Cognition improvement in Taekwondo novices over forty. Results from the SEKWONDO Study.

AbstractAge-related cognitive decline is associated with increased risk of disability, dementia and death. Recent studies suggest improvement in cognitive speed, attention and executive functioning with physical activity. However, whether such improvements are activity specific is unclear.Therefore, we aimed to study the effect of one year age-adapted Taekwondo training on several cognitive functions, including reaction/ motor time, information processing speed, and working and executive memory, in 24 healthy volunteers over forty.Reaction and motor time decreased with 41.2 seconds and 18.4 seconds (p=0.004, p=0.015), respectively. Digit symbol coding task improved with a mean of 3.7 digits (p=0.017). Digit span, letter fluency, and trail making test task-completion-time all improved, but not statistically significant. The questionnaire reported better reaction time in 10 and unchanged in 9 of the nineteen study compliers. In conclusion, our data suggest that age-adapted Taekwondo training improves various aspects of cognitive function in people over 40, which may, therefore, offer a cheap, safe and enjoyable way to mitigate age-related cognitive decline

High prevalence of incomplete right bundle branch block in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy without cardiac symptoms

The exact prevalence and nature of cardiac involvement in facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is unknown. Nevertheless, the current opinion is that symptomatic cardiac disease is rare. We performed a cardiac screening [electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography in the event of ECG abnormalities] in 75 genetically confirmed, ambulant FSHD patients without cardiac symptoms, with an eight-year follow-up of 57 patients, and compared the findings with results of previously performed cardiac screenings in the normal population. Baseline ECG demonstrated incomplete right bundle branch block (RBBB) in 33%, complete RBBB in 4%, and other minor abnormalities in 16%. Echocardiography showed no abnormalities. No significant changes were found after eight years of follow-up. Comparison with ECG abnormalities in the normal population showed a higher prevalence of incomplete RBBB (9.7 times higher) and of complete RBBB (4.8 times higher) in FSHD patients. This study in cardiac asymptomatic FSHD patients shows i) increased prevalence of incomplete RBBB in the absence of cardiomyopathy; ii) no progression of these abnormalities during eight years of follow-up. We conclude that FSHD patients without cardiac complaints do not need specific cardiac screening or surveillance. Furthermore, the increased prevalence of incomplete RBBB in the absence of cardiomyopathy suggests a selective involvement of the His-Purkinje system in FSHD

A caregiver's perspective on clinically relevant symptoms in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia: tools for disease management and trial design

Background: Adequate detection of symptoms and disease progression in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is complex. Dementia cohorts usually utilize cognitive and functional measures, which fail to detect dominant behavioural and social cognitive deficits in bvFTD. Moreover, since patients typically have a loss of insight, caregivers are important informants. This is the first qualitative study to investigate caregiver relevant symptoms during the disease course of bvFTD, aiming to improve tools for diagnosis, progression, and future clinical trials. Methods: Informal caregivers of patients in different disease stages of bvFTD (N = 20) were recruited from the neurology outpatient clinic of the Amsterdam UMC and a patient organization for peer support in the Netherlands. Their perspectives on clinical relevance were thoroughly explored during individual semi-structured interviews. Inductive content analysis with open coding was performed by two researchers independently to establish overarching themes and patterns. Results: Caregivers reported a variety of symptoms, in which (i) loss of emotional connection, (ii) preoccupation and restlessness, and (iii) apathy and dependency compose major themes of relevance for diagnosis and treatment. Within heterogeneous disease trajectories, symptom presence differed between stages and among individuals, which is relevant in the context of progression and outcome measures. Significant socio-emotional changes dominated in early stages, while severe cognitive, behavioural, and physical deterioration shifted focus from predominant personality change to quality of life in later stages. Conclusions: Caregiver perspectives on target symptoms in bvFTD differ according to clinical stage and patient-caregiver characteristics, with significant socio-emotional changes characterizing early stages. These findings call for more appropriate tools and symptomatic treatments, as well as a personalized approach in treatment of bvFTD and a focus on early stage interventions in clinical trial design

Health in middle-aged and elderly women: A conceptual framework for healthy menopause

Middle-aged and elderly women constitute a large and growing proportion of the population. The peri and postmenopausal period constitutes a challenging transition time for women's health, and menopausal health is a crucial aspect in healthy and successful aging. Currently, no framework for the concept of healthy menopause exists, despite its recognized importance. Therefore, we aimed to: (i) characterize healthy menopause; (ii) identify aspects that contribute to it; and (iii) explore potential approaches to measure it. We propose healthy menopause as a dynamic state, following the permanent loss of ovarian function, which is characterized by self-perceived satisfactory physical, psychological and social functioning, incorporating disease and disability, allowing the attainment of a woman's desired ability to adapt and capacity to self-manage. The concept of healthy menopause applies to all women from the moment they enter the menopausal transition, up until they reach early and late postmenopause and includes women with spontaneous, iatrogenic, and premature menopause. This conceptualization can be considered as a further step in the maintenance and improvement of health in menopausal women from different perspectives, foremost the woman's own perspective, followed by the clinical, public health, and societal perspectives, and can be seen as a further step in delineating lines for future research. Furthermore, it could facilitate the improvement of adequate preventive and treatment strategies, guide scientific efforts, and aid education and communication to health care practitioners and the general public, allowing women the achievement of their potential and the fulfillment of their fundamental role in society. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved