Geriatrics Commons^™

Age-Related Modifications To The Magnitude And Periodicity Of Neuromuscular Noise, Niklas König Ignasiak

Physical Therapy Faculty Articles and Research

Background: Evaluation of task related outcomes within geriatric and fall-prone populations is essential not only for identification of neuromuscular deficits, but also for effective implementation of fall prevention strategies. As most tasks and activities of daily living are performed at submaximal force levels, restoration of muscle strength often does not produce the expected benefit in functional capacity. However, it is known that muscular control plays a key role in the performance of functional tasks, but it remains unclear to what degree muscular control and the associated neuromuscular noise (NmN) is age-related, particularly in the lower-extremities.

Objectives: The aim of this …

Clinically Relevant Intronic Splicing Enhancer Mutation In Myelin Proteolipid Protein Leads To Progressive Microglia And Astrocyte Activation In White And Gray Matter Regions Of The Brain, Adam D. Bachstetter, Scott J. Webster, Linda J. Van Eldik, Franca Cambi

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Mutations in proteolipid protein (PLP), the most abundant myelin protein in the CNS, cause the X-linked dysmyelinating leukodystrophies, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) and spastic paraplegia type 2 (SPG2). Point mutations, deletion, and duplication of the PLP1 gene cause PMD/SPG2 with varying clinical presentation. Deletion of an intronic splicing enhancer (ISEdel) within intron 3 of the PLP1 gene is associated with a mild form of PMD. Clinical and preclinical studies have indicated that mutations in myelin proteins, including PLP, can induce neuroinflammation, but the temporal and spatial onset of the reactive glia response in a clinically relevant mild form of PMD …

Grip Strength, Multimorbidity, And Disability, Amy M. Yorke

Dissertations

The presence of two or more chronic health conditions, also known as multimorbidity, is one of the most prevalent health disorders experienced by adults. Adults with multimorbidity and functional limitations represent clinical and financial challenges to the current health care system. The purpose of this three-paper dissertation is to examine the relationship between grip strength, multimorbidity, and the prediction of disability in adults. Data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative, longitudinal study completed on Americans age 50 years and over, are used for the dissertation.

The objective of the first paper is to investigate the …

Circulating Micrornas In Alzheimer's Disease: The Search For Novel Biomarkers, Véronique Dorval, Peter T. Nelson, Sébastien S. Hébert

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly. While advancements have been made in understanding the genetic and molecular basis of AD, the clinical diagnosis of AD remains difficult, and post-mortem confirmation is often required. Furthermore, the onset of neurodegeneration precedes clinical symptoms by approximately a decade. Consequently, there is a crucial need for an early and accurate diagnosis of AD, which can potentially lead to strategies that can slow down or stop the progression of neurodegeneration and dementia. Recent advances in the non-coding RNA field have shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) can function as powerful biomarkers …

Dose- And Time-Dependent Neuroprotective Effects Of Pycnogenol® Following Traumatic Brain Injury, Mubeen A. Ansari, Kelly N. Roberts, Stephen W. Scheff

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

After traumatic brain injury (TBI), both primary and secondary injury cascades are initiated, leading to neuronal death and cognitive dysfunction. We have previously shown that the combinational bioflavonoid, Pycnogenol® (PYC), alters some secondary injury cascades and protects synaptic proteins when administered immediately following trauma. The purpose of the present study was to explore further the beneficial effects of PYC and to test whether it can be used in a more clinically relevant fashion. Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a unilateral moderate/severe cortical contusion. Subjects received a single intravenous (i.v.) injection of PYC (1, 5, or 10 mg/kg) …

Hippocampal Sclerosis Of Aging, A Prevalent And High-Morbidity Brain Disease, Peter T. Nelson, Charles D. Smith, Erin L. Abner, Bernard J. Wilfred, Wang-Xia Wang, Janna H. Neltner, Michael Baker, David W. Fardo, Richard J. Kryscio, Stephen W. Scheff, Gregory A. Jicha, Kurt A. Jellinger, Linda J. Van Eldik, Frederick A. Schmitt

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Hippocampal sclerosis of aging (HS-Aging) is a causative factor in a large proportion of elderly dementia cases. The current definition of HS-Aging rests on pathologic criteria: neuronal loss and gliosis in the hippocampal formation that is out of proportion to AD-type pathology. HS-Aging is also strongly associated with TDP-43 pathology. HS-Aging pathology appears to be most prevalent in the oldest-old: autopsy series indicate that 5-30 % of nonagenarians have HS-Aging pathology. Among prior studies, differences in study design have contributed to the study-to-study variability in reported disease prevalence. The presence of HS-Aging pathology correlates with significant cognitive impairment which is …

Successful Aging And Creativity : An Investigation On Functional Status And Psychological Wellbeing In Older Adults, Mirie E. Levy

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

Objectives: While the literature supports the maintenance of functional status as integral to successful aging, the relationship of creativity on functional status has received little attention. Creativity has been associated with health and aging in the research but only a small number of studies have examined creativity interventions to enhance functional status and boost psychological wellbeing.

Methods: A pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used to investigate an 8-week creativity intervention on functional status and psychological wellbeing in older adults. Sample subjects were 92 men and women all over age 60. A series of two-way mixed ANOVAs measured differences between treatment and …

The Relationship Among Ankle Function, Functional Capacity, And Body Composition To Balance In Geriatric Populations, Joseph Robert Chaney

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The primary purpose of this research study was to identify significant relationships among measures of ankle strength, ankle range of motion, body composition, and functional capacity to balance ability in geriatric populations which may potentially assist in identifying older individuals with increased risk of falling. A battery of five test (ankle strength assessments, ankle range of motion , DXA, functional fitness, and balance) were administered to 20 participants (6 males, 14 females, mean age 69.78 ± 3.98) that had indicated to be at least 65 years of age or older and no history of falls within the previous 12 months. …

Care In Specialist Medical And Mental Health Unit Compared With Standard Care For Older People With Cognitive Impairment Admitted To General Hospital: Randomised Controlled Trial (Nihr Team Trial), Sarah E. Goldberg, Lucy E. Bradshaw, Fiona C. Kearney, Catherine Russell, Kathy H. Whittamore, Pippa E R Foster, Jil Mamza, John R F Gladman, Rob G. Jones, Sarah A. Lewis, Davina Porock, Rowan H. Harwood

Publications and Research

Objective To develop and evaluate a best practice model of general hospital acute medical care for older people with cognitive impairment.

Design Randomised controlled trial, adapted to take account of constraints imposed by a busy acute medical admission system.

Setting Large acute general hospital in the United Kingdom.

Participants 600 patients aged over 65 admitted for acute medical care, identified as “confused” on admission.

Interventions Participants were randomised to a specialist medical and mental health unit, designed to deliver best practice care for people with delirium or dementia, or to standard care (acute geriatric or general medical wards). Features of …

Development Of Novel In Vivo Chemical Probes To Address Cns Protein Kinase Involvement In Synaptic Dysfunction, D Martin Watterson, Valerie L. Grum-Tokars, Saktimayee M. Roy, James P. Schavocky, Brinda Desai Bradaric, Adam D. Bachstetter, Bin Xing, Edgardo Dimayuga, Faisal Saeed, Hong Zhang, Agnieszka Staniszewski, Jeffrey C. Pelletier, George Minasov, Wayne F. Anderson, Ottavio Arancio, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Serine-threonine protein kinases are critical to CNS function, yet there is a dearth of highly selective, CNS-active kinase inhibitors for in vivo investigations. Further, prevailing assumptions raise concerns about whether single kinase inhibitors can show in vivo efficacy for CNS pathologies, and debates over viable approaches to the development of safe and efficacious kinase inhibitors are unsettled. It is critical, therefore, that these scientific challenges be addressed in order to test hypotheses about protein kinases in neuropathology progression and the potential for in vivo modulation of their catalytic activity. Identification of molecular targets whose in vivo modulation can attenuate synaptic …

Relationship Between Serum And Brain Carotenoids, Α-Tocopherol, And Retinol Concentrations And Cognitive Performance In The Oldest Old From The Georgia Centenarian Study, Elizabeth J. Johnson, Rohini Vishwanathan, Mary Ann Johnson, Dorothy B. Hausman, Adam Davey, Tammy M. Scott, Robert C. Green, L. Stephen Miller, Marla Gearing, John Woodard, Peter T. Nelson, Hae-Yun Chung, Wolfgang Schalch, Jonas Wittwer, Leonard W. Poon

