Sleep, Health, and Aging

As people grow older, getting a good night's sleep remains essential to maintaining good health. Insomnia is a common complaint in older adults, and although occasional sleep complaints may not be associated with age, chronic sleep difficulties are experienced more often by older adults than by younger adults

Hybridizing 3-dimensional multiple object tracking with neurofeedback to enhance preparation, performance, and learning

Le vaste domaine de l’amélioration cognitive traverse les applications comportementales, biochimiques et physiques. Aussi nombreuses sont les techniques que les limites de ces premières : des études de pauvre méthodologie, des pratiques éthiquement ambiguës, de faibles effets positifs, des effets secondaires significatifs, des couts financiers importants, un investissement de temps significatif, une accessibilité inégale, et encore un manque de transfert. L’objectif de cette thèse est de proposer une méthode novatrice d’intégration de l’une de ces techniques, le neurofeedback, directement dans un paradigme d’apprentissage afin d’améliorer la performance cognitive et l’apprentissage. Cette thèse propose les modalités, les fondements empiriques et des données à l’appui de ce paradigme efficace d’apprentissage ‘bouclé’. En manipulant la difficulté dans une tâche en fonction de l’activité cérébrale en temps réel, il est démontré que dans un paradigme d’apprentissage traditionnel (3-dimentional multiple object tracking), la vitesse et le degré d’apprentissage peuvent être améliorés de manière significative lorsque comparés au paradigme traditionnel ou encore à un groupe de contrôle actif. La performance améliorée demeure observée même avec un retrait du signal de rétroaction, ce qui suggère que les effets de l’entrainement amélioré sont consolidés et ne dépendent pas d’une rétroaction continue. Ensuite, cette thèse révèle comment de tels effets se produisent, en examinant les corrélés neuronaux des états de préparation et de performance à travers les conditions d’état de base et pendant la tâche, de plus qu’en fonction du résultat (réussite/échec) et de la difficulté (basse/moyenne/haute vitesse). La préparation, la performance et la charge cognitive sont mesurées via des liens robustement établis dans un contexte d’activité cérébrale fonctionnelle mesurée par l’électroencéphalographie quantitative. Il est démontré que l’ajout d’une assistance- à-la-tâche apportée par la fréquence alpha dominante est non seulement appropriée aux conditions de ce paradigme, mais influence la charge cognitive afin de favoriser un maintien du sujet dans sa zone de développement proximale, ce qui facilite l’apprentissage et améliore la performance. Ce type de paradigme d’apprentissage peut contribuer à surmonter, au minimum, un des limites fondamentales du neurofeedback et des autres techniques d’amélioration cognitive : le manque de transfert, en utilisant une méthode pouvant être intégrée directement dans le contexte dans lequel l’amélioration de la performance est souhaitée.The domain of cognitive enhancement is vast, spanning behavioral, biochemical and physical applications. The techniques are as numerous as are the limitations: poorly conducted studies, ethically ambiguous practices, limited positive effects, significant side-effects, high financial costs, significant time investment, unequal accessibility, and lack of transfer. The purpose of this thesis is to propose a novel way of integrating one of these techniques, neurofeedback, directly into a learning context in order to enhance cognitive performance and learning. This thesis provides the framework, empirical foundations, and supporting evidence for a highly efficient ‘closed-loop’ learning paradigm. By manipulating task difficulty based on a measure of cognitive load within a classic learning scenario (3-dimentional multiple object tracking) using real-time brain activity, results demonstrate that over 10 sessions, speed and degree of learning can be substantially improved compared with a classic learning system or an active sham-control group. Superior performance persists even once the feedback signal is removed, which suggests that the effects of enhanced training are consolidated and do not rely on continued feedback. Next, this thesis examines how these effects occur, exploring the neural correlates of the states of preparedness and performance across baseline and task conditions, further examining correlates related to trial results (correct/incorrect) and task difficulty (slow/medium/fast speeds). Cognitive preparedness, performance and load are measured using well-established relationships between real-time quantified brain activity as measured by quantitative electroencephalography. It is shown that the addition of neurofeedback-based task assistance based on peak alpha frequency is appropriate to task conditions and manages to influence cognitive load, keeping the subject in the zone of proximal development more often, facilitating learning and improving performance. This type of learning paradigm could contribute to overcoming at least one of the fundamental limitations of neurofeedback and other cognitive enhancement techniques : a lack of observable transfer effects, by utilizing a method that can be directly integrated into the context in which improved performance is sought

The Effects of Partial Body Weight Support for Gait in Patients with Neurological Dysfunction: A Case Study Approach

