Journal Of Gerontology[JOURNAL]
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200 papers
Atypical beta-adrenergic receptors in rat liver: evidence for transient expression during aging.
Sanghani MP, Scarpace PJ
J Gerontol · 1994 Mar · PMID 7907351 · Publisher ↗
This study was designed to determine whether functional beta 3-adrenergic receptors exist in the rat liver and whether there are alterations in the beta 3-adrenergic response with age in a manner similar to that which oc...
This study was designed to determine whether functional beta 3-adrenergic receptors exist in the rat liver and whether there are alterations in the beta 3-adrenergic response with age in a manner similar to that which occurs for beta 2-adrenergic receptors. The beta 3 stimulation of adenylyl cyclase activity was assessed using the novel beta 3-specific agonist, CGP-12177A. Adenylyl cyclase activation by CGP-12177A was seen only in the adults. Isoproterenol-stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity was high in the neonates, declined by 45% in the adults, and was high again in the senescent rats. ICI 118551, a beta 2-selective antagonist, attenuated the isoproterenol-stimulated activity by two-thirds but had no effect on the CGP-12177A-stimulated activity. These data demonstrated the presence of the beta 3-adrenergic receptor in the rat liver, although only at the adult stage of development. In addition, these data confirm earlier findings that beta 2-adrenergic activation of adenylyl cyclase is biphasic with age and indicate that the emergence of the beta 3-stimulated activity coincides with the attenuation of beta 2-stimulated activity.
Comparison of mental status tests: implications for Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers.
Weiler PG, Chiriboga DA, Black SA
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282989 · Publisher ↗
Most existing measures commonly used to determine cognitive dysfunction in demented persons exclude important pieces of information. In an effort to address this deficiency, many Alzheimer's disease programs have combine...
Most existing measures commonly used to determine cognitive dysfunction in demented persons exclude important pieces of information. In an effort to address this deficiency, many Alzheimer's disease programs have combined items from the Blessed Information, Orientation, Memory and Concentration Test with those of the more established Mini-Mental State Exam. While the expansion may be clinically helpful, results are typically presented in the form of summary scores that ignore the issue of multidimensionality. Drawing upon data from 201 elderly patients afflicted with Alzheimer's disease and their adult child caregivers, this study examined the factorial structure of the combined Blessed Folstein Instruments. The factor-derived scores are compared with summary scores in terms of their association with functional status of the patients and with caregiver stress and burden.
Physical, psychological, and social resources as moderators of the relationship of stress to mental health of the very old.
Roberts BL, Dunkle R, Haug M
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282988 · Publisher ↗
The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the attenuating effects of physical, psychological, and social resources on the relationship between stress and mental health among the oldest old. Physical resources include...
The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the attenuating effects of physical, psychological, and social resources on the relationship between stress and mental health among the oldest old. Physical resources include perceived health and independence in functional and instrumental activities of daily living, while psychological resources include mastery, self-esteem, and coping. Social resources are measured by frequency of social interaction and size of the social network. Among the 124 women and 31 men (M = 89 years), greater independence in IADLs and greater perceived control of events significantly attenuated the adverse effects of strain on psychological well-being.
Social networks, social support, and mortality among older people in Japan.
Sugisawa H, Liang J, Liu X
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282987 · Publisher ↗
This study examined the effects of social networks and social support on the mortality of a national probability sample of 2,200 elderly Japanese persons during a three-year period. The direct and indirect effects of soc...
This study examined the effects of social networks and social support on the mortality of a national probability sample of 2,200 elderly Japanese persons during a three-year period. The direct and indirect effects of social relationships were assessed by using hazard rate models in conjunction with ordinary least squares regressions. Among the five measures of social relationships, social participation is shown to have a strong impact on mortality, and this effect remains statistically significant when other factors are considered. Social participation, social support, and feelings of loneliness are found to have indirect effects on the mortality of the Japanese elders through their linkages with chronic diseases, functional status, and self-rated health. On the other hand, marital status and social contacts are not shown to have statistically significant effects on the risk of dying, either directly or indirectly.