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Oxidative stress is involved in age-related cognitive decline. The dietary antioxidants, carotenoids, tocopherols, and vitamin A may play a role in the prevention or delay in cognitive decline. In this study, sera were obtained from 78 octogenarians and 220 centenarians from the Georgia Centenarian Study. Brain tissues were obtained from 47 centenarian decedents. Samples were analyzed for carotenoids, α-tocopherol, and retinol using HPLC. Analyte concentrations were compared with cognitive tests designed to evaluate global cognition, dementia, depression and cognitive domains (memory, processing speed, attention, and executive functioning). Serum lutein, zeaxanthin, and β-carotene concentrations were most consistently related to better cognition …

Intracranial Injection Of Gammagard, A Human Ivig, Modulates The Inflammatory Response Of The Brain And Lowers AΒ In App/Ps1 Mice Along A Different Time Course Than Anti-AΒ Antibodies, Tiffany L. Sudduth, Abigail Greenstein, Donna M. Wilcock

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

Gammagard IVIg is a therapeutic approach to treat Alzheimer's disease currently in phase 3 clinical trials. Despite the reported efficacy of the approach the mechanism of action is poorly understood. We have previously shown that intracranial injection of anti-Aβ antibodies into the frontal cortex and hippocampus reveals important information regarding the time course of events once the agent is in the brain. In the current study we compared IVIg, mouse-pooled IgG, and the anti-Aβ antibody 6E10 injected intracranially into the frontal cortex and hippocampus of 7-month-old APP/PS1 mice. We established a time course of events ranging from 1 …

An Examination Of Executive Function, Mild Cognitive Impairment And Fall Risk In Community Dwelling Older Adults, Jennifer A. Blackwood

Dissertations

The aim of this three-paper dissertation was to examine the relationship between fall risk, executive function (EF) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in community dwelling older adults. Papers one and two describe how mild changes in cognition influence performance on four measures of fall risk, the Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSTS), usual gait speed, the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and the Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC) in a group of community dwelling older adults. The third paper describes if participation in a progressively challenging domain specific computerized cognitive training intervention influenced performance on measures of …

Comprehensive Behavioral Characterization Of An App/Ps-1 Double Knock-In Mouse Model Of Alzheimer's Disease, Scott J. Webster, Adam D. Bachstetter, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION: Despite the extensive mechanistic and pathological characterization of the amyloid precursor protein (APP)/presenilin-1 (PS-1) knock-in mouse model of Alzheimer's disease (AD), very little is known about the AD-relevant behavioral deficits in this model. Characterization of the baseline behavioral performance in a variety of functional tasks and identification of the temporal onset of behavioral impairments are important to provide a foundation for future preclinical testing of AD therapeutics. Here we perform a comprehensive behavioral characterization of this model, discuss how the observed behavior correlates with the mechanistic and pathological observations of others, and compare this model with other commonly used …

Pilot Comparative Effectiveness Study Of Surface Perturbation Treadmill Training To Prevent Falls In Older Adults, Jon D. Lurie, Alexandra B. Zagaria, Dawna M. Pidgeon, Judith L. Forman, Kevin Spratt

Dartmouth Scholarship

Falls are the leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among older adults. Exercise programs appear to reduce fall risk, but the optimal type, frequency, and duration of exercise is unknown. External perturbations such as tripping and slipping are a major contributor to falls, and task-specific perturbation training to enhance dynamic stability has emerged as a promising approach to modifying fall risk. The purpose of this pilot study was 1) to determine the feasibility of conducting a large pragmatic randomized trial comparing a multidimensional exercise program inclusive of the surface perturbation treadmill training (SPTT) to multidimensional exercise alone (Standard PT); …

Polypharmacy In Elderly: A Cautious Trail To Tread, Saniya Raghib Sabzwari, Waris Qidwai, Seema Bhanji

Department of Family Medicine

Polypharmacy has now increasingly come into focus as the recipient of healthcare in old age worldwide. In elderly it is associated with frequent adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and drug-drug interactions resulting in significant morbidity. Geriatrics is still an emerging specialty in South Asia, especially in Pakistan, where multiple reasons for polypharmacy exist. An extensive literature review of articles using key words like \'polypharmacy,\' \'elderly\' was conducted. The recently updated Beers Criteria of classification of inappropriate drugs in the elderly was reviewed in detail. Articles of relevance to polypharmacy and evaluation of guidelines for appropriate interventions to minimise inappropriate drug prescribing …

