Study Finds First Direct Evidence That ADHD Is A Genetic Disorder
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Both children and the elderly have slower response times when they have to make quick decisions in some settings. But recent research suggests that much of that slower response is a conscious choice to emphasize accuracy over speed. In fact, healthy older people can be trained to respond faster in some decision-making tasks without hurting their accuracy – meaning their cognitive skills in this area are not so different from younger adults.
Depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the elderly, but little is known about the underlying biology of its development in older adults. In a small study published in the November issue of the peer-reviewed journal Archives of General Psychiatry, UCLA researchers used a unique brain scan to assess the levels of amyloid plaques and tau tangles in older adults with a type of severe depression called major depressive disorder (MDD).
Older people taking new generation antidepressants are at more risk of dying or suffering from a range of serious health conditions including stroke, falls, fractures and epilepsy, a study involving researchers at The University of Nottingham has found. The research, published on bmj.com, discovered that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are more strongly associated with an increased risk of several adverse outcomes in people over the age of 65 with depression compared with older tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs).
People who live to 95 or older are no more virtuous than the rest of us in terms of their diet, exercise routine or smoking and drinking habits, according to researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Their findings, published today in the online edition of Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, suggests that “nature” (in the form of protective longevity genes) may be more important than “nurture” (lifestyle behaviors) when it comes to living an exceptionally long life. Included in this report is a video interview with the lead researcher.
Over a 10-year period, rates of short-stay inpatient hospitalizations increased for children and adolescents but decreased for elderly who had a primary psychiatric diagnosis, according to a report published Online First today by Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. The article also finds the proportion of inpatient days paid for by private health insurance appeared to decline among children, adolescents, and adults.
Yale University researchers cannot tell you where you left your car keys, but they can tell you why you cannot find them. A new study published July 27 in the journal Nature shows the neural networks in the brains of the middle-aged and elderly have weaker connections and fire less robustly than in youthful ones. Intriguingly, the research suggests that this condition is reversible. Included in this report is a video discussion of this study by the lead researcher.
Brain imaging studies have repeatedly found that people with depression have smaller hippocampal volumes than healthy individuals. The hippocampus is a brain region involved in learning and memory, spatial navigation, and the evaluation of complex life situations or “contexts”. However, because in prior studies hippocampal volume was only measured in people once they became depressed, it has been unclear whether a small hippocampus renders a person vulnerable to developing depression, or whether it is a consequence of depression.
People lose 30% of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70 years. However, maintaining muscle strength in old age is enormously important in order to maintain mobility and to be able to lead an independent life and manage everyday tasks independently. In the current issue of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International, Frank Mayer and colleagues from the University of Potsdam conclude that progressive strength (resistance) training counteracts muscular atrophy in old age. The publisher made the original study available at no cost for an unknown length of time; check the end of this post for a download link.
Small, healthy lifestyle changes and involvement in meaningful activities — going beyond just diet and exercise — are critical to healthy aging, according to a new USC study. Guided by lifestyle advisors, seniors participating in the study made small, sustainable changes in their routines (such as visiting a museum with a friend once a week) that led to measurable gains in quality of life, including lower rates of depression and better reported satisfaction with life.
In 2009, Medicare spending grew about 8 percent to over $502 billion and projections indicate growth at an average rate of nearly 6 percent per year through 2019. Powerful debates are under way in Washington on how to reduce Medicare spending. However, findings of a new study suggest that cutting Medicare spending across the board could result in poorer health outcomes for the elderly.
