Journal of gerontology
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Journal of gerontology · Jan 1987
Comparative StudyCross-cultural comparability of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: an American-Japanese comparison.
This study involves an American-Japanese comparison of the factorial structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale. A model containing 11 of the original PGC Morale Scale items was found to fit both the American and Japanese data adequately. Factorial invariance was analyzed by testing a series of nested hypotheses involving various equivalence constraints. No major differences were found in the 11-item PGC Morale Scale between the American and Japanese data sets.
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The effect of age on pain sensitivity is unclear. Some studies suggest a loss of pain perception with age, whereas other studies indicate either no change or an increase in pain sensitivity with age. ⋯ Middle-age adults showed the lowest sensory sensitivity and greatest affective pain ratings. Although results indicate a significant but small tendency for older adults to underrate low and overrate higher intensity contact heat compared with younger adults, similarities in pain perception were stronger than differences among the age groups.
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Journal of gerontology · Sep 1985
Diagnostic evaluation of 200 elderly outpatients with suspected dementia.
A standardized diagnostic evaluation was performed on 200 consecutive patients over age 60 with suspected dementia. Diagnoses were confirmed by consensus and subsequently by follow up. Over 70% had Alzheimer's type dementia; 31% had more than one illness contributing to the dementia state, with overlap between the two groups. ⋯ Our results emphasize the importance of recognizing and treating the multiple illnesses that contribute to dementia in elderly adults. The distribution of illnesses in demented elderly outpatients is different from that reported in younger patients with dementia. Diagnostic strategies and expectations need to be based on data obtained from studies of elderly patients with suspected dementia.
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Journal of gerontology · Mar 1984
The Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) in geropsychiatric research: II. Representative profile patterns.
Cluster analysis methods were used to classify Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale profiles for a sample of 88 geropsychiatric patients. Five distinct profile patterns were found to represent adequately most differences in symptom and behavior characteristics of the aged patients. ⋯ The appropriateness of this nomenclature is examined with reference to clinical diagnosis, mental status examination, and drug treatment. Prototype profile patterns that can be used to classify future geropsychiatric patients are presented, and a sequence of clinical decisions that should result in similar partitioning of the patient population is discussed.
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Journal of gerontology · Mar 1983
The structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale scale: a reinterpretation.
This research examines the structure of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center (PGC) Morale Scale. A multiple indicator structural equation model including three first-order factors and one second-order factor is proposed to account for the dimensionality of the PGC Morale Scale. ⋯ Given these results, the claim that the PGC Morale Scale is multidimensional is only appropriate for the first-order factors. On the level of the second-order, a unidimensional interpretation is more accurate.