Aging clinical and experimental research
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Dysgraphia is a recognized clinical finding in delirium, but few studies have evaluated handwriting, and results have been inconsistent. In particular, handwritten signatures, which may be a motor automatism, have not been previously evaluated in delirious patients. The aim was to assess abnormalities of signature and spontaneous writing in delirious patients and to investigate their clinical utility in the detection of delirium. ⋯ An abnormal signature may be an indicator of delirium. People with delirium have handwriting problems, which may be partly caused by cognitive impairment but also by disorders of motor function.
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Non-pharmacological treatment in Alzheimer's Disease has gained great attention in recent years. The limited efficacy of drug therapy and the plasticity of human central nervous system are the two main reasons that explain this growing interest in rehabilitation. Different approaches have been developed. Here we discuss the efficacy of non-pharmacological therapy in the frame of two main approaches: Multistrategy Approaches (Reality Orientation, Reminiscence Therapy and Validation Therapy) and Cognitive Methods.
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Hand function weakens with age in both men and women, especially after the age of 65. As the number of older people increases, more older adults may have sensorimotor impairment, which affects upper extremity (UE) performance and thus independence in the activities of daily life. The purpose of this study was to detect and evaluate the impact of age on pressure pain threshold (PPT), touch/pressure threshold and grip strength in the decades after the age of 60. ⋯ Despite the fact that age-related sensorimotor changes are not statistically significant, a reduction is seen in sensorimotor parameters after the age of 60.
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This study aimed at examining factors related to osteoarthritis (OA) symptom severity in African American and Caucasian veterans (n=202). ⋯ Among this sample of veterans, African Americans had significantly higher WOMAC scores than Caucasians after controlling for other important demographic and clinical factors. Different and more intense treatment strategies may be needed for African American veterans with OA.