Effects of game-based interventions on functional capacity in acutely hospitalised older adults: results of an open-label non-randomised clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalisation-associated disability due to reduced physical activity levels and prolonged bedrest episodes are highly prevalent in older adults. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of gamified interventions on functional capacity in hospitalised older adults. METHODS: A three-armed non-randomised controlled trial with two experimental intervention groups and a control group was conducted in a tertiary public hospital in Navarre, Spain. Participants were allocated to a simple gamification group (SGG) (n = 21), a technology-based gamification group (TGG) (n = 23) or a control group (CG) (n = 26). The end points were changes in functional capacity, muscle strength, cognition, mood status and quality of life. RESULTS: Seventy patients (mean age 86.01 ± 4.27 years old) were included in the study; 29 (41.4%) were women. At discharge, compared to CG, a mean increase of 1.47 points (95%CI, 0.15-2.80 points) and 2.69 points (95%CI, 1.32-4.06 points) was observed (SGG and TGG, respectively) in the SPPB test; as well as an increase of 5.28 points (95%CI, 0.70-9.76 points) in the Barthel Index and 2.03 kg (95%CI, 0.33-3.72 kg) in handgrip strength in the TGG. Regression mediation analyses demonstrated that muscle strength changes (ß = 1.30; 95%CI, 0.45-2.14; indirect effect 0.864; 95%CI, 0.09-1.90) significantly mediated the TGG effect on the SPPB score. CONCLUSIONS: The TGG intervention programme may provide significant benefits in physical and muscle function over usual care and seems to reverse the functional decline frequently associated with acute hospitalisation in older adults.

Computerized adaptive testing: the capitalization on chance problem.

This paper describes several simulation studies that examine the effects of capitalization on chance in the selection of items and the ability estimation in CAT, employing the 3-parameter logistic model. In order to generate different estimation errors for the item parameters, the calibration sample size was manipulated (N = 500, 1000 and 2000 subjects) as was the ratio of item bank size to test length (banks of 197 and 788 items, test lengths of 20 and 40 items), both in a CAT and in a random test. Results show that capitalization on chance is particularly serious in CAT, as revealed by the large positive bias found in the small sample calibration conditions. For broad ranges of theta, the overestimation of the precision (asymptotic Se) reaches levels of 40%, something that does not occur with the RMSE (theta). The problem is greater as the item bank size to test length ratio increases. Potential solutions were tested in a second study, where two exposure control methods were incorporated into the item selection algorithm. Some alternative solutions are discussed.

Effects of Physical Exercise on the Incidence of Delirium and Cognitive Function in Acutely Hospitalized Older Adults: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Acute care hospitalization increases the likelihood of developing cognitive impairment and delirium in older adults. OBJECTIVE: To summarize evidence about the effectiveness of exercise and physical rehabilitation interventions on the incidence of delirium and cognitive impairment in acutely hospitalized older patients. METHODS: Relevant articles were systematically searched (PubMed, Web of Science, and CINHAL databases) until 26 August 2021. Randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials of in-hospital physical exercise interventions and rehabilitation programs compared to usual care performed for older patients (> 65 years) hospitalized for an acute medical condition were selected. The primary endpoints were changes in the incidence of delirium and cognition during acute hospitalization. The secondary endpoints included functional independence, psychological measures, well-being status, length of hospital stay, transfer after discharge, fall occurrence, hospital readmissions, and mortality rate. The endpoints were evaluated at different time points (at admission, at discharge, and after discharge). RESULTS: Eleven studies from 8 trials (n = 3,646) were included. The methodological quality of the studies was mostly high. None of the studies reported any adverse events related to the intervention. Early rehabilitation improved cognitive function at 3 months postdischarge (Hedge's g = 0.33, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.19 to 0.46, p < 0.001). No between-group differences were found for incident delirium and cognitive impairment during hospitalization (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In-hospital physical exercise and early rehabilitation programs seem to be safe and effective interventions for enhancing cognitive function after discharge in older patients hospitalized for an acute medical condition. However, no potential benefits were obtained over usual hospital care for the incidence of delirium.

Reply to Inzitari et al. Comment on "Blancafort Alias et al. A Multi-Domain Group-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Psychological Wellbeing in Older People with Losses in Intrinsic Capacity: AMICOPE Development Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 5979".

This is a reply to the comment by Inzitari et al [...].

