Associação entre comprometimento cognitivo e circunferência da panturrilha em idosos: um estudo transversal / Association between cognitive commitment and calf circumference in elderly: a transversal study

INTRODUÇÃO: O Comprometimento cognitivo está correlacionado com circunferência da panturrilha esquerda (CPE) que corresponde a um marcador indireto de sarcopenia. A CPE é uma medida simples e rápida de ser coletada em ambulatórios. Contudo, a magnitude desta correlação parece ser distinta entre os diferentes graus de fragilidade do idoso. OBJETIVO: Verificar a correlação entre a CPE e comprometimento cognitivo nos diferentes níveis de fragilidade do idoso. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com dados secundários provenientes dos prontuários dos idosos com diagnóstico de demência cadastrados no Centro de Referência Estadual de Atenção à Saúde do Idoso (CREASI). Dados do Mini Exame do estado mental (MEEM) e da CPE foram obtidos da avaliação geriátrica ampla realizada no ingresso ao CREASI. Os dados sociodemográficos dos idosos foram registrados para caracterização da amostra, divididos quanto ao sexo e ao grau de fragilidade. Em cada grupo foi aplicado o teste de Pearson para verificar a correlação entre MEEM e CPE considerando p valor de 0,05. RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 470 prontuários, 342 mulheres e 128 homens. Os idosos frágeis demonstraram fraca correlação entre os sexos. CONCLUSÃO: Comprometimento cognitivo e CPE estão fracamente correlacionados nos idosos frágeis. O sexo não modificou a correlação entre comprometimento cognitivo e CPE.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is correlated with left calf circumference (LCC), which corresponds to an indirect marker of sarcopenia. LCC is a simple and quick measure to be collected in outpatient clinics. However, the magnitude of this correlation seems to be different between the different degrees of frailty in the elderly. OBJECTIVE: Verify the correlation between LCC and cognitive impairment at different levels of frailty in the elderly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study with secondary data from medical records of elderly people diagnosed with dementia registered at the State Reference Center for Health Care for the Elderly (CREASI). Data were collected from the MiniMental State Examination (MMSE), and the left calf circumference (LCC) was obtained from the comprehensive geriatric assessment carried out on admission of the elderly to CREASI. In addition, the elderly's sociodemographic data were recorded to characterize the sample, divided into gender and degree of frailty. In each group, Pearson's test was applied to verify the correlation between MMSE and LCC, considering a p-value of 0.05. RESULTS: 470 medical records were evaluated, 342 women and 128 men. The frail elderly showed a weak correlation between the sexes. CONCLUSION: Cognitive impairment and LCC are only weakly correlated in frail older adults. Gender did not modify the correlation between cognitive impairment and LCC.

Active Hip Flexion is a predictor of mobility in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Muscle Force (MF) and amplitude of active movement (AAM) are progressively affected in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). These measurements are correlated with mobility but influence it in a distinct manner. OBJECTIVE: To determine the influence of MF and AAM on the mobility of the subjects with ALS. METHODS: The formula for identifying the covariables and scale of mobility of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Assessment Questionnaire were applied to 23 subjects with ALS. The MF data of the knee and ankle flexors and extensors were collected in the most affected limb. In conjunction, the AAM of hip and knee flexion were captured. Multiple linear regressions were used, considering alpha ≤0.05. RESULTS: MF and AAM interfered in mobility and are responsible for 63.6% of the variation in mobility. The variable that explained this variation was the AAM of hip flexion. The stage of disease was considered a covariable. CONCLUSION: AAM of hip flexion is a safe predictor of mobility in ALS. Retarding loss of this AAM may maintain these subjects functional for a longer time. It was not possible to use MF of the muscles evaluated to predict mobility.

Electroencephalographic Patterns in Chronic Pain: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

The main objective of this study is to review and summarize recent findings on electroencephalographic patterns in individuals with chronic pain. We also discuss recent advances in the use of quantitative Electroencephalography (qEEG) for the assessment of pathophysiology and biopsychosocial factors involved in its maintenance over time. Data collection took place from February 2014 to July 2015 in PubMed, SciELO and PEDro databases. Data from cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies, as well as clinical trials involving chronic pain participants were incorporated into the final analysis. Our primary findings related to chronic pain were an increase of theta and alpha EEG power at rest, and a decrease in the amplitude of evoked potentials after sensory stimulation and cognitive tasks. This review suggests that qEEG could be considered as a simple and objective tool for the study of brain mechanisms involved in chronic pain, as well as for identifying the specific characteristics of chronic pain condition. In addition, results show that qEEG probably is a relevant outcome measure for assessing changes in therapeutic studies.