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The Becoming Of Age: How Discourses Of Aging And Old Age In Contemporary, Popular Film Both Reinforce And Reimagine The Narrative Of Aging As Decline, Pamela H. Gravagne

American Studies ETDs

This dissertation examines how to think critically about the ways in which aging and old age are understood, represented, and problematized in American popular film. Rather than subscribe to the narrative of decline that views growing older as a linear process of chronological and biological deterioration with no possibility of gain, this dissertation reveals the shared meanings, discourses, narratives, and philosophical positions that underlie constructions such as the narrative of decline, and that populate the screen in contemporary film, to be both historical and open to revision. Chapter 2, therefore, explores the ways in which film simultaneously relies on stereotypical …

Successful Again Through A Family Resilience Lens, A'Verria Sirkin Martin

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

This study examined successful aging through a family resilience lens by developing a psychometrically tested assessment that can be used to measure family and individual resilience in a population of older adults and by then applying these latent structures to predict successful aging across four domains; self-rated successful aging, psychosocial health, cognitive decline, and physical health. Data from 1,006 older adults were analyzed in three steps. The first identified the underlying latent structure through principle component (exploratory) factor analysis (EFA). The second included the use of confirmatory factor analysis to validate the structure from the first step. The third utilized …

Age-Related Differences In Interhemispheric Visuomotor Integration Measured By The Redundant Target Effect, Elisabeth Linnet, Matthew E. Roser

School of Psychology

No abstract provided.

Inhibition Of Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Ameliorates Synaptic Alterations And Ca2+ Dysregulation In Aged Rats, Diana M. Sama, Hafiz Mohmmad Abdul, Jennifer L. Furman, Irina A. Artiushin, David E. Szymkowski, Stephen W. Scheff, Christopher M. Norris

Graduate Center for Gerontology Faculty Publications

The role of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) in neural function has been investigated extensively in several neurodegenerative conditions, but rarely in brain aging, where cognitive and physiologic changes are milder and more variable. Here, we show that protein levels for TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) are significantly elevated in the hippocampus relative to TNF receptor 2 (TNFR2) in aged (22 months) but not young adult (6 months) Fischer 344 rats. To determine if altered TNF/TNFR1 interactions contribute to key brain aging biomarkers, aged rats received chronic (4-6 week) intracranial infusions of XPro1595: a soluble dominant negative TNF that preferentially inhibits …

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 …

Social Involvement, Existential Awareness, And Perceived Vulnerability In Older Adults, Maria Zarlengo

Dissertations

The current study explored perceptions of old-age vulnerability by seniors as well as separate and combined effects of social involvement and existential awareness on the level of perceived vulnerability to aging. Two hundred and forty four seniors participated in the study. The data were collected with the use of a 101-question survey based on three published measures plus demographic questions. The dependent (criterion) variable was the vulnerability to old age measured by the Perceived Vulnerability Scale (PVS). The explanatory (predictor) variables included the degree of social involvement measured by the Social Provisions Scale (SPS) and the level of existential awareness …

Telomere Maintenance Genes Sirt1 And Xrcc6 Impact Age-Related Decline In Telomere Length But Only Sirt1 Is Associated With Human Longevity, Sangkyu Kim, Xiuhua Bi, Malwina Czarny-Ratajczak, Jianliang Dai, David A. Welsh, Leann Myers, Michael A. Welsch, Katie E. Cherry, Jonathan Arnold, Leonard W. Poon, Michal Jazwinski

Faculty Publications

Leukocyte telomere length is widely considered a biomarker of human age and in many studies indicative of health or disease. We have obtained quantitative estimates of telomere length from blood leukocytes in a population sample, confirming results of previous studies that telomere length significantly decreases with age. Telomere length was also positively associated with several measures of healthy aging, but this relationship was dependent on age. We screened two genes known to be involved in telomere maintenance for association with the age-related decline in telomere length observed in our population to identify candidate longevity-associated genes. A single-nucleotide polymorphism located in …