Informal support and the use of formal services by older Americans.
Logan JR, Spitze G
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282986 · Publisher ↗
Older persons' use of formal services was studied in the context of one medium-sized metropolitan area in the Northeast, with a principal focus on the relation between formal service use and informal help. Most services...
Older persons' use of formal services was studied in the context of one medium-sized metropolitan area in the Northeast, with a principal focus on the relation between formal service use and informal help. Most services are used by only a minority of older persons. There is some evidence of both compensatory processes (where family support substitutes for formal care) and bridging (where the informal network helps link the older person to services). Service users are distinguished partly by their greater functional disability. Use of some services is affected by indicators of predisposition, such as sociability and age identity. Enabling factors, such as availability of services or their accessibility by the respondent, have little effect.
Changes in sources of community long-term care among African American and white frail older persons.
Miller B, McFall S, Campbell RT
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282985 · Publisher ↗
This study examined race differences in changes in source of long-term care. We addressed the following questions: (1) Are there differences between African Americans and Whites in the patterns of transitions among commu...
This study examined race differences in changes in source of long-term care. We addressed the following questions: (1) Are there differences between African Americans and Whites in the patterns of transitions among community longterm care, institutionalization, and death? (2) Are there differences between African American and White populations in sociodemographic characteristics and functional limitations influencing source of long-term care in a two-year follow-up sample? (3) Controlling for socioeconomic status, health status, level of informal care, and demographic variables, are there differences between African Americans and Whites in patterns of change to informal and mixed (informal and formal) care among community-dwelling frail older persons? and, (4) What are the predictors of change patterns within African American and White populations of older frail persons? The source of data is the longitudinal component of the 1982-1984 National Long Term Care Survey (NLTCS). Results of multinomial logistic analysis indicate few differences in change patterns, despite differences in the context of care among African American and White frail older persons.
Psychosocial correlates and sequelae of electroencephalographic sleep in healthy elders.
Dew MA, Reynolds CF, Monk TH … +4 more , Buysse DJ, Hoch CC, Jennings R, Kupfer DJ
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282984 · Publisher ↗
This research examines longitudinal data on psychosocial status and polysomnographic sleep collected annually from 57 healthy, community-residing elders aged 61-89. Cluster analysis of variables reflecting sleep continui...
This research examines longitudinal data on psychosocial status and polysomnographic sleep collected annually from 57 healthy, community-residing elders aged 61-89. Cluster analysis of variables reflecting sleep continuity and architecture at the baseline assessment was used to identify three groups of elders: those whose sleep was either (a) superior to all remaining respondents across a variety of measures, (b) marred only by significantly reduced sleep efficiency relative to other respondents, or (c) poorer than all other respondents in multiple areas. Cross-validation procedures suggested that the three-group cluster solution was stable and replicable over persons and over time. Subsequent multivariate analyses indicated that recent life events, as well as psychosocial stability and support variables at baseline, distinguished between the sleep pattern groups. Moreover, sleep pattern group membership itself predicted subjects' subsequent sleep characteristics and psychosocial status at follow-up. Implications of these results for conceptualizing psychosocial factors that affect, and are ultimately affected by, sleep disturbances in late life are discussed.
Adult age differences in long-term memory for performed activities.
Earles JL, Coon VE
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282983 · Publisher ↗
Participants in two studies conducted by Salthouse (in press) were called 2 to 182 days after participation and asked to describe the activities that they had performed in the previous study. Hierarchical regression anal...
Participants in two studies conducted by Salthouse (in press) were called 2 to 182 days after participation and asked to describe the activities that they had performed in the previous study. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine the prediction of activity recall from age, speed, and retention interval. Overall, age was associated with 20% of the variance in activity recall, and retention interval was associated with 19%, but there was no significant interaction of age and retention interval. When perceptual speed was entered into the regression equation before age, the age-related variance was reduced by 70%. A small, but statistically significant, amount of age-related variance in activity memory remained after controlling for speed and retention interval.
