Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Brain Structure In Older Adult Siblings, Nathaniel Lucena

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Considerable variability exists in patterns of brain aging within and across individuals. Quantifying familial contributions to brain structure in late life may help us understand this variability. We estimated heritability of gray and white matter volumes and cortical thickness in a sample of older adult full siblings: 2-4 individuals per pedigree; N = 75). Estimation of heritability was based on computation of intraclass correlations. Heritability estimates were higher for total cortical thickness compared to volumes. There was no evidence of overall laterality in heritability estimates, or differences between primary sensory and association regions. There was a tendency for lower estimates …

The Neuropsychological Functioning Of Older Adults Pre- And Post-Cognitive Training With A Brain Plasticity-Based Computerized Training Program, Shannon M. Sorenson

Graduate Masters Theses

The present study evaluates the effectiveness of Posit Science Cortex™ with Insight Drive Sharp™ as a tool for improving neuropsychological functioning in a normal aging sample. The purpose of the DriveSharp™ training program is to help an individual improve his or her visual attention and useful field of view. Each exercise continually adapts to the individual’s performance so that the training is always at an appropriate level for that specific person. Thirty-two healthy older adult participants were randomly assigned to either the active intervention group (DriveSharp™) or a waitlist control group. Participants in the intervention group were required to engage …

Sensory And Cognitive Declines In Older Adults: A Longitudinal Study, Melanie Storm Bauer

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

In a recent cross-sectional study, as has been found in numerous previous studies, Sommers et al.: 2011) found that age-related declines in hearing, as assessed by pure-tone thresholds, begin around age 20 and continue across the lifespan. In another article published from the same cross-sectional dataset, Hale et al.: 2011) found that working memory ability also begins declining around age 20 and continues throughout life. The present study is a longitudinal follow-up of these two studies in which a sub-sample of older adults: ≥65 years old at the time of original testing approximately four years ago) were re-tested on sensory …

Vantage Point And Visual Imagery: Effects On Recall In Younger And Older Adults, Allison J. Midden

Scripps Senior Theses

The current study explored the influence of priming vantage point at retrieval on the recall of younger and older adults, in addition to the effects of visualization ability on recall. Based on McIsaac and Eich’s (2002) findings of the effects on younger adults’ recall, it was hypothesized that recollections would be more likely to include certain features when retrieved through the field vantage point (FVP) than through the observer vantage point (OVP) and vice-versa. Additionally, it was expected that older adults would recall more detailed memories from the OVP than from the FVP. Finally, it was hypothesized that visualization ability …

Existential Psychotherapy With Adults In Assisted Living, Christine A. Burbidge

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

This study explored aging individuals’ perceptions of existential poetry therapy. Six existential themes served as guides. They were: hope, gratitude, mindfulness, loss of mobility, forgiveness, and meaning in life. The data were analyzed via three sub-inquiries: (a) What thoughts and feelings do these six themes elicit; (b) What additional themes (existential or non) would the participants like to explore; and (c) What roadblocks hinder this population for accessing poetry therapy to its optimal extent. The research method involved two focus groups with a total of five participants, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The three most common themes …

Elder Abuse In The Nursing Home Setting: Social Workers' Perspectives Of Training And Education, Kelli M. Kinney

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

The purpose of this study is to investigate the perspectives that social workers in the nursing home setting have in regard to their training and education on prevalence and prevention of elder abuse. Qualitative interviews were conducted with six nursing home social workers and one aging advocate from the St. Paul area, using convenience and snowball sampling. A demographic survey was also administered to participants. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings from the nursing home social worker interviews suggest themes of: awareness of elder abuse, education on elder abuse (both in nursing homes and education settings) and …

Nursing Home Social Worker Preparedness For Serving Bgl&T Residents, Rachel Bialostosky

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

Current census data indicates that there are over 38 million Americans over the age of 65 at this time. (U.S. Census, 2010). It is estimated that as many as 3.8 million older adults in the United States identify as bisexual, gay, lesbian, or transgender. Though there is a growing body of literature on the needs and concerns of BGL&T older adults with regards to accessing health care services as they age, there is very little literature on how prepared providers feel to provide culturally competent care to BGL&T people. In an attempt to address this gap, this researcher conducted a …

A Perspective Of Aging From The Prose Of Age Specific Birthday Cards, Lori Halbur

Master of Social Work Clinical Research Papers

With a growing number of older people in the United States, it is important for social workers to acknowledge that ageism exists in our society and continue to research, study and understand the influences that contribute to it. Media outlets are one source that has been found to have an influence on people’s perceptions about older adults. A qualitative study was carried out to determine if the messages in age specific greeting cards that are produced specifically for individuals age 60 and older portray more positive or negative perceptions about aging or older individuals. The non-probability, convenience sample for this …

Preliminary Analysis Of The Geriatric Intelligence Test, Adam W. Fominaya

ETD Archive

The Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence was not designed specifically for older adults. Many potential confounding factors occur with greater frequency in the elderly population and these may make the WASI a less appropriate measure of general cognitive functioning. This preliminary study aimed to develop the Geriatric Intelligence Test (GIT). Items were piloted on older adults (>80) who also completed two WASI Subtests. Preliminary results show that multiple GIT subtests are strong predictors of WASI subtest scores and showed good internal consistency. Results will be used to develop a more parsimonious version of the test

