Association between Kihon check list score and geriatric depression among older adults from ORANGE registry

Objective Older adults in Japan are tackling health-related challenges brought by comprehensive geriatric symptoms, such as physical and cognitive problems and social-psychological issues. In this nationwide study, we mainly focused on the Kihon checklist (KCL) as certificated necessity of long-term care for Japanese older adults and investigated whether the KCL score was associated with geriatric depression. In addition, we aimed to identify critical factors that influence the relationship between the KCL score and geriatric depression. Methods This survey was a cross-sectional observational study design, performed from 2013 to 2019. A total of 8,760 participants aged 65 years and over were recruited from five cohorts in Japan, consisting of 6,755 persons in Chubu, 1,328 in Kanto, 481 in Kyushu, 49 in Shikoku and 147 in Tohoku. After obtaining informed consent from each participant, assessments were conducted, and outcomes were evaluated according to the ORANGE protocol. We collected data on demographics, KCL, physical, cognitive and mental evaluations. To clarify the relationship between the KCL and geriatric depression or critical factors, a random intercept model of multi-level models was estimated using individual and provincial variables depending on five cohorts. Results The KCL score was correlated with depression status. Moreover, the results of a random intercept model showed that the KCL score and geriatric depression were associated, and its association was affected by provincial factors of slow walking speed, polypharmacy and sex difference. Conclusions These results suggest that provincial factors of low walking performance, polypharmacy and sex difference (female) might be clinically targeted to improve the KCL score in older adults

The Association of Childhood Fitness to Proactive and Reactive Action Monitoring.

Several studies have claimed that the positive association between childhood fitness and cognitive control is attributable to differences in the child's cognitive control strategy, which can involve either proactive or reactive control. The present study tested this hypothesis by manipulating the probability of trial types during a modified flanker task. Preadolescent children performed mostly congruent and mostly incongruent conditions of the flanker task, with post-error task performance and error negativity/error-related negativity (Ne/ERN) being assessed. Results indicated that greater aerobic fitness was related to greater post-error accuracy and larger Ne/ERN amplitudes in the mostly congruent condition. These findings suggest that higher-fit children might be able to transiently upregulate cognitive control by recruiting reactive control in the mostly congruent condition. Further, greater fitness was related to greater modulation of Ne/ERN amplitude between conditions, suggesting that higher-fit children engaged in more proactive control in the mostly incongruent condition. This study supports the hypothesis that greater childhood fitness is associated with a more flexible shift between reactive and proactive modes of cognitive control to adapt to varying task demands

Gait Speed and Sleep Duration Is Associated with Increased Risk of MCI in Older Community-Dwelling Adults

This study aimed to examine the linear and nonlinear associations between sleep duration and gait speed and the risk of developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in community-dwelling older adults. Participants were 233 older adults who met the study inclusion criteria. The MCI diagnosis was based on medical evaluations through a clinical interview conducted by a dementia specialist. Self-reported sleep duration was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The usual gait speed was calculated from the time taken to walk along a 4 m walkway. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of developing MCI in relation to sleep duration and gait speed. Generalized additive models were used to examine the dose–response relationships between sleep duration, gait speed, and the risk of developing MCI. Slower gait speed (OR: 1.84, 95%; CI: 1.00–3.13) and poor sleep duration (OR: 1.76, 95%; CI: 1.00–3.35) were associated with the risk of developing MCI, compared with their optimal status. In addition, the combination of poor sleep and slower gait was associated with a higher risk of developing MCI than optimal sleep duration and gait speed (OR: 3.13, 95%; CI: 1.93–5.14). Furthermore, gait speed and sleep duration were non-linearly associated with the risk of developing MCI. These results highlight the complex interplay and synergism between sleep duration and gait abilities on the risk of developing MCI in older adults. In addition, our results suggest that slower gait speed (<1.0 m/s) and short (<330 min) and long (>480 min) sleep duration may be linked to MCI risks through underlying pathways

Changes in objectively measured outdoor time and physical, psychological, and cognitive function among older adults with cognitive impairments

