Search results for " decline"
showing 10 items of 247 documents
alpha-Glycerophosphocholine in the mental recovery of cerebral ischemic attacks. An Italian multicenter clinical trial.
1994
The clinical efficacy and the tolerability of alpha-glycerophosphocholine (alpha-GPC), a drug able to provide high levels of choline for the nervous cells of the brain and to protect their cell walls, have been tested in a clinical open multicenter trial on 2044 patients suffering from recent stroke or transient ischemic attacks. alpha-GPC was administered after the attack at the daily dose of 1000 mg im for 28 days and orally at the dose of 400 mg tid during the following 5 months after the first phase. The evaluation of the efficacy on the psychic recovery was done by the Mathew Scale (MS) during the period of im drug administration, and using the Mini Mental State Test (MMST), the Cricht…
The impact of structural and functional characteristics of social relations as determinants of functional decline.
2004
Objectives This study examines whether aspects of social relations at baseline are related to functional decline at 5-year follow-up among nondisabled old men and women. Methods The investigation is based on baseline and follow-up data on 651 nondisabled 75-year-old persons in Jyvaskyla (Finland) and Glostrup (Denmark). The analyses are performed separately for men and women. Possible selection problems were considered by using three outcome measures: first, functional decline among the survivors (n = 425); second, functional decline, including death, assuming that death is part of a general decline pattern (n = 565); and third, mortality (n = 651). Social relations were measured at baselin…
Sexual activity and cognitive decline in older age: a prospective cohort study
2020
Background: To explore the association between sexual activity and change in cognitive function over 4 years in a representative sample of older adults in England. Methods: Data were from 1963 men and 2513 women participating in Wave 6 (2012/2013) and Wave 8 (2016/2017) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Participants reported whether or not they had engaged in any sexual activity in the last year. Cognitive function was assessed with tests of immediate and delayed recall. Adjusted general linear models were used to test associations between sexual activity and changes in cognitive function. Results: Men who were sexually active at baseline had better preservation in immediate (0.1…
Mediterranean Diet and Age-Related Cognitive Decline
2015
IMPORTANCE: Oxidative stress and vascular impairment are believed to partly mediate age-related cognitive decline, a strong risk factor for development of dementia. Epidemiologic studies suggest that a Mediterranean diet, an antioxidant-rich cardioprotective dietary pattern, delays cognitive decline, but clinical trial evidence is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether a Mediterranean diet supplemented with antioxidant-rich foods influences cognitive function compared with a control diet. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Parallel-group randomized clinical trial of 447 cognitively healthy volunteers from Barcelona, Spain (233 women [52.1%]; mean age, 66.9 years), at high cardiovascular…
The relevance of nutrition for the concept of cognitive frailty
2016
Purpose of review Physical and cognitive frailty are interrelated and synergistic syndromes more frequently seen in old age, which represent intermediate stages between aging successfully and disability. Poor nutrition is a fundamental determinant for both conditions, while various dietary components are proposed to prevent and/or improve them. This updated review discusses the possible influence of nutritional factors on cognitive frailty and its potential mediators. Recent findings Oxidative stress, low-grade systemic inflammation, neuroinflammation, and altered autophagy, all associated with obesity, metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance, are proposed mechanisms to explain the influe…
Depressive Mood and Testosterone Related to Declarative Verbal Memory Decline in Middle-Aged Caregivers of Children with Eating Disorders
2016
Caring for children diagnosed with a chronic psychological disorder such as an eating disorder (ED) can be used as a model of chronic stress. This kind of stress has been reported to have deleterious effects on caregivers' cognition, particularly in verbal declarative memory of women caregivers. Moreover, high depressive mood and variations in testosterone (T) levels moderate this cognitive decline. The purpose of this study was to characterize whether caregivers of individuals with EDs (n = 27) show declarative memory impairments compared to non-caregivers caregivers (n = 27), using for this purpose a standardized memory test (Rey's Auditory Verbal Learning Test). Its purpose was also to e…
Designing ICTs for Users with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Usability Study
2020
Background: Research has supported the cost-effectiveness of cognitive training tools enhanced by information and communication technologies (ICT) in several populations, including individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and age-related cognitive decline. The implementation of ICTs in this population, however, is sometimes challenging to their cognitive and age characteristics. Ultimately, this might compromise the effectiveness of ICT-enhanced therapies in this population. The aim of this study is to test the usability and acceptability of a European project prototype for elderly care, in an attempt to explore the ICT design needs of users with MCI. Methods: Participants were 28 i…
Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Hippocampus in MCI and Early Alzheimer's Disease
2011
The hippocampus is among the first brain structures to be affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD) pathology. Microstructural alterations within this region have been quantified in vivo using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a relatively novel MRI-based technique for mapping diffusion properties of water. Existing evidence indicates that DTI-derived mean diffusivity (MD) of the anterior hippocampus is more predictive than ordinary volumetric indices of the degree of episodic memory impairment in patients with early AD. Thus, altered MD of the (anterior) hippocampus might be highly indicative of hippocampal dysfunction, thereby potentially qualifying this measure as a candidate marker for monitor…
Memory performance is related to the cortisol awakening response in older people, but not to the diurnal cortisol slope
2015
There are large individual differences in age-related cognitive decline. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) functioning has been suggested as one of the mechanisms underlying these differences. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between the diurnal cortisol cycle, measured as the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and the diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) and the memory performance of healthy older people. To do so, we assessed the verbal, visual, and working memory performance of 64 participants (32 men) from 57 to 76 years old who also provided 14 saliva samples on two consecutive weekdays to determine their diurnal cortisol cycle. The CAR was linearly and negatively…
The relationship between loneliness and cognition in healthy older men and women: The role of cortisol
2018
Abstract Loneliness has been associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older people, as well as a dysregulation of Hypothalamic–Pituitary–Adrenal (HPA) axis functioning. In addition, it has been suggested that women are more vulnerable to the negative effects of loneliness on health. Our aim was to analyze the effect of HPA-axis functioning as a mediator in the relationship between loneliness and cognitive function, and interactions depending on sex, in healthy older people. To do so, 86 healthy older people (52.3% female) from 60 to 80 years old (M = 67.44, SD = 4.37) completed the revised UCLA loneliness scale. A neuropsychological battery was administered to …