Does Emotional Memory Enhancement Assist The Memory-Impaired?, Lucas S. Broster, Lee X. Blonder, Yang Jiang

Behavioral Science Faculty Publications

We review recent work on emotional memory enhancement in older adults and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer dementia (AD) and evaluate the viability of incorporating emotional components into cognitive rehabilitation for these groups. First, we identify converging evidence regarding the effects of emotional valence on working memory in healthy aging. Second, we introduce work that suggests a more complex role for emotional memory enhancement in aging and identify a model capable of unifying disparate research findings. Third, we survey the neuroimaging literature for evidence of a special role for the amygdala in MCI and early AD in …

The Role Of Mitochondrial Dysfunction In Neurodegenerative Proteinopathies And Aging., Alejandro Ocampo

Open Access Dissertations

Age-related neurodegenerative proteinophaties, including polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases such as Huntington’s disease, are a group of disorders in which a single protein or a set of proteins misfold and aggregate resulting in a progressive and selective loss of anatomically or physiologically related neuronal systems. Despite evidence showing a clear relationship between mitochondrial dysfunction, aging and neurodegenerative proteinophaties, the extent of the mitochondrial respiratory chain deficits, the involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction and the mechanisms responsible for these processes are largely unknown. Using yeast models of cellular aging and polyQ disorders we show that mitochondrial dysfunction is an important contributor to the process …

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.

Time For Myself, Time For Others: Gender Differences In The Meaning Of Retirement, Kate L. Lanning

Sociology Honors Projects

Research has demonstrated that work is a meaningful activity that contributes to peoples' identities. This meaning, however, may depend on the stage of the life course that one is in, and may be gendered. To contribute to understanding the social meaning of work and potentially gendered life-course transitions, I examine the experiences of older adults with work and retirement. Through interviews with both retired and working older adults, I examine whether and how older men and women differ from each other in the workplace and in retirement. Men and women face different challenges if they continue to work and when …

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

Young And Older Adults’ Beliefs About Effective Ways To Mitigate Age-Related Memory Decline, Michael Horhorta, Tara T. Lineweaver, Monique Ositelu, Kristi Summers, Christopher Herzog

Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

This study investigated whether young and older adults vary in their beliefs about the impact of various mitigating factors on age-related memory decline. Eighty young (ages 18–23) and eighty older (ages 60–82) participants reported their beliefs about their own memory abilities and the strategies that they use in their everyday lives to attempt to control their memory. Participants also reported their beliefs about memory change with age for hypothetical target individuals who were described as using (or not using) various means to mitigate memory decline. There were no age differences in personal beliefs about control over current or future memory …

Foretelling The Future Of Prognostication: A Historically Inspired Domain-Based Approach For The Elderly, John Thomas

Yale Medicine Thesis Digital Library

FORETELLING THE FUTURE OF PROGNOSTICATION: A HISTORICALLY INSPIRED DOMAIN-BASED APPROACH FOR THE ELDERLY

John M. Thomas and Terri R. Fried. Section of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.

Hypothesis: 1) Physicians' decisions to discuss hospice as an option for terminally ill patients are based on a limited approach to prognostication that excludes many patients who may benefit from discussions. 2) Identifying broader domains of health most important for prognostication, as an alternative to calculating life expectancy or mortality risk, might encourage prognostication and improve physician-patient communication.

Aims: 1) To examine the association between …

Strategic Insight And Age-Related Goal-Neglect Influence Risky Decision-Making, John Westbrook

All Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)

Maximizing long-run gains often requires taking on some degree of risk, yet decision-makers often exhibit risk aversion: RA), rejecting risky prospects even when these may have higher expected value than safer alternatives. We investigated whether explicit strategy instruction and practice can decrease prepotent RA, and whether aging impacts the efficacy of such an intervention. Participants performed a paired lottery task with options varying in risk and magnitude, both before and after practice with a similar task that encouraged maximization of expected value and instruction to use this strategy in risky decisions. In both younger and older adults, strategy training reduced …