Age differences in the interpretation of misaligned "You-Are-Here" maps.
Aubrey JB, Li KZ, Dobbs AR
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282982 · Publisher ↗
"You-Are-Here" (YAH) maps, common in shopping malls and office buildings, are difficult to interpret if not aligned with their surroundings. Younger and older adults made direction decisions after viewing simple maps rep...
"You-Are-Here" (YAH) maps, common in shopping malls and office buildings, are difficult to interpret if not aligned with their surroundings. Younger and older adults made direction decisions after viewing simple maps representing a university campus. YAH arrows were either upright and coordinated with viewer position or contra-aligned 180 degrees. Contra-alignment caused subjects, especially older adults, to take more time and be less accurate. Women were slower on contra-aligned maps, although no less accurate, than men. The need to mentally realign such incongruent maps in order to make correct direction decisions can cause serious difficulty for older adults trying to navigate through large, complex environments.
Influence of letter size on age differences in letter matching.
Allen PA, Patterson MB, Propper RE
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282981 · Publisher ↗
We tested healthy young and older adults on a simultaneous presentation, letter-matching task that varied letter size. The goal of the experiment was to determine if older adults' higher baseline level of internal noise...
We tested healthy young and older adults on a simultaneous presentation, letter-matching task that varied letter size. The goal of the experiment was to determine if older adults' higher baseline level of internal noise would affect age differences in letter-matching performance as letter size was varied. The results indicated that both young and older adults evidenced "fast-same" effects for RT and "false-different" effects for errors. However, older adults (compared to young adults) showed a larger "false-different" effect for errors, and this effect was especially pronounced for smaller letter pairs. These results imply that older adults' higher baseline levels of internal noise result in these individuals setting "compromise criteria" that underestimate the impact of internal noise.
Self-control skillfulness and caregiver burden among help-seeking elders.
Intrieri RC, Rapp SR
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282980 · Publisher ↗
Self-control skills are coping responses that help to organize one's own behavior and to manage cognitive and emotional responses that disrupt ongoing, adaptive behavior. The concept of self-control is applied to the chr...
Self-control skills are coping responses that help to organize one's own behavior and to manage cognitive and emotional responses that disrupt ongoing, adaptive behavior. The concept of self-control is applied to the chronically stressful caregiving experience. The present study examined the relationship between caregivers' role-specific burden and their self-control skillfulness. Forty-four caregivers of cognitively impaired spouses were assessed. Demographic characteristics, psychiatric symptomatology, role-specific burden, functional impairment of their spouse, and dispositional self-control skillfulness were measured. Highly skillful caregivers reported lower burden, fewer memory and behavior problems for their care recipient, and fewer psychiatric symptoms than less skilled caregivers. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that self-control skillfulness was associated with caregiver burden net the effects of covariates including age, education, memory and behavior problems of the care recipient, and caregivers' psychological distress. Results suggest that self-control skills may play an important role in caregiving and may help to explain why some caregivers adapt better than others to their role.
Reach to grasp: changes with age.
Bennett KM, Castiello U
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282979 · Publisher ↗
This study provides the first known kinematic assessment of the reach-to-grasp movement in elderly subjects. Twelve subjects (aged 60-71) were compared to gender-matched younger subjects (aged 18-25). Subjects reached 35...
This study provides the first known kinematic assessment of the reach-to-grasp movement in elderly subjects. Twelve subjects (aged 60-71) were compared to gender-matched younger subjects (aged 18-25). Subjects reached 35 cm to grasp either a small (0.7 cm) or a large (8 cm) diameter cylinder. Precision grip was naturally adopted for the small cylinder, and whole hand prehension for the large cylinder. The displacements of active infrared markers (wrist and hand) were recorded with an Optotrak system. Movement initiation time, movement duration, and kinematic parameters of the reach-and-grasp components were computed. Older subjects showed slower, longer movements with a prolonged approach phase. However, the patterning and coordination of this movement, with respect to the utilization of a precision grip or whole hand prehension, were similar for both groups. Subtle changes with age thus appear to reflect a strategy that develops to compensate for deterioration in other systems such as visual or proprioceptive.
