<p>Syftet med studien var att undersöka fallrelaterad self-efficacy mätt med Falls Efficacy Scale (Swedish version) (FES(S)) samt att beräkna rekommenderade referensvärden för totalpoängen på FES(S) hos friska äldre män och kvinnor indelade i åldersgrupperna 65-75 år samt > 75 år. Vidare syftade studien till att undersöka om det fanns några skillnader i resultatet mellan åldersgrupperna samt mellan män och kvinnor.</p><p>Undersökningsgruppen bestod av totalt 70 individer över 65 års ålder, varav 45 var kvinnor och 25 var män. Testdeltagarna kontaktades via PRO i Uppsala. Även vänner och bekanta till författarna deltog i studien. Testdeltagarnas fallrelaterade self-efficacy undersöktes med hjälp av instrumentet FES(S), där testdeltagarna fick skatta hur säkra de känner sig på att utföra 13 olika vardagsaktiviteter utan att falla, maximal poäng 130.</p><p>Resultatet visade att det rekommenderade referensvärdet för totalpoängen på FES(S) blev 124 poäng för kvinnor i åldern 65-75 år och 126 poäng för män i samma ålder. För kvinnor > 75 år ålder blev det rekommenderade referensvärdet 118 poäng och för män 105 poäng. Det fanns en statistiskt signifikant skillnad för totalpoängen på FES(S) mellan de två åldersgrupperna, p=0,005. Ingen statistiskt signifikant skillnad kunde påvisas mellan könen, p=0,632. För att få fram mer generaliserbara referensvärden behövs ytterligare studier med ett mer representativt urval och en större undersökningsgrupp.</p>

Syftet med studien var att undersöka fallrelaterad self-efficacy mätt med Falls Efficacy Scale (Swedish version) (FES(S)) samt att beräkna rekommenderade referensvärden för totalpoängen på FES(S) hos friska äldre män och kvinnor indelade i åldersgrupperna 65-75 år samt &gt; 75 år. Vidare syftade studien till att undersöka om det fanns några skillnader i resultatet mellan åldersgrupperna samt mellan män och kvinnor. Undersökningsgruppen bestod av totalt 70 individer över 65 års ålder, varav 45 var kvinnor och 25 var män. Testdeltagarna kontaktades via PRO i Uppsala. Även vänner och bekanta till författarna deltog i studien. Testdeltagarnas fallrelaterade self-efficacy undersöktes med hjälp av instrumentet FES(S), där testdeltagarna fick skatta hur säkra de känner sig på att utföra 13 olika vardagsaktiviteter utan att falla, maximal poäng 130. Resultatet visade att det rekommenderade referensvärdet för totalpoängen på FES(S) blev 124 poäng för kvinnor i åldern 65-75 år och 126 poäng för män i samma ålder. För kvinnor &gt; 75 år ålder blev det rekommenderade referensvärdet 118 poäng och för män 105 poäng. Det fanns en statistiskt signifikant skillnad för totalpoängen på FES(S) mellan de två åldersgrupperna, p=0,005. Ingen statistiskt signifikant skillnad kunde påvisas mellan könen, p=0,632. För att få fram mer generaliserbara referensvärden behövs ytterligare studier med ett mer representativt urval och en större undersökningsgrupp.

