scholarly journals Gait Speed Is Associated with Cognitive Function among Older Adults with HIV

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 1510-1515
Author(s):  
Heather M. Derry ◽  
Carrie D. Johnston ◽  
Chelsie O. Burchett ◽  
Eugenia L. Siegler ◽  
Marshall J. Glesby
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Medical Outcomes ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Survey Results ◽  
Device Use

Objectives: To determine links between objectively and subjectively measured physical function and cognitive function among HIV-positive older adults, a growing yet understudied group with elevated risk for multimorbidity. Methods: At a biomedical research visit, 162 participants completed objective tests of gait speed (4-m walk), grip strength (dynamometer), and cognitive function (Montreal Cognitive Assessment, MoCA) and reported their well-being (Medical Outcomes Study-HIV survey). Results: Those with faster gait speed had better overall cognitive function than those with slower gait speed ( b = 3.98, SE = 1.30, p = .003) in an adjusted regression model controlling for age, sex, race, height, preferred language, and assistive device use. Grip strength was not significantly associated with overall cognitive function. Self-rated cognitive function was weakly related to MoCA scores ( r = .26) and gait speed ( r = .14) but was strongly associated with emotional well-being ( r = .53). Discussion: These observed, expected connections between physical and cognitive function could inform intervention strategies to mitigate age-related declines for older adults with HIV.

scholarly journals Associating Gait Phase and Physical Fitness with Global Cognitive Function in the Aged

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (13) ◽  
pp. 4786
Author(s):  
Byungjoo Noh ◽  
Changhong Youm ◽  
Myeounggon Lee ◽  
Hwayoung Park
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Physical Fitness ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Stance Phase ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Sit To Stand ◽  
Global Cognitive Function ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Type Data

This study aimed to identify classifier variables by considering both gait and physical fitness for identifying adults aged over 75 years and global cognitive function declines in older adults. The participants included 735 adults aged 65–89 years who were asked to walk at three different speeds (slower, preferred, and faster) while wearing inertial measurement units embedded in shoe-type data loggers and to perform nine physical fitness tests. The variability in the stance phase as well as the strength, balance, and functional endurance showed a strong dependence on the age being over 75 years. The cognitive function was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination; a longer stance phase at a slower walking speed and decreased grip strength and five times sit-to-stand were associated with cognitive function. These findings may be useful for determining the decline in physical performance of older adults. A longer stance phase and decreased grip strength and five times sit-to-stand may be factors that help distinguish declines in cognitive function from normal age-related declines.

scholarly journals The Impact of Assistive Device Use on Disability and Depression Among Older Adults With Age-Related Vision Impairments

2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. S274-S280 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Horowitz ◽  
M. Brennan ◽  
J. P. Reinhardt ◽  
T. MacMillan
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Device Use ◽  
The Impact

A Review and Reappraisal of the Default Network in Normal Aging and Dementia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica R. Andrews-Hanna ◽  
Matthew D. Grilli ◽  
Muireann Irish
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Normal Aging ◽  
Aging Brain ◽  
Default Network ◽  
Pathological Aging ◽  
Age Related

The brain’s default network (DN) has received considerable interest in the context of so-called “normal” and pathological aging. Findings have generally been couched in support of a pessimistic view of brain aging, marked by substantial loss of structural brain integrity accompanied by a host of impairments in brain and cognitive function. A critical look at the literature, however, reveals that the standard loss of integrity, loss of function (LILF) view in normal aging may not necessarily hold with respect to the DN and the internally guided functions it supports. Many internally guided processes subserved by the DN are preserved or enhanced in cognitively healthy older adults. Moreover, differences in motivational, contextual, and physiological factors between young and older adults likely influence the extant neuroimaging and cognitive findings. Accordingly, normal aging can be viewed as a series of possibly adaptive cognitive and DN-related alterations that bolster cognitive function and promote socioemotional well-being and stability in a stage of life noted for change. On the other hand, the available evidence reveals strong support for the LILF view of the DN in neurodegenerative disorders, whereby syndromes such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and semantic dementia (SD), characterized by progressive atrophy to distinct DN subsystems, display distinct aberrations in autobiographical and semantic cognition. Taken together, these findings call for more naturalistic, age-appropriate, and longitudinal paradigms when investigating neurocognitive changes in aging and to adequately assess and control for differences in non-neural factors that may obscure “true” effects of normal and pathological aging. A shift in the framework with which age-related alterations in internally guided cognition are interpreted may shed important light on the neurocognitive mechanisms differentiating healthy and pathological aging, leading to a more complete picture of the aging brain in all its complexity.

