosage values. Further studies were warranted to explore the potential health effects of OPE exposure in the elderly populations.

Acupuncture Can Regulate the Distribution of Lymphocyte Subsets and the Levels of Inflammatory Cytokines in Patients With Mild to Moderate Vascular Dementia.

Background: Vascular dementia (VD) is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease, but there is a lack of definitive treatment for VD. Acupuncture treatment is effective in improving the cognitive impairment and behavioral capacity of patients with VD. In recent years, more studies indicated that peripheral inflammation and abnormal peripheral immune function may aggravate neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction. However, there are few studies about the acupuncture and the abnormal peripheral immune function of VD. Also, few studies concern the regulating effect of acupuncture on peripheral immunity of patients with VD.Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the effect of the “sanjiao” acupuncture method on peripheral immunity of patients with mild to moderate VD.Methods: A total of 30 patients with VD were involved in the acupuncture group (AG), which was treated with the “sanjiao” acupuncture method once a day for six times a week and lasted for 12 weeks, and 30 healthy elderly people were assigned to the normal group (NG), which had no treatment. The distribution of lymphocyte subsets and the levels of some inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood of subjects were evaluated using the flow cytometry (FCM) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).Results: A total of 60 subjects were involved in this study, while 58 subjects completed the entire trial. Before treatment, the levels of CD3+ T, CD4+ T cells, CD4+/CD8+, Tregs, B cells, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in patients with VD were significantly decreased compared with the normal group (all P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The level of TNF-α in peripheral blood of patients with VD was significantly increased (P < 0.01). After acupuncture treatment, the levels of CD3+ T, CD4+ T cells, and IFN-γ were significantly increased (all P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The level of TNF-α was significantly decreased (P < 0.01). The proportion of Tregs was increased (P < 0.01), but it was still lower than that of the normal group (P < 0.05).Conclusion: The acupuncture method can increase the proportion of CD3+, CD4+ T cells, and Tregs in peripheral blood of patients with VD. And, it reduces the levels of pro-inflammatory factor TNF-α, which achieves the anti-inflammatory effects and immunostimulation. It suggests that acupuncture can improve the peripheral immune dysfunction of patients with VD by regulating the distribution of lymphocyte subsets and the levels of inflammatory cytokines.Clinical Trial Registration: [www.chictr.org.cn], identifier [ChiCTR-IOR-17012052].

Establishment of Normal Range for Thromboelastography in Healthy Middle-Aged and Elderly People of Weihai in China.

TEG can monitor the dynamic changes of blood clot formation and lysis by activating the coagulation system of a small sample of whole blood in vitro. The parameters can reflect the level of coagulation factors, the function of fibrinogen and platelet, and the presence or absence of hyperfibrinolysis. At present, the normal reference range of the parameters of TEG is mainly based on the reference values established by the Western population. Due to the differences in the distribution of ethnic groups, many countries have established their reference ranges for healthy populations. In China, some scholars have tried to establish the corresponding TEG reference range according to the characteristics of the population in different regions. This study tried to establish the reference range for thromboelastography in healthy middle-aged and elderly people of Weihai in China and compare it with the reference range provided by the manufacturer. The fasting venous blood of 454 healthy middle-aged and elderly people was collected, including 239 males and 215 females. The thromboelastography TEG-5000 was used to measure the reaction time (R), coagulation formation time (K), coagulation angle (Angle), and maximum amplitude (MA). The reference range of TEG parameters of middle-aged and elderly healthy males was R: 4.38–8.27 min, K: 1.44–2.82 min, Angle: 48.53–72.17 deg, and MA: 51.95–72.02 mm; respectively, in the females, the normal value was R: 3.43–7.40 min, K: 1.07–2.53 min, Angle: 48.22–77.22 deg, and MA: 53.10–74.58 mm; The difference of R, K, Angle, and MA between the male group and the female group was statistically significant (P < 0.05); In this study, if we use the reference range established by the manufacturer, the R specificity for males was 91.6%, K specificity was 98.7%, Angle specificity was 85.8%, and MA specificity was 93.7%; the range for females was 68.4%, 99.5%, 75.8%, and 87.4%, respectively. There are statistically significant differences between R, K, Angle, and MA in middle-aged and elderly healthy women and men. It is necessary to establish a TEG reference range for healthy females and males.

From aMCI to AD: The Role of Visuo-Spatial Memory Span and Executive Functions in Egocentric and Allocentric Spatial Impairments.

