Nippon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi. Japanese Journal of Geriatrics
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Volume 47, Issue 2
Displaying 1-15 of 15 articles from this issue
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The 26th General Meeting of the Japan Gerontological Society: Symposium I: The causes, implications, trajectory and intervention of frailty
The 51st Annual Meeting of the Japan Geriatrics Society: Educational Lectures
Original Articles
  • Community participation is associated with life satisfaction in elderly people with diabetes mellitus
    Mitsuko Takahashi, Atsushi Araki, Shuichirou Watanabe, Hiroshi Haga, Y ...
    2010 Volume 47 Issue 2 Pages 140-146
    Published: 2010
    Released on J-STAGE: May 17, 2010
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3143/geriatrics.47.140
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    Methods: Comprehensive questionnaires encompassing physical, psychological, and social aspects were administered by interview to 56 elderly outpatients with diabetes mellitus. Life satisfaction was assessed using the Life Satisfaction Index K (LSIK) . We also assessed the emotional and instrumental social support provided by the families living along with the participants or living separately from the participants. The Index of Social Interaction (18 items) was used to assess the social relationships and the environmental social resources, which were classified into 5 domains: 1) independence, 2) social curiosity, 3) relationships with other people, 4) participation in the community, and 5) feelings of safety.
    Results: In a univariate analysis, the presence of diabetic neuropathy and pain in the lower back or knee joints were associated with low LSIK scores. Community participation, social curiosity, relationships with other people, and instrumental support from families living together with the participants positively correlated with high LSIK scores. The LSIK scores of the leaders of the diabetes patient group were higher than the scores of those who only participated in the diabetes patient group. In a multiple linear regression analysis, community participation, instrumental support from families living along with the participants, and the absence of neuropathy were independently associated with high LSIK scores.
    Conclusion: Community participation is an important factor associated with life satisfaction in elderly people with diabetes mellitus.
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  • Prediction of the development of Alzheimer disease in patients with mild cognitive impairment
    Kazumasa Kume, Haruo Hanyu, Tomohiko Sato, Kentaro Hirao, Hidekazu Kan ...
    2010 Volume 47 Issue 2 Pages 147-152
    Published: 2010
    Released on J-STAGE: May 17, 2010
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3143/geriatrics.47.147
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    Aim: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is considered to refer to a transitional zone between normal cognitive function and dementia. It comprises a heterogenous condition with a variety of clinical outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine whether combined analysis of brain imaging studies, including MRI and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) , and assessment of awareness of memory deficits is useful in predicting Alzheimer disease (AD) in subjects with MCI.
    Methods: Thirty-nine patients with amnestic MCI [21 patients who had developed AD (MCI/AD) and 18 patients who did not develop AD (MCI/MCI) during a 2.5 to 3-year follow-up] and 19 patients with early AD were included in the study. The entorhinal cortex z-score in each patient was calculated using voxel-based morphometry with 3D T1-weighted MRI (software: VSRAD) . SPECT data were analyzed by the three-dimensional stereotactic surface projection method and posterior cortical hypoperfusion was qualitatively assessed. Awareness of memory deficits was evaluated with a standardized memory questionnaire system based on the Everyday Memory Checklist (EMC) . The discrepancy between these scores (caregiver rating-patient rating) was analyzed.
    Results: The MCI/AD group showed a tendency toward higher z-scores in the entorhinal cortex on MRI scan, a significantly higher frequency of posterior hypoperfusion on SPECT scan, and significantly more impaired awareness of memory deficits than in the MCI/MCI group. These findings were more severe and more frequent in the AD group than in the MCI/AD and MCI/MCI groups. A combined study of MRI, SPECT, and awareness of memory deficits yielded a higher level of discrimination between MCI/AD and MCI/MCI group results than in each separate study.
    Conclusion: A combined study of brain imagings (MRI and SPECT) and an assessment of awareness of memory deficits may improve the prediction of the development of AD in subjects with amnestic MCI.
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  • Measuring independent transfer ability using lower limb loading force in a sitting position in the impaired elderly
    Tsuyoshi Hara, Akira Kubo
    2010 Volume 47 Issue 2 Pages 153-157
    Published: 2010
    Released on J-STAGE: May 17, 2010
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3143/geriatrics.47.153
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the practical value of measurement of lower limb loading force to predict independent transfer ability in elderly patients with impairments.
    Methods: The subjects were 83 elderly patients with impairments (34 men and 49 women aged 79.9±6.1 [mean±SD]) . Their level of independent transfer ability was classified into 3 groups based on Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores. The lower limb loading force was measured in both lower limbs at the same time, and converted to body weight ratio as a percentage. We compared it with the level of independent transfer ability as a factor in a one-way analysis of variance and multiple comparison test, and examined it with independent and non-independent transfer ability using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
    Results: A statistically significant effect was found in the level of independent transfer ability, and also in transfer ability among all groups. On examining the ROC curve, the area under the curve was 0.84, and a cut-off value of 52.6% had a strong sensitivity for independence (77%) and specificity (81%). With in that cut-off value, the positive predictive value was 71%, the negative predictive value was 86%, and the accuracy of diagnosis was 80%.
    Conclusion: This study suggests that the lower limb loading force in elderly patients with impairments reflects closely the level of transfer ability, and independent or non-independent transfer ability can be accurately predicted.
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Case Report
  • A case of myasthenia gravis with an invasive thymoma infiltrating the superior vena cava and right atrium and causing lung metastasis
    Masayuki Ochi, Takayuki Toi, Kenji Kamogawa, Tokihisa Nagai, Keiko Tag ...
    2010 Volume 47 Issue 2 Pages 158-161
    Published: 2010
    Released on J-STAGE: May 17, 2010
    DOIhttps://doi.org/10.3143/geriatrics.47.158
    JOURNAL FREE ACCESS
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    A 72-year-old woman was admitted to a local hospital with general fatigue, ptosis and dysarthria. Her anti-AchR antibody titer was high, so myasthenia gravis was diagnosed. She was given a cholinesterase inhibitor, but her symptoms did not improve. CT and MRI scans revealed a mass in the anterior mediastinum infiltrating the superior vena cava (SVC) and the right atrium (RA) . The diagnosis was an invasive thymoma extending into the SVC and the RA. Moreover, there was a mass in the right middle lobe of her lung, which was suspected to be the result of metastasis of the thymoma. She was transferred to our hospital for medication and surgery for the invasive thymoma. Urgent surgery was performed without preoperative therapy, because the tumor was nearly obstructing her tricuspid valve. An expanded thymomectomy and a right middle lobectomy were performed. As the tumor had infiltrated into the SVC, the SVC was replaced with an artificial graft. The clinicopathological diagnosis of thymoma (Masaoka Stage IVb) was given. The patient had a myasthenic crisis for several weeks after surgery, so her breathing was controlled by an artificial respirator. Her symptoms improved after treatment with steroids, tacrolimus and a cholinesterase inhibitor. Although major surgery was required to prevent tumor embolism, the patient survived. Careful observation is necessary to detect signs of relapse of invasive thymoma.
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Letters to the Editor
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