Syfte: att undersöka om resultatet vid 6-minuters gångtest (6MWT) påverkades av ökad grad av uppmuntran. Metod: 30 friska personer ≥60 år rekryterades via bekvämlighetsurval. Alla testpersoner genomförde tre 6MWT. Första testet var en försöksomgång. Ett test (test A) utfördes med standardiserad uppmuntran enligt American Thoracic Society(ATS). Ett test (test B) utfördes med ökad grad av uppmuntran. Variabler som undersöktes var gångsträcka, arbetspuls och upplevd ansträngningsgrad enligt Ratings of Percieved Exertion, Borgs-RPE-skala (6-20). Resultat: Av de 30 testpersonerna gick 19 personer (63 %) längre när ökad grad av uppmuntran gavs.  Medelvärdet för gångsträcka vid test A var 580 ±56 meter och vid test B 592 ±64 meter (p=0,01). Medelvärdet för puls vid test A var 116 ±15 slag/minut och vid test B 119 ±17 slag/minut (p=0,103).  Medianvärdet för upplevd ansträngning enligt Borgs-RPE-skala vid test A och test B var 13. Högsta/lägsta skattning var 18/8 vid både test A och test B med interkvartilavstånd 2,0 för test A och 3,3 för test B (p=0,12). Slutsats: Resultaten tyder på att ökad grad av uppmuntran vid 6MWT ger en längre gångsträcka. En hög grad av uppmuntran skulle bättre kunna visa testpersonens verkliga prestationsförmåga vid 6MWT. Fler och större studier krävs för att kunna fastställa vilken effekt ökad grad av uppmuntran har på friska och individer med olika typer av sjukdomar. / Aim: to examine whether or not the results from 6-minute walk test (6MWT) was effected by increased level of encouragement. Methods: 30 participants ≥60 years old was recruited by convenience sample. All participants performed three 6MWT. One test (test A) was a trial run and one was performed with standardized encouragement according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS). One test (test B) was performed with increased level of encouragement. Examined variables were walking distance, heart-rate and Ratings of Perceived Exertion according to Borg’s-RPE-scale (6-20). Results: Out of the 30 participants 19 of them (63 %) walked longer when given increased level of encouragement. The mean value for the walk distance in test A was 580 ±56 meters and in test B 592 ±64 meters (p= 0.01). The mean value for heart rate in test A was 116 ±15 beats/minute and in test B 119 ±17 beats/minute (p= 0.103). The median for ratings according to the Borg’s-RPE-scale in test A and test B was 13. Highest/lowest rating were 18/8 in both test A and test B with an interquartile range of2.0 in test A and3.3 in test B  (p= 0.12). Conclusions: The results suggest that an increased level of encouragement leads to a longer walking distance in 6MWT. A high level of encouragement might give a more true picture of the test persons capability in the 6MWT. Further and larger studies are needed to determine the effect increased level of encouragement might have on healthy subjects and on subjects with different diseases.

Submitted by Caroline Falcao (caroline.rfalcao@ufpe.br) on 2017-06-19T17:44:42Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) 2011-Dissertacao-Karen-Meireles-Varela.pdf: 1720050 bytes, checksum: 609f2f6acc490b6f71fa26ed63c450e2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-19T17:44:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 811 bytes, checksum: e39d27027a6cc9cb039ad269a5db8e34 (MD5) 2011-Dissertacao-Karen-Meireles-Varela.pdf: 1720050 bytes, checksum: 609f2f6acc490b6f71fa26ed63c450e2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-05-05 / O desenvolvimento cognitivo na velhice vem sendo um tema bem exploradona psicologia,visto que a população idosa mundial é uma realidade em rápida e progressiva expansão, o que representa um desafio devido às demandas específicas deste novo contingente.Dentro de uma descrição dos efeitos psicológicos presentes na velhice “normal”, o declínio do funcionamento da memória é geralmente colocado em primeiro plano, porém a memória é dificilmente abordada como um processo que se estabelece na interação.Partindo-se dessa premissa, o presente trabalho considera esta função psicológica como um fenômeno que claramente possui aspectos biológicos, mas que também é um fenômeno sócio-cultural (que se estabelece na interação).Este conceito mais amplo e mais complexo de memória exige a consideração dos aspectos sociais da recordação. Assim, as contribuições de dois grandes estudiosos são abordadas neste estudo: Frederic Bartlett e Lev S. Vygotsky. Bartlett explorou o fato de que os fatores e tendências que determinam a recordação estão organizados em esquemas (schema), enfatizando o papel das influências culturais e sociais no desenvolvimento desses esquemas. Vygotsky, em seus estudos a respeito da memória humana, destacoua memória “mediada”.Para este autor, o desenvolvimento da memória, ao longo da vida do ser humano, deve ser analisado em termos das diferentes relações que a pessoa estabelece com os signos, o que produz diferentes formas de memorizar. Dentro deste vasto tema de estudo, um recorte foi feito para se investigar a memória autobiográfica (MA), que