Chronic conditions that lead to functional limitation in the elderly.
Boult C, Kane RL, Louis TA … +2 more , Boult L, McCaffrey D
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282978 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: The role of chronic medical conditions in elderly persons' loss of functional abilities is intuitively important but not well defined. This analysis was designed to identify chronic medical conditions that le...
BACKGROUND: The role of chronic medical conditions in elderly persons' loss of functional abilities is intuitively important but not well defined. This analysis was designed to identify chronic medical conditions that lead to the development of severe functional limitation. METHODS: Functionally intact members of a multistage probability sample (n = 6,862) of all noninstitutionalized U.S. civilians age 70 years or older were interviewed in 1984. Based on data from the National Death Index and from follow-up telephone interviews in 1988 with survivors, subjects were classified as functionally intact, functionally limited (unable to perform one or more of seven essential activities), or decreased. RESULTS: After adjusting for the effects of exercise habits and demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors, we found that the best predictors of the development of functional limitation were cerebrovascular disease (OR = 2.14; 95% CL = 1.16, 3.98) and arthritis (OR = 1.51; 95% CL = 1.08, 2.11). The contribution of coronary artery disease also approached statistical significance (OR = 1.49; 95% CL = 0.99, 2.27). CONCLUSION: In the future, the primary prevention or effective treatment of cerebrovascular disease, arthritis, and possibly coronary artery disease may produce a modest reduction in the incidence of severe functional limitation.
Muscle strength and fiber adaptations to a year-long resistance training program in elderly men and women.
Pyka G, Lindenberger E, Charette S … +1 more , Marcus R
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282977 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: To study the effects of resistance training on muscle strength and size in older people, we enrolled 8 men and 17 women (mean age 68.2 +/- 1 SEM) into a one-year exercise trial. METHODS: Subjects were randoml...
BACKGROUND: To study the effects of resistance training on muscle strength and size in older people, we enrolled 8 men and 17 women (mean age 68.2 +/- 1 SEM) into a one-year exercise trial. METHODS: Subjects were randomly assigned to exercise or control groups. Muscle biopsies were obtained from 11 subjects (8 exercisers/3 controls) at baseline and after 15 weeks; exercisers underwent another biopsy at 30 weeks. After testing maximum strength using the 1-RM method, the exercisers began a 12-exercise circuit (3 sets of 8 repetitions at 75% of 1-RM), 3 times a week. The controls repeated the strength testing every 15 weeks. They were asked to continue usual activities and not to start any exercise program. RESULTS: With exercise, muscle strength increased, average increases ranging from 30% (hip extensors) to 97% (hip flexors). Strength increased rapidly over 3 months, then plateaued for the duration of the experiment. No strength changes were observed in sedentary controls. Cross-sectional area of type 1 muscle fibers increased in exercisers by 15 weeks (29.4 +/- 1%, p < .02) and after 30 weeks (58.5 +/- 13.7%, p < .002) compared to baseline. Type 2 fiber area did not change at 15 weeks, but increased by 30 weeks of training (66.6 +/- 9.5%, p < .0002). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that prolonged moderate to high intensity resistance training may be carried out by healthy older adults with reasonable compliance, and that such training leads to sustained increases in muscle strength. These improvements are rapidly achieved and are accompanied by hypertrophy of both type 1 and type 2 muscle fibers.
The Sickness Impact Profile for nursing homes (SIP-NH).
Gerety MB, Cornell JE, Mulrow CD … +7 more , Tuley M, Hazuda HP, Lichtenstein M, Kanten DN, Aguilar C, Kadri AA, Rosenberg J
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282976 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: Valid, feasible measures of functional status are needed to evaluate the expanding nursing home population. This study attempts to increase relevance and reduce respondent burden of the Sickness Impact Profil...
