Investigation of the adaptation of older adults to online learning and artificial intelligence.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the adaptation of older adults, to online learning and artificial intelligence. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 210 older adults (109 women; 101 men) aged 65 and over, were included. Hodkinson Mental Test, Online Learning Readiness Scale (OLRS) and Artificial Intelligence Anxiety Scale (AIAS) were used in evaluation. Older adults with 6 score and above in Hodkinson Mental Test, in which their cognitive level was evaluated, were included. Older adults were stratified according to their gender and age (Group I: 65-70 years; Group II: 71-75 years; Group III: 76 years and over). RESULTS: In comparison analysis between age groups, there was a significant difference in the total score and all subdimensions of OLRS in favor of Group I (p<0.05), and in the total score and all subdimensions of AIAS (p<0.05). When analyzed according to gender, "The computer/Internet self-efficacy" subdimension of OLRS was significantly higher in male older adults (p<0.05). "Learning" subdimension of AIAS was significantly higher in female older adults (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: With increasing age in older adults, the readiness for online learning decreases and the level of artificial intelligence anxiety increases. There is no difference between male and female older adults in the readiness for online learning and artificial intelligence anxiety levels, and it is moderate in both genders. In this context, we think that information about online and artificial intelligence applications for older adults would be beneficial.

Examining the presence of sarcopenia in women with rheumatoid arthritis: Case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare the frequency of sarcopenia, functional status, fear-avoidance behaviors, biopsychosocial status and quality of life in RA women with healthy controls. METHODS: 25 RA women and 25 healthy women were included in the study. Definition of sarcopenia was assessed using parameters recommended by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia (EWGSOP): Bioimpedance analysis for muscle mass (body fat ratio, skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle mass index); grip and knee extension strength for muscle strength and 4-m course gait speed test for physical performance was applied. Functional status was evaluated with the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), fear-avoidance behaviors with the Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale (TKS), biopsychosocial status with the Biopsychosocial Questionnaire (BETY-BQ), and quality of life with Short Form-36 (SF-36). RESULTS: While none of the healthy women had sarcopenia, severe sarcopenia was detected in 7 (28%) of the women with RA. When RA and healthy groups were compared; skeletal muscle mass (p: 0,004); skeletal muscle mass index (p: 0,011); grip strength-right (p:0.001) and left (p:0.001); knee extension strength-right (p:0.001) and left (p:0.001), 4-m course gait speed test (p:0.001), HAQ (p:0.001), TKS (p:0.001), BETY-BQ (p:0.001), SF-36 physical (p:0.001) ve mental component (p:0.001) results were significant in favor of the healthy group while there was no difference in body fat ratio (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: In women with RA, the frequency of sarcopenia is higher, and functional status, fear-avoidance behaviors, biopsychosocial status and quality of life are worse than healthy.

Evaluation of balance in patients with systemic sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to examine static/dynamic balance and proprioception of Systemic Sclerosis by comparing healthy and relationship with demographic and disease-related data. METHODS: 21 Systemic Sclerosis and 19 healthy were included.Berg Balance Scale (functional balance), Sensamove Sensbalance Maxiboard Software (static, dynamic balance:reaction time and travel time and proprioception), Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire/Health Assessment Questionnaire (health status), Medsger's Disease Severity Scale, Modified Rodnan Skin Score were used in evaluation. FINDINGS: Comparing the groups, there was significant difference in Berg Balance Scale (p:0.036); Health Assessment Questionnaire/Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (p:0.001); Static balance-center (p:0.001), front (p:0.001), back (p:0.001), left (p:0.001), right (p:0.021); proprioception-front (p:0.025);Reaction Time-front (p:0.031) and left (p:0.010);Travel Time-front (p:0.041) and left (p:0.014) in favor of healthy group.In Systemic Sclerosis, disease severity had moderate correlation with static balance-back (r:-0.504,p:0.020).Skin thickness had low correlation with Reaction Time-front (r:-0.449,p:0.041).Age had low correlation with Travel time-front (r:0.458,p:0.037) and proprioception-left (r:0.450,p:0.041); moderate with Travel time-back (r:0.515;p:0.017) and proprioception-front (r:0.539,p:0.012). INTERPRETATION: Compared to healthy, Systemic Sclerosis had worse health status, functional balance, static/dynamic balance and proprioception.This situation is related to disease severity, skin thickness and age. Evaluations made with objective methods may have the potential to determine the extent of the problem.Clinicians can guide the treatment of patients with SSc by evaluating their static/dynamic balance and proprioception.With early treatment, additional problems that may occur due to worsening of balance and proprioception can be prevented.Proprioception and dynamic balance evaluation can be performed for older patients, static balance when disease activity is high, and dynamic balance when skin thickness score is high.