Impact of Game-Based Interventions on Health-Related Outcomes in Hospitalized Older Patients: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effectiveness of game-based interventions compared with usual care on health-related outcomes for acutely hospitalized older patients. DESIGN: Systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCT) and nonrandomized trials. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Adults aged 65 years or older admitted to an Acute Care for Elderly unit were selected. MEASURES: Health-related outcomes (eg, functional capacity, quality of life, adherence to treatment). RESULTS: Four RCTs were included in the review. The interventions were based on the implementation of serious-game programs using Nintendo Wii in acute medical patients. Across the included studies, no significant differences were observed between groups on functional capacity and health-related quality of life. Significant differences were found between groups on the adherence to treatment (in favor of the control group), but no differences were obtained in other outcomes such as enjoyment and motivation. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: In general, there is very limited evidence for the efficacy to reach conclusions about the effects of game-based interventions on health-related outcomes in acutely hospitalized older patients. Future studies are needed to improve our knowledge in the field; however, we consider that these strategies should be considered in the future complementary to usual care.

A Multi-Domain Group-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity, Healthy Nutrition, and Psychological Wellbeing in Older People with Losses in Intrinsic Capacity: AMICOPE Development Study.

The World Health Organization has developed the Integrated Care of Older People (ICOPE) strategy, a program based on the measurement of intrinsic capacity (IC) as "the composite of all physical and mental attributes on which an individual can draw". Multicomponent interventions appear to be the most effective approach to enhance IC and to prevent frailty and disability since adapted physical activity is the preventive intervention that has shown the most evidence in the treatment of frailty and risk of falls. Our paper describes the development of a multi-domain group-based intervention addressed to older people living in the community, aimed at improving and/or maintaining intrinsic capacity by means of promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and psychological wellbeing in older people. The process of intervention development is described following the Guidance for reporting intervention development studies in health research (GUIDED). The result of this study is the AMICOPE intervention (Aptitude Multi-domain group-based intervention to improve and/or maintain IC in Older PEople) built upon the ICOPE framework and described following the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) guidelines. The intervention consists of 12 face-to-face sessions held weekly for 2.5 h over three months and facilitated by a pair of health and social care professionals. This study represents the first stage of the UK Medical Research Council framework for developing and evaluating a complex intervention. The next step should be carrying out a feasibility study for the AMICOPE intervention and, at a later stage, assessing the effectiveness in a randomized controlled trial.

Incremental effect for antisocial personality disorder genetic risk combining 5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR polymorphisms.

As the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4 or 5-HTT) is a key regulator of central serotonergic activity, several association studies between Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) and the SLC6A4 polymorphisms have been conducted in the last decade. In the present study, the role of both 5-HTTLPR and 5-HTTVNTR polymorphisms of the SLC6A4 gene in APD is investigated. A sample of 147 male inmates was analyzed. APD was assessed by Aluja's Antisocial Personality Disorder Scale, a measure that correlates 0.73 with the dimensional score of DSM-IV APD and 0.62 with factor II of the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised. Inmates presenting both 5-HTTLPR S/S+S/L and 5-HTTVNTR 12/12 had a higher risk of being classified in the APD group (Odds ratio=3.48). The results also showed that the genotype and haplotype distribution was more dissimilar when extreme groups were compared with odds ratios up to 6.50. Our results supported that, in addition to the widely investigated 5-HTTLPR polymorphism, the 5-HTTVNTR polymorphism might be an interesting candidate for association studies with APD. Results also suggested that previous failures to replicate the association between serotonin transporter gene polymorphisms and APD, or similar phenotypes, could have been due to an under-representation of extremely high APD subjects in the samples analyzed.

A Feasibility Study for Implementation "Health Arcade": A Study Protocol for Prototype of Multidomain Intervention Based on Gamification Technologies in Acutely Hospitalized Older Patients.

The aim of this article is to present the research protocol for a study that will evaluate the feasibility of implementation of Health Arcade prototype multidomain intervention based on physical and cognitive training using gamification technologies at improving care for older people hospitalized with an acute illness. A total of 40 older people will be recruited in a tertiary public hospital at Pamplona, Spain. The intervention duration will be four to nine consecutive days. Additionally, the patients will receive encouragement for maintaining active during hospital stay and for reducing sedentary time. Primary implementation-related outcomes will be the adherence to treatment (i.e., number of games and days completed during the intervention period), reaction or response time, and number of success and failures in each game per day. Secondary implementation-related outcomes will be self-perceived grade of difficulty, satisfaction, enjoyment per game and session, and self-perceived difficulties in handling the prototype hardware. Other health-related outcomes will also be assessed such as functional capacity in activities of daily living, mood status, quality of life, handgrip strength, physical activity levels, and mobility. The current study will provide additional evidence to support the implementation of multidomain interventions designed to target older persons with an acute illness based on friendly technology. The proposed intervention will increase accessibility of in-clinical geriatrics services, improve function, promote recovery of the health, and reduce economic costs.

Effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions in acute geriatric wards: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the evidence on the effectiveness of specific occupational therapy programs in elderly people hospitalized for acute medical pathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Relevant randomized clinical trials were selected by searching the main bibliographic databases to evaluate the effectiveness of in-hospital occupational therapy interventions for people aged 65 years and over who were hospitalized for acute medical pathology. RESULTS: Six studies were finally selected. The interventions consisted of individualized programs of occupational therapy: training and re-education in the activities of daily living (ADL); evaluation, prescription and training in the use of support devices; and providing reports regarding recommendations and referrals on discharge. In five studies, the patients in the intervention group obtained higher scores on assessment tools used to measure functionality in ADL. In one of the studies there was a statistically significant reduction in delirium, as well as an improvement in cognitive function. There was no evidence for the effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for anxiety, fear and/or perceived safety, in any of the studies analyzed. CONCLUSIONS: The evidence is limited as to whether specific occupational therapy programs are effective in improving functionality in ADL in this group of patients. However, occupational therapy was significantly effective in reducing delirium and improving cognitive function. There is insufficient evidence to claim that specific occupational therapy programs are effective in reducing levels of anxiety, increasing perceived quality of life, reducing readmission rates, or reducing the length of hospital stay.

The MCMI-III personality disorders scores predicted by the NEO-FFI-R and the ZKPQ-50-CC: a comparative study.

This study was designed to compare the NEO-FFI-R versus the ZKPQ-50-CC in their relationships with the fourteen MCMI-III personality disorder scales in a Spanish non-clinical sample (N = 674). Previous studies showed consistent relationships between the Five Factor Model and the DSM-IV personality disorders (PD), but there is no comparative study between both Five Factor and Zuckerman's personality models. The aim was to replicate previous results about relationships between the Big-Five and PDs using the revised short version of the NEO-PI-R, and to compare the NEO-FFI-R versus the ZKPQ-50-CC regarding the relationships with MCMI-III personality disorder scales. Results showed no sharp differences between the NEO-FFI-R and ZKPQ-50-CC scales. Each instrument explained around 30% of the PDs MCMI-III scales variance. Using conjointly the 10 personality scales from the NEO-FFI-R and ZKPQ-50-CC, the PDs accounted variance rose to 38%. Differences and similarities between both short personality questionnaires are discussed.

Testing the indifferentiation hypothesis during childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

The general (g) factor is the most general and relevant cognitive ability. This factor is considered to be one of the most important predictors of academic achievement and of many other socially relevant behavioral outcomes. In the last decades, many researchers have investigated the possible changes in the relevance of the g factor from childhood to adulthood. The indifferentiation hypothesis states that the variance attributed to the g factor and the main cognitive abilities will not change over the life span. In the present study, the authors tested that hypothesis in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood by using 2 different cognitive batteries (Test of Educational Ability [TEA; S. A. TEA, 1999], Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales [WAIS; D. Wechsler, 1955]), which they administered in 2 different countries--Spain (TEA) and the United States (WAIS). The ages of the participants (N = 2,384) ranged from 8 to 54 years. Results showed that the number of factors extracted and the relevance were the same for every age group in both batteries, as predicted by the indifferentiation hypothesis. The authors discuss implications of intelligence assessment.

The differentiation hypothesis and the Flynn effect.

Many studies have shown that IQs have been increasing over the last half century. These increases have come to be known as "the Flynn effect". The "Flynn effect" represents a difference on ability-level between groups of the same age but different cohort. The ability-level differentiation hypothesis represents a difference on the relevance of cognitive factors between groups of high and low ability. Hence, it should be possible to imitate the ability-level differentiation effect by comparing groups of the same age but different cohort. The indifferentiation hypothesis represents no differences on the relevance of cognitive abilities in all age groups within the same cohort. The aim of the present study is to test the relationships between these phenomena. For this purpose we analyzed the American standardisation samples of the WISC, WISC-R and WISC-III. Results support the link between the Flynn effect and the differentiation hypothesis. Also, reported evidence replicate previous findings supporting the indifferentiation hypothesis. Implications for the assessment of the intelligence are discussed.