Cerebrovascular accident (CV A) is the primary cause of disability in the United States. l It is estimated that 75% of those who have a CVA survive and function with multiple degrees of impairments. These impairments impact their activities of daily living in a variety of ways. One of the goals of rehabilitation is to minimize the negative effects a CVA has on the functioning of an individual and allow each person to reach his or her maximum potential. Limited research has been conducted exploring the positive outcomes of partial body weight support treadmill training (PBWSTT) in those who have experienced a neurological insult. More research is needed to discover the effects partial body weight support has on individuals. If this training is found to be beneficial in a population of clients with a CV A, then there is a possibility that the effects could carry over to other neurological populations. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if partial body weight support system improves the quality of gait, postural control, and speed in adults diagnosed with a CV A over a period of six weeks, attending sessions three times per week. Subjects & Methods: The four subjects who participated in this study all have the neurological diagnosis of CV A. They ranged in age from 50 to 78 years old. Four methods were used to gather initial and final data for the six-week study to illustrate outcomes gained. The methods utilized were the Berg Balance Measure, a template recording of footprints, the gait portion of the Tinetti Assessment Tool, and the lO-Meter Timed Walk. Results: Results of this study were more apparent qualitatively than quantitatively. Each individual demonstrated improvements in one or more categories in the areas of postural control, gait quality, and speed. The most significant improvements were seen in gait speed and symmetry. Conclusion: Following a review of literature, the participation in the six-week study, and analyzing its results, we concluded that PBWSTT is indeed a beneficial rehabilitation tool for the population that has experienced a eVA. The researchers feel that the improvements in our subjects will increase functional capacities leading to a better quality of life

The use of self blood glucose monitoring and its relationship to effective management for people with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

It is believed that people who effectively self manage their own diabetes will achieve higher levels of health and well being (Pender, 1987). Although diabetes education has increased rapidly in the last 10 years, the emphasis has been placed on increasing people\u27s knowledge of diabetes as a medical condition, which does not necessarily ensure effective self management of diabetes. Previous research suggests that self blood glucose monitoring (SBOM) is an effective tool for promoting the use of blood glucose levels as a basis for initiating behaviour changes related to eating, exercise and insulin dosage. Yet, while most people with diabetes practise SBGM to some degree, it is unknown whether SBGM is used to promote effective self management of diabetes or simply to comply with the instructions of health professionals. In this study, two specific aspects of Pender\u27s (1987) Health Promotion Model (HPM) guided the investigation: perceived control of health and perceived self efficacy. A survey design was used to study whether people with Insulin dependent diabetes meliitus (IDDM) who have attended The Diabetes Association of W.A. for education, can correctly perform SBGM and whether they use the information from SBGM to self manage their diabetes. The study involved a convenience sample of 67 people with IDDM who completed a questionnaire eliciting their perception of their diabetes related to blood glucose monitoring and self management. It was found that 63% of subjects relied on blood glucose monitoring to initiate behaviour change. Forty seven per cent of subjects met the criteria prescribed for performing blood glucose monitoring correctly. Seventy per cent of subjects performed blood glucose tests frequently and regularly enough to effectively monitor blood glucose. However, willingness to monitor blood glucose frequently, tended to decrease with duration of diabetes. Monitoring blood glucose to comply with the instructions of health professionals was considered by subjects to be as important as SBGM for the purpose of self management. This indicated that the participants did not feel autonomous and independent regarding the use of blood glucose data. It was found that individuals\u27 ability to self manage their own diabetes was not affected by sex, duration of diabetes or level of education. However, increase in age was related to correctly performing blood glucose testing and use of data to initiate behaviour change. Findings of this study suggest that the usefulness of SBGM in promoting effective management skills may be compromised by incorrect technique and a decrease in motivation to monitor blood glucose over time. In addition, the dependence of subjects on health professionals to use blood glucose data does not indicate autonomy and independence in the self management of diabetes

A survey on wireless body area networks for eHealthcare systems in residential environments

The progress in wearable and implanted health monitoring technologies has strong potential to alter the future of healthcare services by enabling ubiquitous monitoring of patients. A typical health monitoring system consists of a network of wearable or implanted sensors that constantly monitor physiological parameters. Collected data are relayed using existing wireless communication protocols to the base station for additional processing. This article provides researchers with information to compare the existing low-power communication technologies that can potentially support the rapid development and deployment of WBAN systems, and mainly focuses on remote monitoring of elderly or chronically ill patients in residential environments

Health and function of participants in the Long Life Family Study: A comparison with other cohorts

Individuals from families recruited for the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) (n= 4559) were examined and compared to individuals from other cohorts to determine whether the recruitment targeting longevity resulted in a cohort of individuals with better health and function. Other cohorts with similar data included the Cardiovascular Health Study, the Framingham Heart Study, and the New England Centenarian Study. Diabetes, chronic pulmonary disease and peripheral artery disease tended to be less common in LLFS probands and offspring compared to similar aged persons in the other cohorts. Pulse pressure and triglycerides were lower, high density lipids were higher, and a perceptual speed task and gait speed were better in LLFS. Age-specific comparisons showed differences that would be consistent with a higher peak, later onset of decline or slower rate of change across age in LLFS participants. These findings suggest several priority phenotypes for inclusion in future genetic analysis to identify loci contributing to exceptional survival