A difficulty in encoding spatial information in an egocentric (i.e., body-to-object) and especially allocentric (i.e., object-to-object) manner, and impairments in executive function (EF) are typical in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since executive functions are involved in spatial encodings, it is important to understand the extent of their reciprocal or selective impairment. To this end, AD patients, aMCI and healthy elderly people had to provide egocentric (What object was closest to you?) and allocentric (What object was closest to object X?) judgments about memorized objects. Participants’ frontal functions, attentional resources and visual-spatial memory were assessed with the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), the Trail Making Test (TMT) and the Corsi Block Tapping Test (forward/backward). Results showed that ADs performed worse than all others in all tasks but did not differ from aMCIs in allocentric judgments and Corsi forward. Regression analyses showed, although to different degrees in the three groups, a link between attentional resources, visuo-spatial memory and egocentric performance, and between frontal resources and allocentric performance. Therefore, visuo-spatial memory, especially when it involves allocentric frames and requires demanding active processing, should be carefully assessed to reveal early signs of conversion from aMCI to AD.

The Use of Cardiac Autonomic Responses to Aerobic Exercise in Elderly Stroke Patients: Functional Rehabilitation as a Public Health Policy.

Background and purpose: The development of public policies must be guided by full knowledge of the health–disease process of the population. Aerobic exercises are recommended for rehabilitation in stroke patients, and have been shown to improve heart rate variability (HRV). Our aim was to compare the cardiac autonomic modulation of elderly stroke patients with that of healthy elderly people during and after an acute bout of aerobic exercise. Methods: A total of 60 elderly people participated in the study (30 in the control group, mean age of 67 ± 4 years; 30 in the stroke group, mean age of 69 ± 3 years). HRV was analyzed in rest—10 min of rest in supine position; exercise—the 30 min of peak exercise; and recovery—30 min in supine position post-exercise. Results: Taking rest and exercises together, for SDNN, RMSSD, pNN50, RRTri, and TINN, there was no difference between the stroke and control groups (p = 0.062; p = 0.601; p = 0.166; p = 0.224, and p = 0.059, respectively). The HF (ms2) was higher and the LF/HF ratio was lower for the stroke group than the control group (p < 0.001 and p = 0.007, respectively). The SD2 was lower for the stroke group than for the control group (p = 0.041). Conclusion: Stroke patients present reduced variability at rest, sympathetic predominance during exercise, and do not return to baseline after the 30 min of recovery, with similar responses found in the healthy elderly group.

The Effect of Aerobic Exercise Training Frequency on Arterial Stiffness in a Hyperglycemic State in Middle-Aged and Elderly Females.

The frequency of aerobic exercise training in reducing the increase in arterial stiffness during acute hyperglycemia, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is unknown. The aim of the study was to determine the aerobic exercise training frequency on arterial stiffness in a hyperglycemic state in middle-aged and elderly females. Twenty healthy elderly people were randomly assigned to a two-times-a-week (T2, n = 10) and four-times-a-week (T4, n = 10) exercise group. All participants exercised for 35 min per session, which consisted of jogging exercises with a heart rate intensity of 65%. Brachial-ankle (ba), and heart-brachial (hb) pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured before, 4 and 8 weeks after intervention; before the oral ingestion of 75-g of glucose; and 30, 60, and 90 min after ingestion. The baPWV before and 4 weeks after the intervention increased in both groups (p < 0.05), but only increased 8 weeks after intervention in the T2 group. hbPWV was unchanged before, 4 and 8 weeks after intervention in both groups. These findings show that frequent aerobic exercise suppresses the increase in arterial stiffness following glucose intake. The results of this study can be used to support the implementation of exercise programs for middle-aged and elderly patients.

Nutrition-specific interventions for preventing and controlling anaemia throughout the life cycle: an overview of systematic reviews.

Nutrition-specific interventions for preventing and controlling anaemia throughout the life cycle: an overview of systematic reviews.

Moderate Exercise Improves Cognitive Function in Healthy Elderly People: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background:Physical activity in the elderly is recommended by international guidelines to protect against cognitive decline and functional impairment.Objective:This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was set up to verify whether medium-intensity physical activity in elderly people living in the community is effective in improving cognitive performance.Design:RCT with parallel and balanced large groups.Setting:Academic university hospital and Olympic gyms.Subjects:People aged 65 years old and older of both genders living at home holding a medical certificate for suitability in non-competitive physical activity.Methods:Participants were randomized to a 12-week, 3 sessions per week moderate physical activity program or to a control condition focused on cultural and recreational activities in groups of the same size and timing as the active intervention group. The active phase integrated a mixture of aerobic and anaerobic exercises, including drills of “life movements”, strength and balance. The primary outcome was: any change in Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Revised (ACE-R) and its subscales.Results:At the end of the trial, 52 people completed the active intervention, and 53 people completed the control condition. People in the active intervention improved on the ACE-R (ANOVA: F(1;102)=4.32, p=0.040), and also showed better performances on the memory (F(1;102)=5.40 p=0.022) and visual-space skills subscales of the ACE-R (F(1;102)=4.09 p=0.046).Conclusion:A moderate-intensity exercise administered for a relatively short period of 12 weeks is capable of improving cognitive performance in a sample of elderly people who live independently in their homes.Clinical Trials Registration No: NCT03858114

