The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing home professionals: results of the RESICOVID project.

OBJECTIVES: The situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on the mental, physical, and social health of nursing home staff. The operations and protocols of long-term care facilities had to be adapted to a new, unforeseen, and unknown situation in which a devastating and highly contagious disease was causing large numbers of deaths. The aim of this study was to determine the cumulative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on care, technical, coordinating-supervisory, and managerial staff working in nursing homes. METHODS: Correlation analysis and between-group comparisons were carried out to study the relationship between burnout scores, emotional balance, and organic and behavioral symptoms. RESULTS: The results indicate high levels of burnout and psychological exhaustion. Management professionals displayed higher levels of organic and behavioral symptoms than other professional categories in the same care settings. Despite this negative symptomatology, most professionals showed a positive emotional balance. CONCLUSION: The need to develop intervention programs to improve the mental, physical, and occupational health of the staff in nursing homes, considering the needs of different professional categories, is emphasized.

Walking the talk for dementia: A unique immersive, embodied, and multi-experiential initiative.

Coping with dementia requires an integrated approach encompassing personal, health, research, and community domains. Here we describe "Walking the Talk for Dementia," an immersive initiative aimed at empowering people with dementia, enhancing dementia understanding, and inspiring collaborations. This initiative involved 300 participants from 25 nationalities, including people with dementia, care partners, clinicians, policymakers, researchers, and advocates for a 4-day, 40 km walk through the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, Spain. A 2-day symposium after the journey provided novel transdisciplinary and horizontal structures, deconstructing traditional hierarchies. The innovation of this initiative lies in its ability to merge a physical experience with knowledge exchange for diversifying individuals' understanding of dementia. It showcases the transformative potential of an immersive, embodied, and multi-experiential approach to address the complexities of dementia collaboratively. The initiative offers a scalable model to enhance understanding, decrease stigma, and promote more comprehensive and empathetic dementia care and research.

Normative data for the Spanish versions of the CVLT, WMS-Logical Memory, and RBMT from a sample of middle-aged and old participants.

Episodic memory (EM), one of the most commonly assessed cognitive domains in aging, is useful for identifying pathological processes such as mild cognitive impairment and dementia. However, EM tests must be culturally adapted, and the influence of sociodemographic variables analyzed, to provide cut-off points that enable correct diagnosis. The aim of this article is to report updated Spanish normative data for three EM tests: the California Verbal Learning Test, the Logical Memory subtest of the Wechsler Memory Test, and the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test. Measures include immediate, short-, and long-delay free recall, intrusions, and global scores. The entire sample is comprised of 1,193 cognitively unimpaired participants aged +50, recruited from three cohort studies within the Spanish Consortium for Ageing Normative Data. Participants who subsequently developed cognitive impairment, detected at follow-up, were removed from the total sample. Data analysis included transformation of percentile ranges into scalar scores, tests for the effects of education level, age, and sex on performance, and linear regression to calculate scalar adjustments. Tables with percentile ranges and scalar scores for each measure are provided, with adjustments for age, education level, and sex, as required. The normative scores provide robust data for assessing EM in Spanish middle-aged and old populations. Effects of sex, age, and education level in each measure are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Normative scores for attentional tests used by the Spanish consortium for ageing normative data (SCAND) study: Trail Making Test, Digit Symbol and Letter Cancellation.

Objective: This paper reports normative data for different attentional tests obtained from a sample of middle-aged and older native Spanish adults and considering effects of age, educational level and sex. Method: 2,597 cognitively intact participants, aged from 50 to 98 years old, participated voluntarily in the SCAND consortium studies. The statistical procedure included conversion of percentile ranges into scaled scores. The effects of age, education and sex were taken into account. Linear regressions were used to calculate adjusted scaled scores. Results: Scaled scores and percentiles corresponding to the TMT, Digit Symbol and Letter Cancellation Task are shown. Additional tables show the values to be added to or subtracted from the scaled scores, for age and education in the case of the TMT and Letter Cancellation Task measures, and for education in the case of the Digit Symbol subtest. Conclusions: The current norms provide clinically useful data for evaluating Spanish people aged 50 to 98 years old and contribute to improving detection of initial symptoms of cognitive impairment.

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms after Liver Transplantation in a 65-Year-Old Male Patient.

