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The aging intellect
- Author:
- POWELL Douglas H.
- Publisher:
- Routledge
- Publication year:
- 2011
- Pagination:
- 319p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Compared to habits that are linked to better physical health in older adults, much less is understood about behaviours that contribute to the optimally aging mind. This book has three main purposes. First it makes the case for including intellectual functioning in the broad definition of “health” for older people. Secondly it describes the characteristics of three levels of intellectual functioning seen in the aging population: optimal cognitive aging, normal cognitive aging, and high risk for cognitive impairment. It is estimated that only about 25% of elders meet the standards for optimal cognitive aging. The author provides professionals with evidence-based recommendations that can help their aging patients and clients minimise the effects of predictable cognitive changes and more fully use their mental abilities. He also offers support to people of all ages interested in maximising their cognitive vigour and identifies intellectual qualities that strengthen with age. Clinical examples and case studies are introduced throughout the text.
Gender differences in views about cognitive health and healthy lifestyle behaviors among rural older adults
- Authors:
- WU Bie, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 49(S1), June 2009, pp.S72-S78.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Gender differences in views about cognitive health and behaviours are examined, focusing on older adults living in rural areas. Six focus groups in rural West Virginia were conducted. Participants included 37 women and 30 men, aged 55 years and older. Men and women held similar views of cognitive decline, as well as largely similar views about causes of Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, women were more concerned about developing AD than were men. Gender differences were also noted with respect to healthy lifestyle beliefs, including diet, leisure-time physical activity, and strategies to maintain cognitive health. Findings illustrate the importance of considering gender with respect to health beliefs, health behaviours, and health promotion, and emphasize the need to develop interventions designed for specific populations.
Associations between cognitively stimulating leisure activities, cognitive function and age-related cognitive decline
- Authors:
- FERRERIA Nicola, et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 30(4), 2015, pp.422-430.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objectives: Emerging literature suggests that lifestyle factors may play an important role in reducing age-related cognitive decline. There have, however, been few studies investigating the role of cognitively stimulating leisure activities in maintaining cognitive health. This study sought to identify changes in cognitive performance with age and to investigate associations of cognitive performance with several key cognitively stimulating leisure activities. Method: Over 65,000 participants provided demographic and lifestyle information and completed tests of grammatical reasoning, spatial working memory, verbal working memory and episodic memory. Results: Regression analyses suggested that frequency of engaging in Sudoku or similar puzzles was significantly positively associated with grammatical reasoning, spatial working memory and episodic memory scores. Furthermore, for participants aged under 65 years, frequency of playing non-cognitive training computer games was also positively associated with performance in the same cognitive domains. The results also suggest that grammatical reasoning and episodic memory are particularly vulnerable to age-related decline. Further investigation to determine the potential benefits of participating in Sudoku puzzles and non-cognitive computer games is indicated, particularly as they are associated with grammatical reasoning and episodic memory, cognitive domains found to be strongly associated with age-related cognitive decline. Conclusions: Results of this study have implications for developing improved guidance for the public regarding the potential value of cognitively stimulating leisure activities. The results also suggest that grammatical reasoning and episodic memory should be targeted in developing appropriate outcome measures to assess efficacy of future interventions, and in developing cognitive training programmes to prevent or delay cognitive decline. (Publisher abstract)
Attitudes about aging well among a diverse group of older Americans: implications for promoting cognitive health
- Authors:
- LADITKA Sarah B., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 49(S1), June 2009, pp.S30-S39.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Forty-two focus groups were conducted with older adults living in the community in the United States (N = 396; White, African American, American Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Hispanic). Participant descriptions of "someone who you think is aging well" were analyzed. Constant comparison methods examined themes by race/ethnicity. There were notable race/ethnicity differences in perceptions of aging well. Compared with other racial/ethnic groups Chinese participants were more likely to emphasize relationships between mental outlook and physical abilities, Vietnamese participants were less likely to emphasize independent living. American Indians did not relate aging well to diet or physical activity. Important themes that emerged about aging well for all racial/ethnic groups were as follows: living to advanced age, having good physical health, having a positive mental outlook, being cognitively alert, having a good memory, and being socially involved. Implications: To promote cognitive health among diverse populations, communication strategies should focus on shared perceptions of aging well, such as living to an advanced age with intact cognitive function, having a positive attitude, and being mobile. Health promotions may also create a range of culturally sensitive messages, targeted to views that are more salient among some racial/ethnic groups.
Conceptualising time and behaviour in environmental gerontology: a pair of old issues deserving new thought
- Author:
- GOLANT Stephen M.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 43(5), October 2003, pp.638-648.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Architects, environmental designers, occupational therapists, and human service professionals are variously engaged in efforts to create settings for older persons that better fit their changing lifestyles and abilities. This theoretical article argues that to explain and predict more effectively the appropriateness of the settings occupied and used by their older occupants requires models and empirical inquiries that better conceptualize two areas of inquiry: (a) the temporal properties of environments and individuals and (b) the conceptualization of environmental behaviours or activities describing how individuals use, manipulate, or perform tasks in their settings. The types of constructs and relationships necessary for this inquiry are reviewed and their practical applications considered.
Information for dementia patients and their caregivers: what information does a memory clinic pass on, and to whom?
- Authors:
- VERNOOIJ-DASSEN M. J. F. J., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 7(1), January 2003, pp.34-38.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study assessed the information provided in a memory clinic and the patient and caregiver factors that influenced the provision of information. The study was part of a larger cross-sectional study of the diagnosis of dementia and satisfaction with information given. The participants were 51 elderly patients suspected of having dementia and living at home together with their caregivers. The main outcome measures were the checklist of information communicated to the patients and caregivers, patients' behavioural problems, patients' instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) problems, and caregivers' sense of competence. The results indicate that basic information about the diagnosis was given to 86% of patients and 88% of caregivers. Specific information about patients' behaviour and professional care was more often given when patients had more cognitive, behavioural, or IADL problems and caregivers had a lower sense of competence. Adequate information should not only include issues considered relevant by clinicians but should also be tailored to the information needs of patients and caregivers.
Theoretical models of cognitive aging and implications for translational research in medicine
- Authors:
- BROWN Scott C., PARK Denise C.
- Journal article citation:
- Gerontologist, 43(Special Issue), March 2003, pp.57-67.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
This article provides an overview of theoretical models of cognitive aging and present empirical research that uses these models to explain older patients' medical behaviours and to develop interventions for improving the delivery of health information and services to older adults. Theoretical accounts of age and cognition are summarized and are related to key research findings, including age differences in comprehension of medical information, adherence, and use of medical technologies. The implications of cognitive aging theories for designing optimal medical environments and enhancing adherence are discussed. Age declines in basic cognitive abilities such as working memory capacity limit older adults' ability to comprehend and recall several types of novel medical information. In contrast, automatic processes and environmental cues can benefit older adults, as shown by age increases in compliance for practiced or mentally imaged health behaviors, but can also be dangerous, as shown by older adults' greater belief in false but familiar health statements. Last, cognitive aging is shown to be a useful model for investigating cognitive disorders.