Cohort profile: the Environmental-Pollution-Induced Neurological EFfects (EPINEF) study: a multicenter cohort study of Korean adults.

The general population is exposed to numerous environmental pollutants, and it remains unclear which pollutants affect the brain, accelerating brain aging and increasing the risk of dementia. The Environmental-Pollution-Induced Neurological Effects study is a multi-city prospective cohort study aiming to comprehensively investigate the effect of different environmental pollutants on brain structures, neuropsychological function, and the development of dementia in adults. The baseline data of 3,775 healthy elderly people were collected from August 2014 to March 2018. The eligibility criteria were age ≥50 years and no self-reported history of dementia, movement disorders, or stroke. The assessment included demographics and anthropometrics, laboratory test results, and individual levels of exposure to air pollution. A neuroimaging sub-cohort was also recruited with 1,022 participants during the same period, and brain magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests were conducted. The first follow-up environmental pollutant measurements will start in 2022 and the follow-up for the sub-cohort will be conducted every 3-4 years. We have found that subtle structural changes in the brain may be induced by exposure to airborne pollutants such as particulate matter 10 μm or less in diameter (PM10), particulate matter 2.5 μm or less in diameter (PM2.5) and Mn10, manganese in PM10; Mn2.5, manganese in PM2.5. PM10, PM2.5, and nitrogen dioxide in healthy adults. This study provides a basis for research involving large-scale, long-term neuroimaging assessments in community-based populations.

A low-threshold intervention to increase physical activity and reduce physical inactivity in a group of healthy elderly people in Germany: Results of the randomized controlled MOVING study.

Lack of physical activity (PA) and a high level of physical inactivity (PI) are associated with a higher risk for mortality and responsible for several non-communicable diseases including cardiovascular disease. Higher age is associated with a decrease of PA and an increasing level of PI. Studies have shown that interventions in the elderly have the potential to increase the amount of PA and to decrease the level of PI. However, most interventions are complex, elaborated, time- and resource-consuming. Here, we examined the effect of individual feedback-letters reporting the measured PA and PI in a sample of elderly people in Germany. Primary outcomes of the study were overall PA and PI after 6 months in the intervention group compared to a control group. We examined data from the MOVING intervention study (RCT) for people aged ≥ 65 years living in the northeast of Germany. At baseline, 3 and 6-months follow-up, all study participants wore a 3-axis accelerometer over a period of seven consecutive days. After the baseline measurement, the participants were randomized into intervention and control group. Participants in the intervention group received automatically generated, individualized feedback letters reporting their PA and PI by mail after the baseline measurement and after the 3-months follow-up. A Two-Way Mixed ANOVA with repeated measures was calculated with light, moderate and overall PA as well as PI as dependent variables, and group (between subject) and time (inner subject) as factors. The analysis based on retrospective data from the MOVING study (2016-2018). N = 258 patients were recruited. N = 166 participants could be included in the analysis, thereof N = 97 women (58.4%). The mean age was 70.8 years (SD 4.8). At baseline, the participants had a mean wearing time of 5,934.5 minutes (SD = 789.5) per week, which corresponds to about 14 hours daily on average. The overall PA in the intervention group at the 6-months follow up was 2488.8 (95% CI 2358.9-2618.2) minutes and 2408.2 (95% CI 2263.0-2553.4) minutes in the control group. There was no statistically significant interaction effect (time*group) between the intervention and control group for the depending variables. Sensitivity analyses showed significant small positive effects of the interaction time*partnership, F(2, 300) = 3.020, p = 0.05, partial η2 = 0.020. On average, study participants had high levels of PA at baseline and showed a good adherence in wearing the accelerometer. Both is likely due to selection in the convenience study sample. Thus, some ceiling effect reduced the overall intervention effect somewhat. At baseline, the weekly average of PI was 3436.7 minutes, which correspondents to about 8.2 hours per day and about 57% of participants' daily waking time. The average level of PI could be slightly decreased in both study groups. DRKS00010410, 17 May 2017.