Modern Technology And An Aging Population: Can The Use Of The Wii Fit Gaming System Improve Functional Balance In Community Dwelling Seniors?, Curtis N. Phillips

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Seniors are a growing segment of the population of the United States. By 2030 they will make up nearly 20% of the general population. Senior citizens face many health challenges as they age. Injury due to falling is a major concern for many in this age group. Research shows that approximately one third of seniors will fall each year. Injuries that result from falls have been identified as the number one cause of accidental death in this age group each year. While falls have been studied by researchers for a number of years, and some progress has been made in …

A Study Of Small Rnas From Cerebral Neocortex Of Pathology-Verified Alzheimer's Disease, Dementia With Lewy Bodies, Hippocampal Sclerosis, Frontotemporal Lobar Dementia, And Non-Demented Human Controls, Sébastien S. Hébert, Wang-Xia Wang, Qi Zhu, Peter T. Nelson

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small (20-22 nucleotides) regulatory non-coding RNAs that strongly influence gene expression. Most prior studies addressing the role of miRNAs in neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) have focused on individual diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), making disease-to-disease comparisons impossible. Using RNA deep sequencing, we sought to analyze in detail the small RNAs (including miRNAs) in the temporal neocortex gray matter from non-demented controls (n = 2), AD (n = 5), dementia with Lewy bodies (n = 4), hippocampal sclerosis of aging (n = 4), and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD) (n = 5) cases, together accounting for the most prevalent …

Healthy Aging In Massachusetts: Reporting Indicators, Identifying Resources & Activating Allies, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Nina Silverstein, Ruth Palombo, Chae Man Lee, Kristina Turk

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

In Massachusetts, a Healthy Aging Collaborative comprised of a diverse group of stakeholders has been formed for multiple purposes: information sharing around healthy aging, idea generation, partnership building and activity mapping.

Planning For The Growing Older Population: Conducting Community Needs Assessments, Caitlin Coyle, Hayley Gravette, Jan Mutchler, Gerontology Institute, University Of Massachusetts Boston

Office of Community Partnerships Posters

Goals and Objectives: To describe the aging population of each community; To investigate the needs, interests and opinions of mature residents relating to their aging needs for age-related services in their respective communities; To provide recommendations to community partners and their stakeholders about how to create strong communities for older adults, based on needs assessment results; Generate reports and other documents to be used by the Department of Elder Services, other town offices, organizations that provide services, advocates, and community members.

Forging A Niche To Strengthen The Inpatient Geriatric Service Line - Lessons From The Field, Tracie Heckman Msn, Rn, Cmsrn, Carolyn L. Davidson Rn, Phd

Patient Care Services / Nursing

No abstract provided.

Intracranial Injection Of Aav Expressing Nep But Not Ide Reduces Amyloid Pathology In App+Ps1 Transgenic Mice, Nikisha Carty, Kevin R. Nash, Milene Brownlow, Dana Cruite, Donna M. Wilcock, Maj-Linda B. Selenica, Daniel C. Lee, Marcia N. Gordon, Dave Morgan

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The accumulation of β-amyloid peptides in the brain has been recognized as an essential factor in Alzheimer's disease pathology. Several proteases, including Neprilysin (NEP), endothelin converting enzyme (ECE), and insulin degrading enzyme (IDE), have been shown to cleave β-amyloid peptides (Aβ). We have previously reported reductions in amyloid in APP+PS1 mice with increased expression of ECE. In this study we compared the vector-induced increased expression of NEP and IDE. We used recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors expressing either native forms of NEP (NEP-n) or IDE (IDE-n), or engineered secreted forms of NEP (NEP-s) or IDE (IDE-s). In a six-week study, immunohistochemistry …

Bapineuzumab Alters Aβ Composition: Implications For The Amyloid Cascade Hypothesis And Anti-Amyloid Immunotherapy, Alex E. Roher, David H. Cribbs, Ronald C. Kim, Chera L. Maarouf, Charisse M. Whiteside, Tyler A. Kokjohn, Ian D. Daugs, Elizabeth Head, Carolyn Liebsack, Geidy Serrano, Christine Belden, Marwan N. Sabbagh, Thomas G. Beach