Impact of coronavirus disease pandemic on performance and satisfaction, physical activity, and quality of life of the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 140 elderly with a mean age of 71.30±6.00 years (69 females, 71 males) who spent the coronavirus disease pandemic period at home were included. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Visual Analog Scale (for pain intensity at rest and activity), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Health States were used in the evaluation. Two scores are obtained in Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: one for performance and one for satisfaction. EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version consists of two parts: EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Visual Analog Scale. RESULTS: While female gender (p=0.006, p=0.001), using walking assistant (p=0.001, p=0.001), being single/widow (p=0.031, p=0.007), and history of falling (p=0.004, p=0.001) made difference in Visual Analog Scale (rest, activity), female gender (p=0.013) and being single/widow (p=0.020) made difference in satisfaction scores of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Female gender (p=0.001), using walking assistant (p=0.001), and history of falling (p=0.010) made difference in EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system. In addition, performance scores of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure had a low correlation with Visual Analog Scale (rest r=-0.198, p=0.019; activity r=-0.188, p=0.026) and had a moderate correlation with EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system (r=0.327, p=0.001) and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Visual Analog Scale (r=0.307, p=0.001). Satisfaction scores of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure had a low correlation with Visual Analog Scale (rest r=-0.247, p=0.003; activity r=-0.223, p=0.008) and had a moderate correlation with EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system (r=0.399, p=0.001) and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Visual Analog Scale (r=0.306, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The elderly who were women, single/widowed, using walking assistant, and having a history of falling were more affected during the coronavirus disease period.

Investigation of Biopsychosocial Status, Fatigue, Sleep Quality, Alexithymia, Cognitive Functions, and Quality of Life in Behçet's Disease.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of Behçet's disease in terms of anxiety, biopsychosocial status, fatigue, sleep quality, alexithymia, cognitive level, and quality of life according to major and minor organ involvement. Methods: The study was planned as a single-centre cohort study. Fifty patients diagnosed with Behçet's (mean age 43±11.96 years) were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as major organ involvement (uveitis, neuro-Behçet's, or vascular type Behçet's disease) and minor organ involvement (mucocutaneous type Behçet's disease). Biopsychosocial status was evaluated with Biopsychosocial Questionnaire (BETY-BQ), anxiety with Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), fatigue with Multidimensional Assessment of Fatigue (MAF) Scale, sleep quality with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), alexithymia with Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20), cognition level with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and quality of life with Short Form-36 (SF-36). Results: In the comparison according to minor and major organ involvement, there was no significant difference between the groups in BETY-BQ, BAI, MAF, PSQI, TAS-20, MMSE and SF-36 (p>0.05). Conclusion: Behçet's disease negatively effects in parameters such as biopsychosocial status, fatigue, sleep quality, alexithymia and quality of life. The presence of major or minor organ involvement in the patients did not change these negative effects.

The validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale - straight forwardly in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the validity and reliability of Turkish version of Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale-Straightforwardly (BFNE-S (TR)) in patients with Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Materials and Methods: 35 individuals (mean age: 53.3±13.0 years) diagnosed as SSc were included. Data on demographics, were collected via structured interview. All participants were evaluated by same investigator. The disability was evaluated with Scleroderma Health Assessment Questionnaire (SHAQ), disease severity with Medsger's Disease Severity Scale, and skin involvement with Modified Rodnan Skin Score. BFNE-S (TR) was applied to the patients with SSc who did not receive any treatment for test retest at one-week intervals. Results: The one-factor structure was provided for all indices except Chi-Square. Factor loadings were significant. The patient responses to the BFNE-S (TR) demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α: 0.95). The floor effect (20%) percentage of patients who scored at floor level, was observed. Test-retest reliability of the scale was excellent with 0.91 (95%CI: 0.78-0.96). BFNE-S (TR) total score had positive correlation with SHAQ_Digestive (r=0.503) and SHAQ_Raynaud phenomenon (r=0.343)(p<0.05). Conclusions: The BFNE-S (TR) is a reliable and valid scale and can be used for measurement of fear of negative evaluation in SSc.

Impact of coronavirus disease pandemic on performance and satisfaction, physical activity, and quality of life of the elderly

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of the coronavirus disease pandemic in the elderly. METHODS: A total of 140 elderly with a mean age of 71.30±6.00 years (69 females, 71 males) who spent the coronavirus disease pandemic period at home were included. Canadian Occupational Performance Measure, Visual Analog Scale (for pain intensity at rest and activity), International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form, and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Health States were used in the evaluation. Two scores are obtained in Canadian Occupational Performance Measure: one for performance and one for satisfaction. EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version consists of two parts: EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Visual Analog Scale. RESULTS: While female gender (p=0.006, p=0.001), using walking assistant (p=0.001, p=0.001), being single/widow (p=0.031, p=0.007), and history of falling (p=0.004, p=0.001) made difference in Visual Analog Scale (rest, activity), female gender (p=0.013) and being single/widow (p=0.020) made difference in satisfaction scores of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure. Female gender (p=0.001), using walking assistant (p=0.001), and history of falling (p=0.010) made difference in EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system. In addition, performance scores of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure had a low correlation with Visual Analog Scale (rest r=-0.198, p=0.019; activity r=-0.188, p=0.026) and had a moderate correlation with EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system (r=0.327, p=0.001) and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Visual Analog Scale (r=0.307, p=0.001). Satisfaction scores of Canadian Occupational Performance Measure had a low correlation with Visual Analog Scale (rest r=-0.247, p=0.003; activity r=-0.223, p=0.008) and had a moderate correlation with EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version descriptive system (r=0.399, p=0.001) and EuroQol Five-Dimensional Questionnaire, Three-Level Version Visual Analog Scale (r=0.306, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: The elderly who were women, single/widowed, using walking assistant, and having a history of falling were more affected during the coronavirus disease period.