engloba inúmeros eventos do nosso passado, estando diretamente relacionada com o reconhecimento de continuidade e de identidade. Segundo Bruner, uma das formas de lembrarmos o passado se dá em termos da narrativa, uma das nossas principais práticas culturais. Dessa forma, narrar um evento autobiográfico junto com outra pessoa que participou deste evento, pode servir como objeto de mediação para superar momentos de incerteza, ambiguidades e/ou lacunas da recordação.Esta pesquisatem um enfoque na recordação das memórias autobiográficas em idosos hígidos ou saudáveis, na presença ou na ausência de um descendente, optando-se, assim, por uma investigação da memória autobiográfica como construções narrativas. O objetivo geral deste estudo foi investigar narrativas autobiográficas de idosos hígidos ou saudáveis, explorando o papel do outro nessa recordação. Trata-se de um estudo empírico comdez pessoas idosas (acima de 60 anos), todas classificadas como saudáveis. Os participantes responderam aum questionário semi-estruturado, cuja finalidade foi traçar o perfil dos idosos. Além disso, relataram narrativas sobre um evento específico importante de suas vidas, que envolvia a presença de um descendente, em duas situações de recordação. As vinte narrativas coletadas foram transcritas e analisadas, levando-se em conta a qualidade e transformações das memórias autobiográficas, referentes ao conteúdo narrativo. Os dados permitiram identificar estratégias de mediação (convenções culturais, imagem visual, atribuição, repetição, gestos e ritmos, sugestão) utilizadas pelo idoso para superar momentos de dificuldades da recordação. Constatou-se que as recordações autobiográficas são reconstruções “esquemáticas”, que podem ser facilitadaspela presença de outra pessoa como objeto de mediação, para superar obstáculos, como momentos de incerteza, ambiguidades e lacunas de esquecimento. / Cognitive development in old age has been a theme well explored in psychology, as the world's elderly population is a reality in a fast and progressive expansion, which represents a challenge due to the specific demands of this new contingent. Within a description of the psychological effects brought by older adults, the decline in memory function is usually placed in first, but the memory is hardly discussed as a process that is established in interaction. Starting from this premise, this paper considers this phenomenon as a psychological function that clearly is biological, but is also a socio-cultural phenomenon (which is established in the interaction). This concept of memory is ampler and more complex, so it requires the consideration of social aspects of remembering. Thus, the contributions of two seminal figures in the psychological study of remembering are addressed in this study: Frederic Bartlett and Lev. S. Vygotsky. Bartlett exploited the fact that factors and trends that determine memory is organized into schemas, emphasizing the role of cultural influences and social development of these schemes. Vygotsky, on the other hand, attended to the ways in which we construct meaningful “signs” as artificial memory aids to solve memoryproblems that go beyond our natural capacities. Within this topic of study, a cut was made to investigate autobiographical memory (AM), which encompasses many events of our past, being directly related to the recognition of continuity and identity. According to Bruner, a way of remembering the past is in terms of narrative, one of our major cultural practices. Thus, narratingan autobiographical event with another person, can be used as an object of mediation to overcome moments of uncertainty, ambiguity and/or gaps in memory. This research has focus on recall of autobiographical memories of healthy aged, in the presence or absence of a son or daughter, opting itself, thus, for an investigation of the autobiographical memory as narrative constructions. The aim of this study was to investigate autobiographical narratives of healthy aged, exploring the role of other’s in this recall. This is an empirical study of ten elderly (over 60), all classified as healthy. The participants answered a semi-structured questionnaire, whose purpose was to trace the profile of the elderly. Additionally, they reported stories about a particular and important event in their lives, which involved the presence of a son or a daughter, intwo different conditions. The twenty storiescollected were transcribed and analyzed, taking into account the qualitative transformations in the autobiographical memories, referring to the narrative content.The data allowed the identification of mediation strategies (cultural conventions, visual images, attribution, repetition, gestures and rhythms, suggestion) used by the elderly to overcome difficult moments in the process of remembering. It was found that autobiographical memories are reconstructions "schemata", which can be supported by another person as an object of mediation, to overcome obstacles, such as moments of uncertainty,ambiguity and gaps in the process of remembering.