Normative Data Collection And Comparison Of Performance On The Poreh Naming Test To The Boston Naming Test, Orion R. Biesan

ETD Archive

Although word-finding difficulty is commonly self-reported by older adults, there are no clinical instruments able to reliably distinguish normal age-related effects from pathology in word-finding impairments. The purpose of this study is two-fold: (1) design and evaluate the validity of the Poreh Naming Test, a novel electronic confrontation naming test used to evaluate naming difficulties in demented populations and (2) to investigate the effect of normal aging word-finding abilities on confrontation naming tests, using both accuracy and response latency as performance indices. A community sample was used with each participant being administered the Boston Naming Test, the Poreh Naming Test, …

Time-Of-Day Effects On Younger And Older Adult Executive Functioning, Carly E. Violand

ETD Archive

The most recent time-of-day (TOD) body of research has explored how TOD effects can influence certain cognitive domains such as semantic memory, episodic memory, processing speed, and executive functioning (Allen et al., 2008). Research by Horne and Ostberg (1976) has shown how differences in age can be associated with a preference for a certain TOD (i.e., morning or afternoon). Seventy-five percent of adults 65 years or older tend to prefer the morning, whereas fewer than 10 of younger adults tend to prefer the afternoon (Horne & Ostberg, 1976 West et al., 2002). Research by Allen and colleagues (2008) has shown …

Impact Of Sequence And Cognitive Aging On Spatial Learning From Ground Level And Aerial Perspectives, Gregory J. Degirolamo

ETD Archive

This study examined the impact of healthy aging on two important factors that are common in spatial learning. The first is the perspective a person views an environment from. The second is the sequence that the items are encountered in the environment. In order to test the effects of these factors on spatial learning, participants watched four videos in which they learned two environments from the ground-level perspective and another two from an aerial perspective. One video of each perspective presented each side of the rectangular layout sequentially and the other presented the layout in a random order. After each …

An Intergenerational Study: Mirrors As A Tool For Self-Reflection, Susan Ridley

Expressive Therapies Dissertations

Globalization and advances in technology have resulted in a loss of cultural, community, and individual identity. Having a strong sense of self can be a protective factor in resisting peer pressure and involvement in negative behaviors, and a determining factor in the formation of one’s coping skills, and resiliency to life’s challenges. This was especially important for adolescents who are negotiating the developmental growth from childhood to adulthood, and older adults who are transitioning from the independence of adulthood to the dependence of old age.

This was a qualitative intergenerational study on the process of self-reflection on identity. Mirrors have …

Sugar Consumption And Cognitive Aging In The Swedish Adoption/Twin Study Of Aging, Shyam Seetharaman

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

Consumption of foods high in sugar content has been linked with the development of metabolic abnormalities such as cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes, major sources of global health concerns. Although the detrimental consequences of high intake of sugar on abnormal metabolic processes are established, it is not known how this association affects (or accelerates) cognitive aging.

The current project was based on data from the Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging (SATSA) to test the hypothesis that high refined sugar intake contributes to accelerated trajectories of cognitive decline assessed longitudinally. Trajectories of cognitive change were assessed as a function …

Semantic Feature Distinctiveness And Frequency, Katherine Marie Lamb

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Lexical access is the process in which basic components of meaning in language, the lexical entries (words) are activated. This activation is based on the organization and representational structure of the lexical entries. Semantic features of words, which are the prominent semantic characteristics of a word concept, provide important information because they mediate semantic access to words. An experiment was conducted to examine the importance of semantic feature distinctiveness and feature frequency in accessing the lexical representations of young and older adults in an off-line task using features of animals. The McRae, Cree, Seidenberg, and McNorgan (2005) feature norm corpus …

Medical Decision Making Among Mexican-American Elderly Women, Norma Patricia Toro-Hernandez

Theses Digitization Project

Access to medical coverage has been a topic of constant disussion for many years, in particular accessibility for Mexican-American elderly women to have their medical needs met. Consequently, many elderly women use alternative forms of medicine such as 'remedios caseros' (herbal medicine) as a means to get their medical needs met. The purpose of this study was to understand the reasons elderly women continue to use alternative medicine even when they are elgible for health insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurances.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy For Depressed Retirees: Developing And Testing A Clinical Treatment Manual, Sue G. Miller

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Most workers adjust well to retirement, but some experience depression due to poor adjustment. No evidence-based treatments were identified that targeted the developmental needs of this complex transition. In phase 1, a treatment manual (IPT-RM) was developed. The manual comprised an adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy. In phase 2, a pilot study was conducted to determine the treatment’s feasibility. A series of non-experimental AB singlecase studies was conducted with nine retirees. All research participants’ depressive symptoms receded into the non-depressed range by the end of the study. The IPT-RM treatment manual was developed to a Stage 1 level, which incorporated peer-reviewed …