The Lived Experiences Of The Aging Of Hong Kong Chinese Baby Boomers Residing In The United States, Helena Ng

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Rapid aging of the majority and minority populations is occurring in the United States. Diverse aspects of aging, concerns of the aging of the baby boomer generation, and the heterogeneities among aging persons from diverse races and ethnicities have been examined in detail; however, there is a void in the literature that offers information about the aging of Chinese baby boomers. This qualitative study used a hermeneutic-phenomenological method to investigate the aging experiences of Hong Kong Chinese baby boomers who are residing in the United States. The findings of this study will possibly enhance the literature about the cultural parameters …

Aging And Down Syndrome, Elizabeth Head, Wayne Silverman, David Patterson, Ira T. Lott

Pharmacology and Nutritional Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Aging, Neuromuscular Decline, And The Change In Physiological And Behavioral Complexity Of Upper-Limb Movement Dynamics, S. Morrison, K. M. Newell

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Aging is characterized by a general decline in physiological and behavioral function that has been widely interpreted within the context of the loss of complexity hypothesis. In this paper, we examine the relation between aging, neuromuscular function and physiological-behavioral complexity in the arm-hand effector system, specifically with reference to physiological tremor and isometric force production. Experimental findings reveal that the adaptive behavioral consequences of the aging-related functional decline in neurophysiological processes are less pronounced in simple motor tasks which provides support for the proposition that the motor output is influenced by both extrinsic (e.g., task related) and intrinsic (e.g., coordination, …

Aging, Stem Cells And The Cancer Stem Cell Hypothesis, Dave Comstock

Dissertations and Theses

No abstract provided.

Health Literacy And Self-Efficacy As Correlates Of Self-Management Of Type 2 Diabetes In Middle-Aged And Older Adults, Tomorrow D. Wilson

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is increasing with middle-aged and older adults being those at highest risk for developing this disease. Additionally, the demands of type 2 diabetes self-management can become difficult with age, which can result in poorer glycemic control. The current study examined the relations of health literacy, diabetes-related distress, and diabetes self-efficacy on diabetes self-management among 65 adults aged 40-66 with type 2 diabetes. Age was found to be positively associated with health literacy, but negatively associated with diabetes self-care activities. Additionally, only diabetes self-efficacy was found to be a unique contributor to diabetes self-care activities …

Predictors Of Rapid Cognitive Decline In Alzheimer's Disease: Results From The Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Study Of Ageing, A Sona, P Zhang, D Ames, A I Bush, N T Lautenschlager, Ralph Martins, C L Masters, C C Rowe, C Szoeke, Kevin Taddei, Kathryn A Ellis

Research outputs 2012

Background: The AIBL study, which commenced in November 2006, is a two-center prospective study of a cohort of 1112 volunteers aged 60+. The cohort includes 211 patients meeting NINCDS-ADRDA criteria for Alzheimer's disease (AD) (180 probable and 31 possible). We aimed to identify factors associated with rapid cognitive decline over 18 months in this cohort of AD patients.

Methods: We defined rapid cognitive decline as a drop of 6 points or more on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) between baseline and 18-month follow-up. Analyses were also conducted with a threshold of 4, 5, 7 and 8 points, as well as …

The Trajectories And Correlation Between Physical Limitation And Depression In Elderly Residents Of Beijing, 1992-2009, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Qi Gao, Lijuan Wu, Yanxia Luo, Zhe Tang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2012

Background Physical limitation and psychological distress have been reported to be related, but studies describing the change of instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and depression syndrome over time or exploring the link pattern for their development are limited. The study was to assess distinctive patterns for the development of physical limitation and depression and to explore their correlation to form a proper prevention strategy. Methods Dual trajectory analysis was conducted using data from the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) 1992–2009 hosted by Xuanwu hospital for subjects with full information on depression and physical limitation for all available visits. …

