Dolphin-Assisted Therapy: Claims versus Evidence

The purpose of this paper is to review and critique studies that have been conducted on dolphin-assisted therapy for children with various disorders. Studies have been released claiming swimming with dolphins is therapeutic and beneficial for children with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, physical disabilities, and other psychological disorders. The majority of the studies conducted supporting the effectiveness of dolphin-assisted therapy have been found to have major methodological concerns making it impossible to draw valid conclusions. Readers will be informed of the history of, theory behind, and variations of dolphin-assisted therapy along with a review and critique of studies published which purportedly support its use

Mechanical properties measured by Atomic Force Microscopy define health biomarkers in ageing C. elegans

Genetic and environmental factors are key drivers regulating organismal lifespan but how these impact healthspan is less well understood. Techniques capturing biomechanical properties of tissues on a nano-scale level are providing new insights into disease mechanisms. Here, we apply Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to quantitatively measure the change in biomechanical properties associated with ageing Caenorhabditis elegans in addition to capturing high-resolution topographical images of cuticle senescence. We show that distinct dietary restriction regimes and genetic pathways that increase lifespan lead to radically different healthspan outcomes. Hence, our data support the view that prolonged lifespan does not always coincide with extended healthspan. Importantly, we identify the insulin signalling pathway in C. elegans and interventions altering bacterial physiology as increasing both lifespan and healthspan. Overall, AFM provides a highly sensitive technique to measure organismal biomechanical fitness and delivers an approach to screen for health-improving conditions, an essential step towards healthy ageing

Improving Recall in a Person with Dementia: Investigating the Effectiveness of Memory Priming and Spaced Retrieval in an Older Adult with Dementia

Because it is often perceived that individuals with dementia cannot relearn information that has been forgotten, few nonpharmacological memory-enhancing interventions have been developed for this population. The current study involved the investigation of a novel memory-enhancement procedure called memory priming (MP) with a 95-year-old individual with dementia. MP is based on the assumption that an individual’s ability to learn is enhanced when learning trials are preceded by an activity that is enjoyable and can be done successfully. MP required the individual to engage in a 5-min preferred conversation followed by the presentation of target questions every 2 min. A memory-enhancement procedure known as spaced retrieval was then used to maintain the information learned through MP. Results provide initial evidence for the utility of MP followed by spaced retrieval for enhancing the recall and retention of meaningful information. MP may provide a simple means for helping individuals with dementia relearn forgotten information