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The characteristic neuropathological changes associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other lines of evidence support the amyloid cascade hypothesis. Viewing amyloid deposits as the prime instigator of dementia has now led to clinical trials of multiple strategies to remove or prevent their formation. We performed neuropathological and biochemical assessments of 3 subjects treated with bapineuzumab infusions. Histological analyses were conducted to quantify amyloid plaque densities, Braak stages and the extent of cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). Amyloid-β (Aβ) species in frontal and temporal lobe samples were quantified by ELISA. Western blots of amyloid-β precursor protein (AβPP) and its C-terminal (CT) fragments …

Functional Improvement In Older Adults After A Falls Prevention Pilot Study, Pei-Fen J. Chang, Yong-Fang Kuo

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Falls are a costly, disabling, and life-threatening risk in the elderly. Improvements in physical function, balance, lower extremity strength, and health-related quality of life are hypothesized to help mitigate fall risk. In this pilot study, six women and men with an average age of 81 years participated in a 6-week exercise and education program created to reduce risk of falls. Evaluations were made at baseline and at 6 weeks on four tests: the Functional Status Questionnaire, the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), the Six-minute Walk Test, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life–BREF 26-question test. Scores indicated significant improvement in …

Deficiency In P38Β Mapk Fails To Inhibit Cytokine Production Or Protect Neurons Against Inflammatory Insult In In Vitro And In Vivo Mouse Models, Bin Xing, Adam D. Bachstetter, Linda J. Van Eldik

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The p38 MAPK pathway plays a key role in regulating the production of proinflammatory cytokines, such as TNFα and IL-1β, in peripheral inflammatory disorders. There are four major isoforms of p38 MAPK (p38α, β, δ, γ), with p38α and p38β the targets of most p38 MAPK inhibitor drugs. Our previous studies demonstrated that the p38α MAPK isoform is an important contributor to stressor-induced proinflammatory cytokine up-regulation and neurotoxicity in the brain. However, the potential role of the p38β MAPK isoform in CNS proinflammatory cytokine overproduction and neurotoxicity is poorly understood. In the current studies, we used primary microglia from wild …

Lifelong Bilingualism Maintains Neural Efficiency For Cognitive Control In Aging, Brian T. Gold, Chobok Kim, Nathan F. Johnson, Richard J. Kryscio, Charles D. Smith

Neuroscience Faculty Publications

Recent behavioral data have shown that lifelong bilingualism can maintain youthful cognitive control abilities in aging. Here, we provide the first direct evidence of a neural basis for the bilingual cognitive control boost in aging. Two experiments were conducted, using a perceptual task-switching paradigm, including a total of 110 participants. In Experiment 1, older adult bilinguals showed better perceptual switching performance than their monolingual peers. In Experiment 2, younger and older adult monolinguals and bilinguals completed the same perceptual task-switching experiment while functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed. Typical age-related performance reductions and fMRI activation increases were observed. However, …

The Institutional Context That Supports Team-Based Care For Older Adults, Anna Foucek Tresidder

Dissertations and Theses

The aging population in the U.S. is dramatically increasing; it is predicted that not only will individuals live longer but also that they will live with multiple chronic diseases that could require high levels of medical and social resources. While the aging population increases, the number of health care providers choosing to specialize in caring for the elderly is decreasing just as dramatically. Teams are believed to be a possible response to more efficiently use the providers available, take advantage of alternative provider types, and integrate a range of health and social services to meet patient needs more effectively. Interdisciplinary …

Dreams And Wonder, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Many centenarians have dreams and a sense of wonder. Many of the very old possess dreams that push or pull them; these seem to act as goals still ahead. Perhaps this orientation to a future impels their continuation.

Being In The Moment, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

There seems to be a disconnect between the moment in time and really experiencing it. In the past, if one were privileged to reach late life, one would take time to be in that moment, rather than trying to avoid it. This returns us to the observations of being in the moment and having the full experience of it. Reflection is a gift to be opened in late life.

Partnering, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Collaborative partnering has been a core value of Virginia Center on Aging. Several members are partnering with institutions of higher education, public schools, community businesses, and talented instructors.