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Effects of a comprehensive educational group intervention in older women with cognitive complaints: a randomized controlled trial
- Authors:
- HOOGENHOUT Esther M., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 16(1-2), January 2012, pp.135-144.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
One of the most common complaints of normal aging refers to cognitive changes. Such perceived cognitive changes can be a source of worry and frustration. This study presents a new comprehensive educational group intervention that offers psycho-education about cognitive aging and the influence of contextual factors such as negative age stereotypes, beliefs, health, and lifestyle. The intervention discusses the use of commonly applicable compensatory strategies, and includes group discussion. A randomised controlled trial was carried with a sample of 50 community-dwelling older women aged 60-75 years who reported normal age-related cognitive complaints. As the main problem of these individuals were perceived cognitive deficits without actual cognitive decrements, metacognition served as the primary outcome measure. The findings showed that the participants reported significantly fewer negative emotional reactions toward cognitive functioning. The article concludes that this comprehensive educational group intervention reduces negative emotional reactions toward cognitive functioning, and can therefore potentially contribute the well-being of an important and large group of older adults.
Improving cognition by adherence to physical or mental exercise: a moderated mediation analysis
- Authors:
- EVERS Andrea, et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 15(4), May 2011, pp.446-455.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This study investigates the effects of adherence to physical or mental exercise on cognitive ability in older people. Two hundred and twenty nine healthy older women, from Berlin, Germany, took part in a six month randomised controlled trial. Five tests measuring episodic and working memory were undertaken pre and post intervention. Findings revealed that both physical and mental activity groups performed better over time than the control group. Adherence predicted cognitive performance. The indirect effect of the activity mode on cognitive performance through adherence was especially seen when levels of baseline composite scores were low. In conclusion, healthy older women can improve episodic and working memory through spending time on challenging physical or mental activities. Results were most pronounced for the cognitively less fit.
Response inhibition and everyday memory complaints in older adult women
- Authors:
- POTTER Guy G., HARTMAN Marilyn
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21(12), December 2006, pp.1115-1120.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The purpose was to explore the association of executive functions to the everyday memory complaints of healthy older adults. Ninety-nine community-dwelling women aged 60 and above were administered a battery that included neuropsychological tests of executive functions and memory, along with self-report measures of everyday memory complaints, depression, and anxiety. Multivariate regression analyses revealed that a measure of response inhibition (Stroop Color-Word) accounted for unique variance in predicting memory complaints above and beyond measures of episodic memory, depression, and anxiety. Depression, however, accounted for the largest variance in memory complaints. Higher frequency of everyday memory complaints among older adults was associated with decreased response inhibition independent of episodic memory and affective state. Further research is needed to understand the interrelationships among these and other predictors of everyday memory complaints.
Do subjective memory complaints predict falls, fractures and healthcare utilization? A two-year prospective study based on a cohort of older women recruited from primary care
- Authors:
- AL-SARI Usama A., et al
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 32(9), 2017, pp.968-976.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Objective: A proportion of older individuals report subjective memory complaints (SMCs), which can predict the development of cognitive impairment and dementia. Previous studies based on secondary care suggest that SMC is also associated with other adverse health consequences, including falls, fractures and increased healthcare utilization. In this study, the authors aimed to establish whether similar findings are observed in the wider population. Methods: Prospective analysis of the Cohort for Skeletal Health in Bristol and Avon, a population-based cohort recruited from primary care, was carried out. Data were collected by self-completion questionnaire at baseline and 2 years. SMC was assessed at baseline. Fractures, measures of falls, mobility and healthcare utilization were assessed 2 years later. A random 5% subsample of data was validated against electronic general practitioner records. Logistic regression was used to identify independent associations, following adjustment for a range of confounders assessed at baseline. Results: Data were available on 3184 women. Three hundred and fifty participants (11.0%) reported SMC. They were older (73.3 ± 4.5 vs 72.0 ± 4.2 years) and less mobile compared with those not reporting SMC. SMCs at baseline were associated with an increased risk of upper limb fractures over the following 2 years (OR 1.72, 95% CI 1.02–2.90). SMCs were also associated with an increased risk of falls (OR 1.83, 95% CI 1.41–2.38) and increased healthcare utilization (OR for hospital appointments 2.20, 95% CI 1.26–3.86). No association was observed with bone mineral density at any site. Conclusions: Subjective memory complaints are important markers of adverse health outcomes and should prompt interventions to reduce fractures such as physiotherapy-led fall reduction programmes. (Edited publisher abstract)
Executive functioning in psychogeriatric patients: scalability and construct validity of the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale (BDS)
- Author:
- DIESFELDT Han F, A.