Assistive Device Use among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Profile of Canadians Using Hearing, Vision, and Mobility Devices in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Yoko Ishigami ◽  
Jeffrey Jutai ◽  
Susan Kirkland
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Assistive Devices ◽  
Assistive Device ◽  
Functional Impairments ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Device Use

ABSTRACT There is increasing recognition that using assistive devices can support healthy aging. Minimizing discomfort and loss of function and increasing independence can have a substantial impact physically, psychologically, and financially on persons with functional impairments and resulting activity limitations, as well as on caregivers and communities. However, it remains unclear who uses assistive devices and how device use can influence social participation. The current analysis used CLSA baseline data from 51,338 older adults between the ages of 45 and 85. Measures of socio-demographic, health, and social characteristics were analyzed by sex and age groups. Weighted cross-tabulations were used to report correlations between independent variables and assistive device use for hearing, vision, and mobility. We found that assistive device use was higher among those who were of older age, had less education, were widowed, had lower income, and had poorer health. Assistive devices were used differently according to sex and social participation, providing insight into assistive device use for the well-being of older adults and their families.

scholarly journals CAN NEIGHBORHOOD AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTS MODIFY COGNITIVE DECLINE? FINDINGS FROM THE REGARDS STUDY

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S26-S26
Author(s):  
Philippa J Clarke ◽  
Jessica M Finlay
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Regards Study

Abstract Environmental factors may significantly increase the risk of, or buffer against, age-related cognitive decline, yet policies and practices to improve cognitive health outcomes to date largely overlook the role of neighborhoods and socio-physical environmental contexts. Residence in socioeconomically advantaged neighborhoods may promote cognitive function through greater density of physical and social resources (e.g., libraries, parks, coffee shops, air conditioning, community centers) that promote physical activity, facilitate mental stimulation, and encourage social engagement. This symposium will identify natural, built, and social environmental factors linked to changes in cognitive function over time (assessed by animal naming and world list learning tests) based on secondary data analyses of a national, racially diverse (42% Black), population-based sample of over 30,000 Americans aged 45+ in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study followed annually since 2003. The first two papers investigate the roles of racial residential segregation and education on cognitive function disparities at the neighborhood and city scale. The third paper explores fast-food restaurants as socially interactive community spaces for older adults that may help buffer against cognitive decline. The fourth paper investigates effects of local air temperature on cognitive testing performance, and discusses how regional differences and seasonality may buffer or exacerbate temperature-cognition associations. Altogether, the symposium elucidates how cognitive health is impacted by a complex interplay of individual and geographic factors. The papers inform policy-making efforts to improve physical neighborhood environments and social community contexts, which are critical to the well-being of older adults aging in place.

Talk or Walk? Gait Speed over Self-Report in Association with Cognitive Speed in Healthy Older Adults

GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-52
Author(s):  
Matthew C. Costello ◽  
Shane J. Sizemore ◽  
Kimberly E. O’Brien ◽  
Lydia K. Manning
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Older Adult ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Subjective Report ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Relative Value ◽  
Cognitive Speed ◽  
Age Range

Abstract. This study explores the relative value of both subjectively reported cognitive speed and gait speed in association with objectively derived cognitive speed. It also explores how these factors are affected by psychological and physical well-being. A group of 90 cognitively healthy older adults ( M = 73.38, SD = 8.06 years, range = 60–89 years) were tested in a three-task cognitive battery to determine objective cognitive speed as well as measures of gait speed, well-being, and subjective cognitive speed. Analyses indicated that gait speed was associated with objective cognitive speed to a greater degree than was subjective report, the latter being more closely related to well-being than to objective cognitive speed. These results were largely invariant across the 30-year age range of our older adult sample.

scholarly journals Multidimensional Sleep Health and Physical Functioning in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 428-428
Author(s):  
Caitlan Tighe ◽  
Ryan Brindle ◽  
Sarah Stahl ◽  
Meredith Wallace ◽  
Adam Bramoweth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Grip Strength ◽  
Physical Functioning ◽  
Gait Speed ◽  
The United States ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Sleep Health ◽  
Lower Extremity Strength ◽  
Sleep Parameters

Abstract Prior studies link specific sleep parameters to physical functioning in older adults. Recent work suggests the utility of examining sleep health from a multidimensional perspective, enabling consideration of an individual’s experience across multiple different sleep parameters (e.g., quality, duration, timing). We examined the associations of multidimensional sleep health with objective, performance-based measures of physical functioning in older adults. We conducted a secondary analysis of 158 adults (Mage=71.8 years; 51.9% female) who participated in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) 2 and MIDUS Refresher studies. We used data from daily diaries, wrist actigraphy, and self-report measures to derive a composite multidimensional sleep health score ranging from 0-6, with higher scores indicating better sleep health. Physical function was assessed using gait speed during a 50-foot timed walk, lower extremity strength as measured by a chair stand test, and grip strength assessed with dynamometers. We used hierarchical regression to examine the associations between sleep health and gait speed, lower extremity strength, and grip strength. Age, sex, race, education, depression symptoms, medical comorbidity, and body mass index were covariates in each model. In adjusted analyses, better multidimensional sleep health was significantly associated with faster gait speed (B=.03, p=.01). Multidimensional sleep health was not significantly associated with lower limb strength (B=-.12, p=.89) or grip strength (B=.45, p=.40). Gait speed is a key indicator of functional capacity as well as morbidity and mortality in older adults. Multidimensional sleep health may be a therapeutic target for improving physical functioning and health in older adults.