The Turkish version of the Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire in patients with chronic neck pain: a cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity study.

INTRODUCTION: The cultural adaptation of a self-report measurement in different languages is important for developing common strategies for evaluation and treatment. The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire (NBQ), which was developed to evaluate patients with neck pain, was adapted from the Bournemouth Questionnaire in accordance with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) categories. The aim of this study was to conduct the Turkish cultural adaptation, validity and reliability study of the NBQ. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 119 patients (93 females, 26 males; mean age: 37.2 ±11.8 years) with chronic nonspecific neck pain. The NBQ, Neck Disability Index (NDI) and Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) questionnaires were administered to all the subjects. Test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient) and the internal consistency (Cronbach's α) were the methods used for the reliability study. The relationship between NBQ, NDI and NHP was investigated for concurrent validity. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used for construct validity. RESULTS: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire showed good internal consistency (α = 0.87). The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.913 (95% CI: 0.875-0.940). The correlations between NBQ and NDI and NHP were significant (p < 0.05). The questionnaire was found to have one factor and the explained variance was 59.084% as a result of factor analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The Neck Bournemouth Questionnaire is a valid and reliable scale for patients with chronic neck pain in the Turkish population.

The Effectiveness of Matrix Rhythm Therapy in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized clinical study. OBJECTIVE: Our study was planned to determine the effect of matrix rhythm therapy (MRT) on pain, level of disability, and quality of life in chronic low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Low back pain is a complex and heterogeneous disorder. Different therapy options can be applied in the treatment of low back pain. In the literature, there are very few studies showing the effect of MRT in patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: A total of 32 participants with a mean age of 36.41 ±â€Š8.91 years were randomly divided into two groups (intervention group and control group). Each participant was treated with ten sessions a combined physiotherapy program (hot pack, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, therapeutic ultrasound, home exercise and patient education program). Additionally, intervention group received six sessions of MRT. Pain (McGill Pain Questionnaire), level of disability (Oswestry Disability Index) and quality of life (Short Form-36) were measured before and after the treatment programme. RESULTS: When pre- and post-treatment results were compared in the intervention group, a statistically significant difference was found in total pain level, disability level, and all subdimensions except the "Emotional Role" subdimension of Short Form-36 (SF-36) and total SF-36 scores (P ≤ 0.05). In the control group, statistically significant differences were found in disability level, the "Vitality" and "Bodily Pain" subdimensions of SF-36 and total SF-36 scores (P ≤ 0.05). When the delta values were compared between groups, there was a statistically significant difference only in the "general health perceptions" subdimension of SF-36 (P ≤ 0.05) in favor of the intervention group. CONCLUSION: It was determined that both the combined physiotherapy program and the MRT application in addition to the combined physiotherapy program have a positive effect on pain, disability level, and quality of life in patients with chronic low back pain.Level of Evidence: 2.

Exploring the relation between impairment rating by DAS-28 and body function, activity participation, and environmental factors based on ICF hand core set in the patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

Hand problems associated with rheumatoid arthritis lead to subjective impairment, activity limitation, and restrictions on participation. This relation is very complex. Assessment of individuals' activities is important to determine how hand problems affect not only body functions but also daily life activities. The aim of this study was to link and allocate items of disability questionnaires with ICF components based on ICF hand core set. The other objective was to examine the relationship between impairment and ICF components determined on the basis of disability questionnaires in participants with rheumatoid arthritis. Impairment was evaluated by use of Disease Activity Score-28. Disability questionnaires were Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire, Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire, Duruoz Hand Index, and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 (n = 100). Items of disability questionnaires were linked with ICF hand core set as a result of three expert opinions. Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire covered the highest number of body function categories and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales 2 covered the highest number of ICF hand core set. For all questionnaires, while impairment (Disease Activity Score-28) had moderate correlation with subjective impairment (body function scores) and activity/participation; subjective impairment had high and moderate correlation with activity participation. Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale 2 is the most appropriate to perform a more comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment. Clinician's assessments and impairment levels reported by patients with rheumatoid arthritis are interrelated. Impairment levels reported by patients with rheumatoid arthritis are also affected by environmental factors.