Geriatrics Commons^™

Driving Assessment Results In Patients With A Diagnosis Of Dementia, Shirley M. Neitch, Guillermo Madero, Shawn Maynard

Internal Medicine

Primary care physicians are frequently involved in cases in which they must decide if a patient with dementia should stop driving. The decision is complex, and there are no firm clinical guidelines available. We examined the results of a number of patients who have undergone assessment in our Driving Assessment Clinic, to determine if any of our findings correlated with the diagnosis of dementia. If any associations exist, recommendations may be possible to assist PCPs in making the decision to have patients stop driving, even if full formal testing cannot be done.

Are Scores On The Ppt Useful In Determination Of Risk Of Future Falls In Individuals With Dementia?, Mary K. Farrell, Richard A. Rutt, Michelle M. Lusardi, Ann K. Williams

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease (AD), exhibit both a progressive decline in cognitive function and accumulating difficulty with physical function.¹ As cognitive impairment begins, individuals will initially demonstrate difficulties with short-term memory and with instrumental activities of daily living. As the dementia progresses, individuals will increasingly demonstrate difficulties with long-term memory, communication, and basic activities of daily living.

Dimensions Of Aging And Belonging For The Older Person And The Effects Of Ageism, Laurence C. Nolan

Brigham Young University Journal of Public Law

No abstract provided.

Patterns Of Microrna Expression In Normal And Early Alzheimer's Disease Human Temporal Cortex: White Matter Versus Gray Matter, Wang-Xia Wang, Qingwei Huang, Yanling Hu, Arnold J. Stromberg, Peter T. Nelson

Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Faculty Publications

MicroRNA (miRNA) expression was assessed in human cerebral cortical gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) in order to provide the first insights into the difference between GM and WM miRNA repertoires across a range of Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. RNA was isolated separately from GM and WM portions of superior and middle temporal cerebral cortex (N = 10 elderly females, postmortem interval < 4 h). miRNA profiling experiments were performed using state-of-the-art Exiqon^© LNA-microarrays. A subset of miRNAs that appeared to be strongly expressed according to the microarrays did not appear to be conventional miRNAs according to Northern blot analyses. Some well-characterized miRNAs were substantially enriched in WM …

Massachusetts’ Home Care Programs And Reasons For Discharge Into Nursing Homes, Cathy M. Wong, Nina M. Silverstein

Gerontology Institute Publications

Home and community-based services (HCBS) are a range of long-term care services intended to enable older adults and persons with disabilities to “age in place” in their own homes and communities. Previous studies well document that older adults prefer receiving HCBS rather than institutional care at a nursing home. One study concluded that 84 percent of older Americans, aged 50 years and older, want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Medicaid is a major source of funding for long term care. Currently, a large proportion of Medicaid funds in most states has been spent on institutional, …

Cx3cl1 Reduces Neurotoxicity And Microglial Activation In A Rat Model Of Parkinson's Disease, Mibel M. Pabon, Adam D. Bachstetter, Charles E. Hudson, Carmelina Gemma, Paula C. Bickford

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease is characterized by a progressive loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. The cause of the neurodegeneration is unknown. Neuroinflammation has been clearly shown in Parkinson's disease and may be involved in the progressive nature of the disease. Microglia are capable of producing neuronal damage through the production of bioactive molecules such as cytokines, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide (NO). The inflammatory response in the brain is tightly regulated at multiple levels. One form of immune regulation occurs via neurons. Fractalkine (CX3CL1), produced by neurons, suppresses the activation of microglia. CX3CL1 …

Forever Young, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Gerontologists theorize that each of us is shaped by the influences of cohort and historical time. If there's a oneness of who we were and who we are, then Bob Dylan's music is in many of us. Forever Young is not a paean to age denial. Rather, it seems to invoke virtues or characteristics that never grow old: charity to others, acceptance of kindness, hope, righteousness, courage, fortitude, industriousness, and joy.

Falls, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Falls are common, affecting about one third of community-dwelling adults over age 65 and about half over age 80. The risk factors for falling are complex, and falls may themselves be a signal for other troubling conditions. When fear of falling emerges as an issue for some elders, they are likely to reduce their activities, thinking that this will reduce their risk, and isolation and depression can ensue. There are teaching roles for nurses, physicians, and physical therapists in sharing with other professions how to assess gait, vision, or dizziness.

Baby Boomers And Stereotypes, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

With age we become more and more like ourselves. This would mean millions and millions of individual Baby Boomers, each with his or her own characteristics and life trajectory. Stereotyping would, therefore, be wrong, but it is happening.

The Most Terrible Poverty, Edward F. Ansello

Director's Editorials from Age in Action

Caring, private individuals and agency employees and volunteers in "direct" or "human" services regularly deliver what can be called love, the antidote to the poverty of loneliness. Let's acknowledge the essential importance of people in various forms of human services who reach out to others who are alone.