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 …

Age-Associated Periodontal Bone Loss In Normal And Tlr2- Or Myd88-Deficient Mice., Paul A. Ciero 1986-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Age-related alterations in innate immunity are poorly understood. The identification of those mechanisms, which are dysfunctional in old age, will shed light on potential therapeutic strategies for chronic inflammatory diseases prevalent in the elderly, such as periodontitis. Mice naturally develop chronic periodontitis as a function of age, which is characterized by periodontal bone loss. TLR2, a pattern-recognition receptor of leukocytes which mediates inflammatory responses in the periodontium, was expressed at higher levels in the gingivae of old mice (>18 months) compared with young mice (8 to 10 weeks). MyD88 is a signaling adaptor protein for TLR2 and other TLRs. …

Theory Of Mind, Social Functioning, And Awareness Of Ability In Older Adults., Sarah Vedrody Rowe

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Declines in social resources and in the quality of interpersonal interactions have been observed in some older adults. Unawareness of ability is a clinical problem that has been found in some older adults with dementia, but has also been found in non-demented older adults, and the clinical correlates have not been reliably established. Theory of mind (ToM) is a social-cognitive construct that refers to the ability to infer the mental states of others and the self. ToM has been linked with social functioning and self-awareness, but few studies have examined these variables in older adults. The current study tested the …

The Role Of Home Environments In Residential Adjustment Decision Making In Later Life, Kimberly Joy Stoeckel

Graduate Doctoral Dissertations

Using the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, this research explored the multi-faceted influence of the accessibility of housing environments on the occurrence and characteristics of residential adjustments made by older adults aged 70 or older. A range of housing adjustment outcomes were examined, including home modifications and relocation into age-segregated senior housing. Analysis of the accessibility gains following relocation was also included in the empirical analyses.

The Ecological Theory of Aging (Lawton & Nahemow, 1973) provided the conceptual framework for the research. The longitudinal design of the HRS empirically advanced understanding of the key theoretical constructs by sensitizing the …

Medicalization Of Aging: The Upside And The Downside, Winsor C. Schmidt

Marquette Elder's Advisor

No abstract provided.

Natural Disasters And Older Adults: The Social Construction Of Disaster Planning, Elizabeth Fugate-Whitlock

Theses and Dissertations

Examining older adults’ experiences with and response toward hurricanes within the context of the community of residence is key to both understanding their experiences and planning for future hurricanes. Specific to this research, the objective was to understand the current social network of older adults, or who provides care for whom under what circumstances, using the social constructionist perspective. Grounded theory combined with action research was the theoretical orientation guiding the study. Sources of data included the collection of household disaster plans, semi-structured interviews with older adult residents of housing authority neighborhoods, semi-structured interviews with community planners, and observation of …

Habits And Lifestyles Of Successfully Aging Women In A Rural Area, Julia L. Sheffler

Honors Theses

Older adults in rural areas have unique challenges to maintain well-being.  The goal of this project was to examine those unique factors related to successful aging in a sample of older women living in a rural area in the Midwest using both quantitative and qualitative methods.  Mental and physical health, personality traits, cognitive abilities (i.e., working memory, vocabulary and attention), and activity levels were assessed.  A semi-structured interview using a life narrative approach was also used to explore habits, family relationships and lifestyles over the past 20 years.  The women were administered the following measures: 1) Big Five Factor Personality …

Lifestyle Behaviors And Cognitive Status In A Community Sample Of Older Adults, Heeyoung Smith

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Lifestyle behaviors have been associated with better cognitive status and reduced risk of dementia. However, only individual or combinations of a few lifestyle behaviors have been studied. The present study examines the association between lifestyle behaviors and cognitive status in older adults including six lifestyle behaviors: cognitive activities, social activities, physical activities, religious involvement, diet, and alcohol consumption.

The study population is a sample of 1,216 community-dwelling men and women age 65 years and older from Cache County, Utah. The present study is conducted using the extant data from the Cache County Study on Memory Health and Aging (CCSMHA), a …