Glucose and ketones are important energy substrates in the human body and brain. Their use is highly regulated depending on energy status which can vary according to multiple factors such as type of cell, fed or fasted state, type of diet, or health state. Use of either substrate is also subject to multiple homeostatic feedback loops. Energy substrate availability has implications in several disorders including declining cognitive function in the elderly. While glucose availability is known to decrease in elderly with cognitive deficits, it is unclear whether this also occurs in healthy elderly, either in the body or brain. Also unknown is whether, in healthy elderly, the use of ketones as energy substrates is affected, and whether ketones could be used as an alternative energy substrate in situations of a decline in glucose availability. A clearer understanding of the use of glucose and ketones in aging is necessary to determine whether declining energy substrate availability that may occur in the elderly is a contributing factor to cognitive deficits, a result of cognitive pathology, or simply a feature of the physiological aging process. Objective. The overall goal of the laboratory where this research was carried out is to ascertain whether alternate energy sources to glucose, i.e. ketones, may help alleviate the risk of declining cognitive function during aging. The specific objective of the research project presented in this thesis was to evaluate the metabolism of glucose and ketones in the healthy elderly compared to young or middle age subjects during mild, short-term ketosis induced by a ketogenic breakfast. Results. Elderly people in relatively good health have a similar capacity to produce ketones and to oxidize [superscript 13]C-glucose and [superscript 13]C-β-hydroxybutyrate as middle-aged or young adults. Discussion. The results of this project encourage further exploration of whether ketones could be used as and alternative energy substrate to glucose as, at least in healthy elderly, there is no impedance of raising plasma ketones in response to a ketogenic intervention. // Résumé : Introduction. Le glucose et les cétones sont des substrats énergétiques importants pour le corps et le cerveau humain. Leur utilisation est spécifiquement régulée selon I'état énergétique qui varie en fonction du type de cellule, de I'état nourrie ou à jeun, du type de diète, de I'état de la santé. L'utilisation est également régulée par des voies de rétrocontrôle homéostatique. La disponibilité des substrats énergétiques est impliquée dans plusieurs désordres, dont le déclin des fonctions cognitives, chez les personnes âgées où une diminution de la disponibilité du glucose est démontrée. Cependant, il n'est pas encore connu si cette diminution est présente chez les personnes âgées en bonne santé ; soit dans le corps ou le cerveau. La capacité d'utiliser les cétones comme substrats énergétiques chez les personnes âgées saines et la possibilité d'utiliser les cétones comme substrat énergétique alternatif dans le cas d'un déclin de la disponibilité de glucose sont inconnues. Une meilleure compréhension de I'utilisation du glucose et des cétones sera nécessaire pour clarifier si une diminution de la disponibilité des substrats énergétique contribue au déclin cognitif, se manifeste à la suite des pathologies cognitives, ou encore est simplement une caractéristique du processus physiologique du vieillissement. Objectif. L'objectif principal du laboratoire est de déterminer si les sources d'énergie alternatives au glucose, c'est-à-dire les cétones, pourraient ralentir le déclin cognitif chez les personnes âgées. L'objectif du projet de recherche de ce mémoire était d'évaluer le métabolisme du glucose et des cétones chez les sujets âgés, d'âge moyen, et jeune après la prise d'un déjeuner induisant une faible cétogénèse de courte durée. Résultats. Les personnes âgées en santé ont une capacité similaire au sujet d'âge moyen et jeune à produire des cétones et à oxyder le [indice supérieur 13]C-glucose et le [indice supérieur 13]C-β- hydroxybutyrate. Perspectives. Les résultats de ce projet incitent à continuer à explorer si les cétones pourraient être utilisés comme substrats énergétiques afin de contourner le problème d'un déclin de I'utilisation du glucose, car il n'y a aucun obstacle dans la production des cétones suite a une intervention cétonique chez des sujets âgées en bonne santé.