The development of immunosuppressants has been key for the advancement of solid organ transplant surgery. Specifically, cyclosporine, tacrolimus, or everolimus have significantly increased the survival rate of patients by reducing the risk of a rejection of the transplanted organ and limiting graft-versus-host disease. We report the case of a 65-year-old man who, after undergoing a liver transplantation and receiving an immunosuppressive treatment with cyclosporine and everolimus, presented severe obsessive, psychotic, and behavioral symptoms over the past three years, and describe the pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions implemented against these symptoms. In this case, the immunosuppressants used have been cyclosporine and, preferably, everolimus. On the other hand, potential adverse reactions to the treatment have been observed, including neuropsychiatric symptoms such as tremor, anxiety, dysthymia, psychosis, and behavioral disorders, which make it necessary to use corrective psychoactive drugs such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and antipsychotics, combined with non-pharmacological interventions. A transversal approach, from the medical and psychosocial disciplines, facilitates success in managing neuropsychiatric symptoms after soft organ transplants.

Cognitive reserve and mental health in cognitive frailty phenotypes: Insights from a study with a Portuguese sample.

Background: Research on prevalence of cognitive frailty phenotypes in community-dwelling older adults in different countries is important to estimate their prevalence and to determine the influence of cognitive reserve and mental health in order to prevent frailty. The aims of this study were to estimate the prevalence of reversible and potentially reversible cognitive frailty (R-CF, PR-CF) in a Portuguese sample of old adults and explore the associations between these phenotypes and demographic, comorbidity, social support, cognitive reserve and mental health factors. Methods: We assessed frailty (Fried criteria) in 250 community-dwelling older adults (179 women) aged 60 years or over (mean 71.04 years) without dementia, neurological or psychiatric disorders. Subjective cognitive decline and Mild cognitive impairment were diagnosed according to standard criteria. The questionnaires Charlson Index, Medical Outcomes Study Social Support, Cognitive Reserve Index and General Health were used for assessing comorbidity, social support, cognitive reserve and mental health, respectively. Results: Prevalence of R-CF was 14%, and that of PR-CF, 15.2%. Cognitive frailty profiles differed significantly in relation to education, comorbidity, mental health, and cognitive reserve, but not in age or sex. Multivariate logistic regression showed that age, sex, comorbidity, social support, mental health, and cognitive reserve together predicted R-CF and PR-CF (90% specificity 75% sensitivity) with significant OR for mental health and cognitive reserve. Discussion: Cognitive reserve and mental health are important factors predicting R-CF and PR-CF. We recommend assessing these factors for early detection of cognitive frailty and promoting psychological well-being and lifestyles that increase cognitive reserve in adults.

New Trends in Cognitive Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment.

In this editorial, we aim to highlight some lessons learned in our field and to discuss some open questions regarding the continuum between healthy cognitive aging and dementia [...].

Cribado cognitivo a través de instrumentos de evaluación telefónica. ¿Un nuevo reto pospandemia? / Cognitive screening through telephone assessment instruments. A new post-pandemic challenge?

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Dual-task performance in old adults: cognitive, functional, psychosocial and socio-demographic variables.

BACKGROUND: Dual tasking, or the ability to executing two tasks simultaneously, has been used in recent research to predict cognitive impairments, physical frailty, and has been linked with cognitive frailty in old adults. AIM: This study aimed to determine age-related variables can predict dual-task (DT) performance in the older population. METHODS: A total of 258 healthy community-dwelling participants + 60 years were assessed in relation to their functional capacity, health, well-being, social support and years of education. Performance of a cognitive (Fluency) task and a cognitive-motor (Tracking) task was recorded under single and DT conditions. Multiple linear regression analysis was carried out for each dependent variable, in separate models including cognitive, functional and psychosocial variables. RESULTS: Performance in Fluency in DT conditions was predicted by cognitive variables, whereas performance in Tracking DT conditions was predicted by positive interaction, health status, age and motor variables. DISCUSSION: The findings suggest that a wide range of cognitive, psychological, social, physical and functional variables influence cognitive and motor performance in aging. CONCLUSION: DT methodology is sensitive to different age-related changes and could be related to frailty conditions in aging.

Positive and Negative Feelings among Spanish Young-Old and Old-Old during the Lockdown of the COVID-19 First Wave.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic required a population lockdown during the first wave in March 2020. Evidence has shown a circular relationship between perceived threat and the risk of developing negative mood, which might impact the affect balance of older adults. We aimed to investigate the positive and negative feelings expressed by young-old (60-70 years) and old-old (over 71 years) Spanish adults during the lockdown of the COVID-19 first wave, and the social and psychological variables associated. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted in 528 participants using a questionnaire composed of sociodemographic data and validated scales for resilience (Brief Resilient Coping Scale) and emotions (Scale of Positive and Negative Experience). RESULTS: We found a positive balance between positive and negative feelings with no differences between both groups. Regression analysis showed that social network and resilience, but not age, are significant predictors of both greater positive feelings and lower negative feelings. CONCLUSIONS: Our results evidence the relevance of promoting targeted support psychological and social measures that effectively help older adults to cope with such a difficult scenario as the current pandemic. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Health-care providers must develop targeted care strategies aimed at providing emotional support for older adults from a holistic perspective.