BACKGROUND: Valid, feasible measures of functional status are needed to evaluate the expanding nursing home population. This study attempts to increase relevance and reduce respondent burden of the Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) for nursing home residents while maintaining internal consistency and validity. METHODS: 231 residents from one academic and four community nursing homes, aged > or = 60 with a Mini-Mental State Exam score > or = 11, were study participants. Nominal group process was used to identify items and/or categories for removal. Candidate items were those that: represented restrictions of the nursing home environment, had weak item-total score correlations, and/or made minimal contribution to category internal consistency. Reduction was constrained by: minimum correlation of r = .90 between SIP and Sickness Impact Profile for Nursing Homes (SIP-NH) scores, coefficients alpha that fell within 95% confidence regions about predicted alpha. Convergent and discriminant validity were evaluated with the Katz Activities of Daily Living, Physical Disability Index, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam. RESULTS: The SIP-NH contains 66 items, a 51.5% reduction. Correlations between the SIP-NH and SIP were: total score r = .98, Physical dimension r = .97, and Psychosocial dimension r = .97. Alpha coefficients all fell within the 95% confidence regions. The SIP and the SIP-NH did not differ in correlations with validating instruments. CONCLUSIONS: The SIP-NH reduces respondent burden and has acceptable internal consistency and external validity. Potentially useful for discriminatory and predictive purposes, responsiveness to change will require longitudinal evaluation.
The effect of recovery from depression on preferences for life-sustaining therapy in older patients.
Lee M, Ganzini L
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282975 · Publisher ↗
BACKGROUND: This study compared older veterans' preferences about life-sustaining therapy before and after treatment for depression in order to determine whether recovery from depression is associated with an increase in...
BACKGROUND: This study compared older veterans' preferences about life-sustaining therapy before and after treatment for depression in order to determine whether recovery from depression is associated with an increase in the desire for these interventions. METHODS: Medical inpatients over 65 years of age were eligible. Depressed subjects scored > 14 on the Geriatric Depression Scale and were independently diagnosed by a psychiatrist as depressed. A questionnaire quantified preferences regarding potentially life-sustaining interventions currently, and in four hypothetical scenarios of illness. RESULTS: Initial interviews were completed on 50 depressed and 50 nondepressed subjects. Within 6 months, 34 (68%) depressed and 40 (80%) control subjects were reevaluated. Preferences did not change significantly from initial to final interview, regardless of whether subjects had recovered from depression or remained depressed. With the exception of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, however, control subjects' preferences were more stable than depressed subjects' choices. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that treatment of mild-to-moderate depression does not necessarily result in an increased desire for life-sustaining medical therapy. Because depressed patients exhibit less consistency in their preferences over time, we advise careful and repeated discussions with the depressed patient regarding these decisions.
Effects of age and anatomic site on preadipocyte number in rat fat depots.
Kirkland JL, Hollenberg CH, Kindler S … +1 more , Gillon WS
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282974 · Publisher ↗
Preadipocytes are cells which are capable of either replication or of differentiation into fat cells. As with other stem or progenitor cell types, the replicative capacity of preadipocytes declines with increasing age; h...
Preadipocytes are cells which are capable of either replication or of differentiation into fat cells. As with other stem or progenitor cell types, the replicative capacity of preadipocytes declines with increasing age; however, little information about effects of age on preadipocyte cell number in vivo is available. We determined preadipocyte number in the perirenal and epididymal fat depots of 3-, 17-, and 27-month-old Fischer 344 rats in 23 experiments. Increasing age was not associated with a decrease in preadipocyte number; indeed, the number of preadipocytes increased in epididymal depots throughout maturation and senescence. Hence, the tenet that aging causes a decline in the size of stem cell or progenitor pools is not generalizable to all tissues, even if the cells exhibit reduced replicative capacity in culture.
Intestinal cell respiration is influenced by animal age, strain, and feeding status.
Fleming SE, Fitch MD, Hudes M
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282973 · Publisher ↗
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of aging and the fasted vs fed state on substrate oxidation by jejunal and colonic cells in vitro, and to determine whether the effects of these factors would b...
