Age-related Differences in the Influence of Cognitive Task Performance on Postural Control Under Unstable Balance Conditions

Background: Poor multitask performance is commonly used as an indicator of age-related changes in attentional capacity. An inability to allocate sufficient attention to postural control under multitask conditions is thought to be a contributing factor to the risk of falling in older adults. This study examined age-related differences in the influence of cognitive task performance on postural sway and muscle activity on unstable balance conditions. Methods: Thirty healthy younger adults (22.2 ± 1.5 years of age, 15 men and 15 women) and 27 healthy older adults (71.3 ± 3.4 years of age, 13 men and 14 women) participated in the study. Participants performed a reaction time task under three conditions during standing on a compliant foam surface: holding a glass full of sand (control task), holding a glass of water (dual-manual task), and performing a control task while simultaneously performing a verbal fluency task (dual-cognitive task). Results: Both younger and older adults had a longer reaction time for the dual-cognitive task compared to the other two tasks (p < 0.01). Older participants exhibited decreased lower limb muscle activity and increased anterior–posterior trunk acceleration during the dual-cognitive task, while these effects were not observed in younger adults. Conclusion: Increasing attentional demand by implementing a cognitive task concomitant with a balance task had a greater influence on postural control in older compared to younger adults

Physical Activity during Winter in Old-Old Women Associated with Physical Performance after One Year: A Prospective Study

Background. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the decline of physical activity during winter influences physical performances (after 1 year) in old-old women. Methods. Fifty-three Japanese women (mean age: 78.4 ± 3.2 years) participated in this study. Data of physical activity was collected by using an accelerometer at baseline and 3-month follow-up, and participants who decreased step counts in this period were defined as declining groups. We measured grip strength, knee extensor strength, total length of the center of gravity, hip walking distance, and maximum walking speed to evaluate physical performances at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Repeated-measures analysis of variance determined the difference in physical performance between declining groups and maintenance group with maintained or improved step counts. Results. Daily step counts for 22 older women (41.5%) decreased during winter. A statistically significant interaction effect between group and time was found for maximum walking speed (F(1,50)=5.23, p=0.03). Post hoc comparisons revealed that walking speed in the maintenance group significantly increased compared with baseline (p=0.01); the declining group showed no significant change (p=0.44). Conclusion. Change of physical activity during winter influences the physical performance level after 1 year in community-dwelling old-old women, particularly its effect on maximum walking speed

Legislative Documents

Also, variously referred to as: House bills; House documents; House legislative documents; legislative documents; General Court documents

Development of the Self-Assessment Self-Disclosure Questionnaire to Examine the Association between Self-Disclosure and Frailty among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Japan

Self-disclosure is the attitude of communicating one’s experiences and condition to others and is an indicator of mental health and an open personality. Frailty, characterized by reduced physical and psychological resistance, predicts the incidence of dependency and mortality. Although low self-disclosure may be associated with frailty, there is no scale to measure older adults’ self-disclosure. This cross-sectional study assessed the validity of a self-assessment self-disclosure questionnaire and examined the association between the content of self-disclosures to friends and acquaintances and frailty among community-dwelling older adults. A total of 237 adults aged ≥65 in Japan were surveyed using a mailed self-administered questionnaire in 2021. The self-disclosure scale consisted of 10 items and showed adequate validity. Participants were classified into a robust group (n = 117, women 57.3%) and a frailty group (n = 120, women 73.3%) using the Kihon Checklist. After adjusting for covariates, multivariate-adjusted logistic regression models revealed frailty was associated with lower self-disclosure of recent positive events, motivation and strengths (indicating strong points) in life, relationships with family and relatives, experiences of work and social activities, and financial status. The proposed questionnaire must still be further tested in other populations, but our initial results may contribute to preventing frailty and improving mental health among community-dwelling older adults

Hazard ratios for all-cause and cause-specific mortality according to height category in women.

<p>Hazard ratios for all-cause and cause-specific mortality according to height category in women.</p

Baseline characteristics of participants according to height category in men and women.

<p>Baseline characteristics of participants according to height category in men and women.</p