Background: Older adults with cognitive impairment are at higher risk for various health problems. Although previous studies have suggested going outdoors more frequently might be effective to promote health, no longitudinal studies have examined objectively measured outdoor time in this population. This study examined the relationships between changes in objectively measured outdoor time and physical, psychological, and cognitive functions among older adults with cognitive impairments. Methods: This study was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (n = 145). The baseline and 1-year follow-up data of outdoor time per day measured by the global positioning system, physical functions (6-minute walk test, 5-repetition chair stand test), psychological functions (Geriatric Depression Scale, simplified World Health Organization Five Well-being Index), and cognitive functions (tablet versions of the Trail-making Test, Symbol Digit Substitution Test, Word Memory Test, Story Memory Test) were used. Results: Multiple regression analyses revealed that changes in outdoor time were significantly associated with changes in 6-minute walk (standardized beta = 0.20, p = 0.048) and 5-repetition chair stand tests (standardized beta = -0.19, p = 0.032) after adjusting for baseline data, basic factors, and trial allocation. However, significant relationships between changes in outdoor time and psychological and cognitive functions were not revealed. Conclusions: The results indicate that maintaining or increasing outdoor time would be effective to prevent declines in physical functions but that a quantitative aspect of going outdoors would have limited impact on psychological and cognitive functions among older adults with cognitive impairment

Associations between the Timing and Nutritional Characteristics of Bedtime Meals and Sleep Quality for Nurses after a Rotating Night Shift: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of the timing and nutritional characteristics of bedtime meals with sleep quality in nurses after rotating night shifts. In total, 128 nurses from a university hospital in South Korea participated in this cross-sectional study. Data were collected on the first night of two or three consecutive routine night shifts. Participants recorded all food eaten before going to bed after work. An accelerometer was used to objectively measure sleep quality, and subjective sleep quality was assessed by self-report using the Korean version of the Verran and Snyder-Halpern Sleep Scale. The associations of timing and nutritional characteristics of bedtime meals with sleep quality after night shifts were analyzed using multivariate linear regression. A short time interval between meals and sleep was associated with longer objectively measured total sleep time (β = −0.37, p = 0.002), and the proportion of protein in meals was associated with better objectively measured sleep efficiency (β = 0.31, p = 0.007). The shorter the time interval, the better the subjective sleep quality (β = −0.23, p = 0.048), and high-calorie meals were positively associated with subjective sleep quality (β = 0.23, p = 0.043). Based on our findings, we encourage nurses to have protein-rich meals after night shifts and reduce the delay between meals and sleep. Although high-calorie meals were shown to have a positive effect on subjective sleep quality, it is necessary to confirm this effect through additional research

Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients between variables.

<p>Pearson product-moment correlation coefficients between variables.</p

Mean (<i>SD</i>) values for participant demographics and fitness data.

<p>Mean (<i>SD</i>) values for participant demographics and fitness data.</p

Summary of regression analyses for variables predicting Ne/ERN amplitude.

<p>Summary of regression analyses for variables predicting Ne/ERN amplitude.</p

Prevalence of Psychological Frailty in Japan: NCGG-SGS as a Japanese National Cohort Study

There has been less research conducted on the psychological aspects of frailty than on the physical and cognitive characteristics of frailty. Thus, we aimed to define psychological frailty, clarify its prevalence, and investigate the relationship between psychological frailty and lifestyle activity or disability incidence in older adults in Japan. The participants in our study were 4126 older adults (average age 71.7 years) enrolled in the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-i87uStudy of Geriatric Syndromes (NCGG-SGS). We characterized physical frailty of the following as ≥ 3: slow walking speed, muscle weakness, exhaustion, low physical activity, and weight loss. We used the Geriatric Depression Scale 15 items version (GDS-15) to screen for depressive mood, indicated by 5 points or more on the scale. The co-presence of physical frailty and depressive mood was defined as psychological frailty. The incidence of disability was determined using data from the Japanese long-term care insurance system over 49 months. We found that the prevalence of physical frailty, depressive mood, and psychological frailty were 6.9%, 20.3%, and 3.5%, respectively. Logistic regression indicated that the odds ratios for loss of lifestyle activities were significantly higher in participants with psychological frailty for going outdoors using the bus or train, driving a car, using maps to go to unfamiliar places, reading books or newspapers, cognitive stimulation, culture lessons, giving advice, attending community meetings, engaging in hobbies or sports, house cleaning, fieldwork or gardening, and taking care of grandchildren or pets. During the follow-up period, 385 participants (9.3%) developed a disability. The incidence of disability was associated with both physical and psychological frailty in the fully adjusted model. However, no significant association between disability and depressive mood was found. We conclude that individuals with psychological frailty had the highest risk of disability. Future policies should implement disability prevention strategies among older adults with psychological frailty