scholarly journals Perception Versus Reality: Subjective and Objective Neighborhood Characteristics and Cognitive Function in REGARDS

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 703-703
Author(s):  
Jessica Finlay ◽  
Philippa Clarke ◽  
Lisa Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Functional Mobility ◽  
Neighborhood Size ◽  
Regards Study

Abstract Does the world shrink as we age? The neighborhood captures a spatial area someone inhabits and moves through on a daily basis. It reflects a balance between internal perceptions and abilities, and the external environment which may enable or restrict participation in everyday life. We frequently hear that older adults have shrinking neighborhoods given declining functional mobility. This is associated with declines in physical and cognitive functioning, depression, poorer quality of life, and mortality. Knowledge of the interplay between objective and subjective neighborhood measurement remains limited. This symposium will explore these linked yet distinct constructs based on secondary data analyses of the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, a racially diverse sample of 30,000+ aging Americans. Finlay investigates how someone’s perceived neighborhood size (in number of blocks) varies by individual and geographic characteristics including age, cognitive function, self-rated health, and urban/rural context. Esposito’s analyses focus on neighborhood size in relation to race and residential segregation. Clarke compares subjective perceptions of neighborhood parks and safety from crime to objective indicators, and examines variations by health and cognitive status. Barnes will critically consider implications for how older adults interpret and engage with their surrounding environments. The symposium questions the validity of neighborhood-based metrics to reflect the perspectives and experiences of older residents, particularly those navigating cognitive decline. It informs policy-making efforts to improve physical neighborhood environments and social community contexts, which are critical to the health and well-being of older adults aging in place.

scholarly journals Comparing the Protective Value of Human and Pet Social Support on Well-Being of Older Adults During COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 936-936
Author(s):  
Juliet Sobering ◽  
Lisa Brown
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Behavioral Activation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Psychological Benefits ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Media Reports

Abstract Older adults are vulnerable to particular risk factors that contribute to lower well-being and poorer functioning. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of social support has been highlighted in media reports because of its well-known beneficial effects on overall well-being. However, as adults age, social networks, contacts, and activities naturally decrease. These age-related losses are often difficult, if not impossible, to replace. Pets have recently been recognized as a valuable source of social support for many older adults, providing both physical and psychological benefits through mutual connection and behavioral activation. Previous studies have examined how human social support or pet social support enhance older adults’ well-being (i.e., positive emotions, engagement, relationships, accomplishment, and meaning). However, there is a gap in our scientific knowledge as previous research has not evaluated if pet social support can serve as a protective factor in the absence of adequate human social support. Current analyses, with 141 older adult participants, suggests that pet owners with a positive attachment to their pet experience higher well-being as pets serve as a coping resource that protects against common life stressors. Similar to human social support, pet social support appears to be a protective factor that also promotes and fosters a sense of well-being in older adults. Support in late life is especially important for families and agencies to be attuned to, especially during a global pandemic.

scholarly journals Effects of Participation in Social Activities on Cognitive Function Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in Korea

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (10) ◽  
pp. 2315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jongnam Hwang ◽  
Sangmin Park ◽  
Sujin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Activities ◽  
The Social ◽  
Gender Groups

Cognitive function is a critical health issue in later life, the decline of which disrupts well-being and daily life function. Cognitive decline in older ages can also be understood in the context of the social environment such as social connectedness and engagement in personal life. This study aimed to examine: (1) whether participation in social activities contributes to preventing cognitive decline, and (2) what type of social activities are beneficial to maintaining cognitive function. Data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLOSA) 2006–2014, a longitudinal survey of the household-dwelling population aged 45 and older in Korea were used. The results revealed that Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores decreased with increasing age, at a rate of approximately 0.18 units across all age-gender groups, and the decrease was steeper for adults aged 65 and over. Participation in social gatherings was likely to delay the decline in cognitive function after the age of 65. In a gender-stratified model, social activity may not have an impact on the decline of cognitive function for men, whereas participation in social gatherings was negatively related to the decline of MMSE scores in women. This study suggests the need for a gender-stratified policy for preventing the decline of cognitive function while promoting engagement in social activities in Korean older adults.

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