Care tasks and impact of caring in primary family caregivers: A cross-sectional study from a nursing perspective.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers of persons with dementia often experience a negative impact on their health. More studies based on nursing theories are needed to improve the provision of care. AIMS: To describe the care provided by family caregivers of persons with dementia and the impact on their health, as well as to analyse how personal variables of caregivers are related to care tasks and their health impact. METHODS: Multi-centric cross-sectional prospective study conducted on a sample of 423 primary family caregivers of persons with dementia from Spain. Data were collected through ICUB97-R questionnaire (January-April 2019), based on the fourteen needs of Virginia Henderson's Nursing Model. Data was analysed through one-way analysis of variance and Student's t-test. RESULTS: The caregiver profile was a middle-aged married woman without higher education living with the cared person, predominantly her mother. The most frequently provided care corresponded to "nutrition" and "movement" needs. Lack of free time, modifications on leisure activities, reduced sleep or rest and disruption of family life emerged as the greatest repercussions on the caregiver's health. The age of the caregiver and time caring showed differences on impact of care and care tasks, respectively. CONCLUSION: The identification of the types of care provided, the health impact of caring and the variables affecting the family caregiver's vulnerability is essential to develop effective individualised nursing care plans, including health education interventions to improve the quality of life of both caregivers and persons cared for.

Foreign Language Training to Stimulate Cognitive Functions.

Adult development throughout a lifetime implies a series of changes in systems, including cognitive and linguistic functioning. The aim of this article is to study the effect of foreign language training on linguistic processing, particularly the frequency of the tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon and on other cognitive processes such as processing speed and working memory in adults aged 40 to 60 years. Sixty-six healthy Colombian teachers were enrolled in this study. They were then randomly divided into an experimental group (33 healthy adults who underwent a four-week training period) and a passive control group (33 healthy adults who did not undergo any training). All participants performed induction tasks for the TOT phenomenon, working memory and processing speed before and after the four weeks. Results showed more of an effect in the semantic access, phonological access and processing speed measures with a better performance in the experimental group than in the control group. In Colombia, this type of training is still new and little is known to date about programs to prevent cognitive impairments. The need to conduct more studies confirming or refuting these findings is discussed, thus raising awareness about the extent of this type of training to increase the linguistic and cognitive performance of adults.

Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown on a Long-Term Care Facility: The Role of Social Contact.

(1) Background: Long-term care facilities (LTCFs) have been harmed by the coronavirus, and older adults have remained isolated for a long time with many restrictions. The aim of this study was to measure the decline in cognitive, functional, and affective status in a care facility after the lockdown in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and to compare it with previous measures in order to determine if this decline was accelerated. (2) Methods: Ninety-eight participants were recruited. Data from three retrospective pre-lockdown assessments and an additional post-lockdown assessment were analyzed. Mixed ANOVA analyses were performed according to the Clinical Dementia Rating levels, considering social-contact frequency during the lockdown as a covariate. (3) Results: The cognitive and functional scores were lower and depression scores were higher after the strict lockdown, accelerating a general pattern of decline that was already present in LTCF residents. The frequency of social contact eliminated the measurement differences in the cognitive and functional scores and the group differences in depression scores. (4) Conclusions: The effects of the SARS-CoV-2 lockdown in an LTCF were mediated by the frequency of contact. Clinical implications: Preventive measures must be taken to ensure social contact with relatives and friends and reduce the negative consequences of social isolation in LTCFs.