The objectives of this study were to evaluate the influence of aging and the fasted vs fed state on substrate oxidation by jejunal and colonic cells in vitro, and to determine whether the effects of these factors would be influenced by rat strain. Young (4 mo) and aged (24 mo) male rats of the Fischer 344 (F344) and Fischer x Brown Norway (F x BN) strains were used either following a 48-hr fast or in the ad libitum fed state. On the morning of experimentation, cells were removed from segments of the jejunum and colon and aliquots of these suspensions were incubated in 5 mM concentrations of substrates containing trace quantities of 14C-labeled isotopes. Following 60 min of incubation, 14CO2 was collected and quantified to determine substrate oxidation. The oxidation of glucose, glutamine, and 3-hydroxybutyrate was studied in jejunal and colonic cells, and the oxidation of acetate and butyrate was studied in colonic cells only. Glucose oxidation by jejunal cells was lower when cells were taken from 48-hr fasted animals than from fed animals, but the feeding status of the animal did not significantly influence oxidation of other substrates by jejunal or colonic cells. Substrate oxidation was not different for the F344 vs F x BN strains when jejunal and colonic cells were taken from young animals. Differences due to rat strain became apparent in the aged animals, however, with oxidation of several substrates being higher for the aged F344 than for the aged F x BN animals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Alpha 1-adrenergic and arginine vasopressin stimulation of inositide hydrolysis in rat hepatocytes is unaltered in senescence.
Borst SE, Oliver RJ, Scarpace PJ
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282972 · Publisher ↗
Alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in the liver support glucose counterregulation by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. We have recently reported that senescence is accompanied by reductions both in the density of...
Alpha 1-adrenergic receptors in the liver support glucose counterregulation by stimulating glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. We have recently reported that senescence is accompanied by reductions both in the density of alpha 1 receptors in liver homogenates and in the affinity of these receptors for agonists (Borst and Scarpace, 1990a). The present studies were undertaken to determine what consequences these reductions may have for agonist-stimulated second messenger production. To this end we measured the density of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors and agonist-stimulated phosphoinositide (PI) hydrolysis in short-term hepatocyte cultures derived from young and senescent rats. Receptor density in hepatocytes was unchanged with age. PI hydrolysis response to epinephrine was alpha 1 in nature, as it was fully blocked by prazosin. The epinephrine response was unchanged with age, both in maximum response and in sensitivity. Similarly, the response to arginine vasopressin (AVP) was also unchanged with age.
Influence of aging on the alpha 1-receptor-mediated glycogenolysis in rat hepatocytes.
Van Ermen A, Fraeyman N
J Gerontol · 1994 Jan · PMID 8282971 · Publisher ↗
The involvement of the Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent, insulin-sensitive pathway in the alpha 1-receptor-control of glycogenolysis was investigated in hepatocytes from young adult, mature adult, and senescent ra...
The involvement of the Ca(2+)-dependent and Ca(2+)-independent, insulin-sensitive pathway in the alpha 1-receptor-control of glycogenolysis was investigated in hepatocytes from young adult, mature adult, and senescent rats. Upon chelation of extracellular Ca2+, phenylephrine caused a similar increase in glucose output that was potently inhibited by insulin, indicating the presence of both pathways in each age group. From the age-related decreasing sensitivity of the Ca(2+)-dependent pathway toward verapamil and nifedipine, and toward insulin, we suggest that the contribution of Ca(2+)-fluxes in eliciting glycogenolysis through the Ca(2+)-dependent pathway decreases upon aging. Both pathways were inhibited by the protein kinase C (PKC) activator, 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA); the inhibitory effect was decreased in hepatocytes from mature adult and senescent rats. In conclusion, our results favor the idea that a Ca(2+)-dependent and a Ca(2+)-independent, insulin-sensitive pathway remain involved throughout the life span. We provided the evidence for an impaired regulatory role of protein kinase C and calcium in hepatocytes from the older age groups.
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