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(11), November 2004, pp.1065-1073.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Item response theory was used to test the scalability of the Behavioral Dyscontrol Scale (BDS). The BDS assesses the control of voluntary movement, working memory and self-monitoring. Construct validity of the BDS was examined with confirmatory factor analysis. The BDS was administered to 693 consecutive, community-dwelling visitors of a psychogeriatric day unit (424 women and 269 men between the ages of 50 and 94). Unidimensionality of the BDS was determined using Mokken's scalogram analysis. The BDS total score was correlated with other measures of executive function (Expanded Mental Control Test, category fluency, and alternating graphical sequences) and with episodic memory tests of orientation and delayed picture recognition in order to test a model of distinct latent constructs of executive functioning and episodic memory. Loevinger's scalability coefficient H was 0.58 for the complete item set of the BDS. Subjects can be ordered on the latent dimension of executive ability. The first eight items of the BDS (deleting the insight rating) satisfy the assumption of non-intersecting item characteristic curves (double monotonicity) which means that they comprise a Guttman-ordered scale (H = 0.60). The BDS and three independent measures of executive control strongly correlated with a latent construct of executive functioning (convergent validity). However, discriminant relations with a nonexecutive construct (recognition memory and orientation) could not be demonstrated. The BDS satisfies criteria for scalability according to item response theory. Its construct validity as an executive-specific measure is as yet unclear. Copyright
Older women's cognitive and affective response to moderate drinking
- Authors:
- ZIMMERMAN Teena, MacDOUGALL Graham J., BECKER Heather
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(11), November 2004, pp.1095-1102.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
In this paper the authors investigated the question, how do older women who drink moderate amounts of alcohol differ from those who do not drink on measurements of cognitive function, memory, affect and health? The nonprobability sample of female participants (n = 182) averaged 75 years of age and had a Mini Mental State Examination scores of 28. The participants were asked to indicate whether they drank alcohol or abstained (yes/no) and if they indicated that they did drink, to describe how many drinks they consumed in a given period of time (day/week/month). None of the participants acknowledged drinking more than 2 drinks a day. Caucasian women had the largest number of moderate drinkers (53% vs 47%), while the majority of African-American and Hispanic women reported not drinking. The moderate drinkers reported less depression, had higher self-reported health, performed better on instrumental everyday tasks, had stronger memory self-efficacy, and used more strategies to improve memory performance. In addition, these women had higher performance on tests of executive function: attention, concentration, psychomotor skills, verbal-associative capacities, and oral fluency. The circumstances under which people drink are complex and were not evaluated in this study. Therefore, rather than endorsing drinking behavior, these findings suggest that future research might examine why elders make the decision to drink, the circumstances that predispose women to drink (alone/with others), and other qualities that characterize female drinkers over the age of 65.
Gender roles and caregiving stress: an examination of subjective appraisals of specific primary stressors in Alzheimer's caregivers
- Authors:
- FORD G.R., et al
- Journal article citation:
- Aging and Mental Health, 1(2), May 1997, pp.158-165.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Family care givers of patients with dementia face numerous, severe stressors in the course of caring for their relatives. While women are more likely than men to take on the caregiving role, evidence is mixed concerning how traditional gender roles influence response to caregiving. In this study male and female caregivers reported on a number of common primary caregiving stressors, including patient memory and behaviour problems. Results of the research found that in the context of caregiving in Alzheimer's Disease, gender roles may be less important than the nature of the stressor in determining reaction to primary stressors. Recommends that interventions to alleviate caregiver distress should target behavioural problems, such as dangerous behaviour and agitation, which are most stressful to caregivers.
Critical approaches to ageing and later life
- Editors:
- JAMIESON Anne, HARPER Sarah, VICTOR Christina
- Publisher:
- Open University Press
- Publication year:
- 1997
- Pagination:
- 205p.,bibliogs.
- Place of publication:
- Buckingham
Includes papers on: the theoretical basis of social gerontology; critical gerontology; perspectives on culture, ethnicity and ageing in British gerontology; the uses of literature in the study of older people; historical research into ageing, old age and older people; analytical issues in the use of 'memories'; intergenerational relationships; spatiality and age relations; representations of old age in painting and photography; older people, medicine and time; feminist theory and older women; and citizenship theory and old age.