The Impact Of Providing Rehab Mobility Equipment To Those In Need, Bruce Stelmack, Brian Leitten

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Discuss the need to provide rehabilitation mobility equipment at no cost to those who have no other means to obtain it.

2. Assess the impact on a community when mobility equipment for underinsured impaired persons (“at risk”) cannot be secured.

3. Describe a successful recycling program that provides free rehabilitation mobility equipment.

4. Explain the importance of a community- based model to provide rehabilitation equipment.

Universal Design In Housing, Steve Hansler, Beth Glas

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Show how an aging population increases the need for housing that is accessible and adaptable.

2. Define visitability, universal design, and accessible design.

3. Explain ways to approach universal design including key factors.

4. Illustrate how universal design can be used in both renovation and new construction.

Alcohol, Medications, And Older Adults, Mailtreyee Mohanty, Patricia Slattum

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. Describe patterns of simultaneous use of alcohol and Central Nervous System (CNS) - acting medications among older adults.

2. Understand the mechanisms of interaction between alcohol and CNS-acting medications and their consequences.

3. Identify strategies to prevent alcohol-medication interactions among older adults.

4. Recommend resources for older adults and service providers for identifying and managing problematic alcohol and medication use.

Habilitation Therapy In Dementia Care, Paul Raia

Case Studies from Age in Action

Educational Objectives

1. To describe the goal of Habilitation Therapy and how it differs from other methods of dementia care, including rehabilitation.

2. To identify areas or domains in which we have opportunities to bring about and sustain positive emotions.

3. To discuss four communication strategies to use with mid- to laterstage Alzheimer’s patients.

Is Thrombolytic Therapy Safe When Used To Treat Elderly Patients?, Daniel Yaeger

The Science Journal of the Lander College of Arts and Sciences

Recently, research has been conducted to determine if thrombolytic therapy works to dissolve clots and if it is a safe treatment option. The specific purpose of this study is to determine if thrombolytic therapy is safe for use in the elderly. This study was conducted by reviewing the relevant literature that has been published from the time that research began to test the usefulness of thrombolytic therapy. Numerous journals were examined to ensure impartiality and emerge with an unbiased conclusion. The journals were discovered using PubMed article finder, using Google as a search engine, and by scrutinizing relevant references found …

Nitric Oxide And Osteoporosis: What A Gas!, Sophie Jamal

Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging Presentations

No abstract provided.

Residency Corner, Tamara Gravano

Physical Therapy Faculty Research

The new Residency Corner will feature articles written by residents that describe topics such as in-depth case analysis, problem solving, and practice as nonphysician primary care providers. Here residents will get to discuss their findings and thought-processes with an audience of their peers--those clinicians and academics interested in the advancement of geriatric health care. Also, for those who may be interested to see what geriatric residency education is really all about, these clinical snapshots can help remove the veil and provide a glimpse into the level of practice our residents are experiencing. Yet, this is only one half of the …

Evaluation Of Verbal Behavior In Older Adults, Amy Gross

Dissertations

Older adults make up a large and increasing portion of the population (U.S. apply those assessments to the evaluation of verbal behavior in older adults with and without dementia. The research addressed two questions. First, in what way do verbal behavior problems differ between older adults with and without dementia? Second, does language deteriorate in a pattern compatible with Skinner's analysis of functionally independent verbal operants? Thirty-one participants were categorized into Control (n=15) and Dementia (n=16) Groups based on their score on the Dementia Rating Scale-2. Verbal behavior assessments were administered to participants on two occasions, separated by one week. …

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder In Childhood Is Associated With Cognitive Test Profiles In The Geriatric Population But Not With Mild Cognitive Impairment Or Alzheimer's Disease, N. Ivanchak, Erin L. Abner, S. A. Carr, S. J. Freeman, A. Seybert, John Ranseen, Gregory A. Jicha

Sanders-Brown Center on Aging Faculty Publications

The frequency of ADHD in the aging population and its relationship to late-life cognitive decline has not been studied previously. To address this gap in our understanding, the Wender-Utah ADHD Rating scale (WURS) was administered to 310 geriatric subjects with cognitive status ranging from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment to overt dementia. The frequency of WURS-positive ADHD in this sample was 4.4%. WURS scores were not related to cognitive diagnoses, but did show nonlinear associations with tasks requiring sustained attention. The frequency of ADHD appears stable across generations and does not appear to be associated with MCI or dementia …

Preference Assessments For Older Adults With Dementia: Utility Of The Mswo Procedure And Assessment Of The Stability Of Preference, Paige B. Raetz

Dissertations

Individuals with dementia suffer from a variety of cognitive deficits that can lead to a lack of engagement in activities. In recent years, researchers have begun to look at ways to assess preferences in hopes that increased identification of leisure items may lead to increases in engagement. Due to the decline in cognitive status a simple questionnaire may not be sufficient to assess preference for this population. As a result, several recent studies have incorporated the use of systematic preference assessments to assess preference for leisure activities with adults with dementia using a paired stimulus format. The purpose of the …