Mood In Elderly People Research Articles

Psychosomatic Health in Elderly People for Preventing Frailty: The role of IGF-1 and BDNF in the Muscle and the Brain

The elderly population of people aged > 65 years is rapidly growing up in developed countries, including Japan, and becoming a burden by increasing caregiving and social security costs. Prolonging a healthy life span without caregiver help would reduce the social burden. Frailty in elderly people can cause accidental falls causing them to be bed ridden, but constant exercise could help prevent such accidents. Various exercises enhance the synthesis and release of neurotrophic factors such as IGF-1 and BDNF; these neurotrophic factors enhance neuronal growth and survival in the brain prevent muscle atrophy and sometimes contribute to muscle hypertrophy in elderly people. These exercise-induced neurotrophic factors can thereby help prevent the lowering of cognitive performance, processing speed and mood in elderly people including those with Alzheimer’s disease or Parkinson’s disease. In this review, we emphasize that IGF-1 and BDNF work as anabolic growth factors for skeletal muscle, play a role in the neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and neuronal survival in the brain, ameliorate cognition, and stabilize psychiatric mood. IGF-1, further, has activities in the elimination of amyloid-β protein by activating protein transportation at the choroid plexus and angiogenesis acting on brain vessels. Thus, elderly people are recommended to exercise regularly for their health and avoid the condition of frailty.

Monitoring and Prediction of Mood in Elderly People during Daily Life Activities.

We present an intelligent wearable system to monitor and predict mood states of elderly people during their daily life activities. Our system is composed of a wristband to record different physiological activities together with a mobile app for ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Machine learning is used to train a classifier to automatically predict different mood states based on the smart band only. Our approach shows promising results on mood accuracy and provides results comparable with the state of the art in the specific detection of happiness and activeness.

Relationship between functional fitness, medication costs and mood in elderly people

To verify if functional fitness (FF) is associated with the annual cost of medication consumption and mood states (MSt) in elderly people. A cross-sectional study with 229 elderly people aged 65 years or more at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Coimbra, Portugal. Seniors with physical and psychological limitations were excluded, as well as those using medication that limits performance on the tests. The Senior Fitness Test was used to evaluate FF, and the Profile of Mood States - Short Form to evaluate the MSt. The statistical analysis was based on Mancova, with adjustment for age, for comparison between men and women, and adjustment for sex, for comparison between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles. The association between the variables under study was made with partial correlation, controlling for the effects of age, sex and body mass index. An inverse correlation between cardiorespiratory fitness and the annual cost of medication consumption was found (p < 0.01). FF is also inversely associated with MSt (p < 0.05). Comparisons between cardiorespiratory fitness quintiles showed higher medication consumption costs in seniors with lower aerobic endurance, as well as higher deterioration in MSt (p < 0.01). Elderly people with better FF and, specifically, better cardiorespiratory fitness present lower medication consumption costs and a more positive MSt.

Short-term effects of glucose and sucrose on cognitive performance and mood in elderly people

In this study we determined the short-term effects of a glucose drink and a sucrose drink compared to a placebo on cognitive performance and mood in elderly people with subjective, mild memory complaints using a randomized crossover study design. In total, 43 nondiabetic older adults with self-reported memory complaints were included. Drinks consisted of 250 ml with dissolved glucose (50 g), sucrose (100 g), or a mixture of artificial sweeteners (placebo). Multiple neuropsychological tests were performed and were combined by means of z scores into four cognitive domains: episodic memory, working memory, attention and information (processing speed), and executive functioning. Mood was assessed with the short Profile of Mood Status (s-POMS) questionnaire. Blood glucose concentrations were measured at five time points to divide participants into those with a better or poorer blood glucose recovery. Performance on the domain of attention and information processing speed was significantly better after consuming the sucrose drink (domain score of 0.06, SD = 0.91) than after the placebo drink (–0.08, SD = 0.92, p = .04). Sucrose had no effect on the other three domains, and glucose had no effect on any of the domains compared to the placebo. When dividing participants into poorer or better glucose recoverers, the beneficial effect of sucrose on attention and information processing speed was only seen in participants with a poorer recovery. After sucrose consumption, depressive feelings and tension were slightly higher than after the placebo. To conclude, 100 g sucrose, but not 50 g glucose, optimized attention and information processing speed in the short term in this study in elderly people with subjective, mild memory complaints.

Cognitive style and depressive symptoms in elderly people – Extending the empirical evidence for the cognitive vulnerability–stress hypothesis

IntroductionDepression is common in older people and its identification and treatment has been highlighted as one of the major challenges in an ageing world. Poor physical and cognitive health, bereavement, and prior depression are important risk factors for depression in elderly people. Attributional or cognitive style has been identified as a risk factor for depression in children, adolescents and younger adults but its relevance for depression and mood in elderly people has not been investigated in the context of other risk factors. MethodSixty-four older adults from an ‘extra care’ living scheme (aged 59–97) were recruited for a 6-week prospective study to examine the relationships between cognitive style and depressive symptoms. ResultsRegression analyses revealed that, when other risk factors were controlled for, cognitive style and its interaction with stress predicted changes in depressive symptoms, therefore partially replicating prior research. ConclusionCognitive-stress–vulnerability models also apply to elderly populations, but may be rather predictive of changes in depression when facing lower levels of stress.

Relationship Between Activities Of Daily Living And Depression, Mood In Elderly People With Minor Depression

Relationship Between Activities Of Daily Living And Depression, Mood In Elderly People With Minor Depression

The stress system in the human brain in depression and neurodegeneration

The stress system in the human brain in depression and neurodegeneration