Normative scores for the Timed Up & Go in a Spanish sample of community-dweller adults with preserved functionality / Puntuaciones normativas para el test Timed Up & Go en una muestra comunitaria española de adultos con funcionalidad preservada

Our aim was to calculate the ‘Timed Up & Go’ (TUG) normative scores in a Spanish sample composed of functional older adults. The TUG test provides a measure of global ambulation skills and its total score has been successfully related with functionality and other important health variables in older adults. Reliable norms are needed for adults 50 years and older that allow the early identification and intervention in motor disturbances. The study was carried out with adults from Galicia and Valencia living in the community. A total of 314 Spanish community-living participants, aged from 50 to 90 years and functionality preserved were assessed through the implementation of a cross-sectional design. Health, comorbidity, physical activity, cognitive status, functionality measures and TUG test scores were obtained. TUG scores were successfully predicted by age and gender, and significantly correlated with cognitive status and comorbidity. TUG norms were calculated by age-group for women and men. TUG normative scores were below 13s and slightly lower in men. Normative scores for women and men were lower than those proposed in studies carried-out in our context. Our norms showed risk reference scores close to those obtained by meta-analytical procedures.(AU)

Conocer las puntuaciones normativas del test Timed Up & Go (TUG) sobre una muestra de adultos mayores con funcionalidad preservada. El test TUG proporciona una medida global de deambulación, y su puntuación total se ha relaciona con medidas de funcionalidad y otras relacionadas con la salud en las personas mayores. Conviene disponer de valores normativos para adultos a partir de los 50 años que permitan realizar una identificación e intervención tempranas en las dificultades motrices. El estudio se llevó a cabo con personas adultas de Galicia y Valencia que viven en la comunidad. Un total de 314 participantes mayores, de entre 50 y 90 años, que vivían en la comunidad fueron evaluadas implementando un diseño transversal. Se obtuvieron medidas de salud, comorbilidad, actividad física, cognición, funcionalidad, además de las puntuaciones en el test TUG. Edad y género predijeron de modo significativo la puntuación total en el TUG que, además, estableció correlaciones significativas con estatus cognitivo y comorbilidad. Se calcularon los valores normativos para el TUG por grupo de edad para varones y mujeres. Las puntuaciones normativas estuvieron por debajo de los 13s, y fueron ligeramente inferiores en los varones. Las puntuaciones normativas estuvieron, en ambos géneros, por debajo de los valores propuestos en estudios previos realizados con población española. Nuestros valores normativos ofrecen puntuaciones de referencia para la detección de riesgo semejantes a las obtenidas por procedimientos meta-analíticos.(AU)

Relevance of Complaint Severity in Predicting the Progression of Subjective Cognitive Decline and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Machine Learning Approach.

BACKGROUND: The presence of subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) is a core criterion for diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline (SCD); however, no standard procedure for distinguishing normative and non-normative SCCs has yet been established. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether differentiation of participants with SCD according to SCC severity improves the validity of the prediction of progression in SCD and MCI and to explore validity metrics for two extreme thresholds of the distribution in scores in a questionnaire on SCCs. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-three older adults with SCCs participating in the Compostela Aging Study (CompAS) were classified as MCI or SCD at baseline. The participants underwent two follow-up assessments and were classified as cognitively stable or worsened. Severity of SCCs (low and high) in SCD was established by using two different percentiles of the questionnaire score distribution as cut-off points. The validity of these cut-off points for predicting progression using socio-demographic, health, and neuropsychological variables was tested by machine learning (ML) analysis. RESULTS: Severity of SCCs in SCD established considering the 5th percentile as a cut-off point proved to be the best metric for predicting progression. The variables with the main role in conforming the predictive algorithm were those related to memory, cognitive reserve, general health, and the stability of diagnosis over time. CONCLUSION: Moderate to high complainers showed an increased probability of progression in cognitive decline, suggesting the clinical relevance of standard procedures to determine SCC severity. Our findings highlight the important role of the multimodal ML approach in predicting progression.

Normative scores for the Timed Up & Go in a Spanish sample of community-dweller adults with preserved functionality.

Our aim was to calculate the 'Timed Up & Go' (TUG) normative scores in a Spanish sample composed of functional older adults. The TUG test provides a measure of global ambulation skills and its total score has been successfully related with functionality and other important health variables in older adults. Reliable norms are needed for adults 50 years and older that allow the early identification and intervention in motor disturbances. The study was carried out with adults from Galicia and Valencia living in the community. A total of 314 Spanish community-living participants, aged from 50 to 90 years and functionality preserved were assessed through the implementation of a cross-sectional design. Health, comorbidity, physical activity, cognitive status, functionality measures and TUG test scores were obtained. TUG scores were successfully predicted by age and gender, and significantly correlated with cognitive status and comorbidity. TUG norms were calculated by age-group for women and men. TUG normative scores were below 13s and slightly lower in men. Normative scores for women and men were lower than those proposed in studies carried-out in our context. Our norms showed risk reference scores close to those obtained by meta-analytical procedures.