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- Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve, 1950, et al.
(author)
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Was it worth it? Older adults' experiences of participating in a population-based cohort study - a focus group study
- 2019
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In: BMC Geriatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2318. ; 19:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background At present, we know relatively little about priorities and problems with topics that older adults experience when completing different examinations in longitudinal population-based studies. To examine these topics, research must be adapted to investigate the meanings, motivations, and interpretations of the individual participants themselves. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore older adults' motives, understandings and experiences regarding participating in the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies (the H-70 study). Methods Focus group discussions were used. A total of thirty-eight persons, 19 women and 19 men participated in nine focus groups. A strategic sampling technique was used to ensure that the focus group participants represented the larger population. Results The results supported the overall theme: "It was well worth the effort," which summarized how the participants felt about the population health study. The following specific themes were also identified: an intense event, for the benefit of oneself and others, confidence in health research and the researcher, key decisions about test outcomes and the survey raising questions and providing few answers. Conclusions Knowledge of priorities and problems with topics experienced by older adults completing different examinations when participating in longitudinal population-based studies is crucial for research to improve the health and wellbeing of older people. To date, older people's involvement in population-based cohort studies has largely been as research subjects. This study is a first step toward the participants taking a more active part by allowing them to share their experiences which can be used to improve the research procedures. This requires the participation of older adults in collaboration with the researchers, to ensure the quality of longitudinal studies of older adults. Therefore, our intention when it comes to future research will be to involve older adults-the target group-in the research procedure.
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| 2. |
- De, S., et al.
(author)
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Soluble aggregates present in cerebrospinal fluid change in size and mechanism of toxicity during Alzheimer's disease progression
- 2019
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In: Acta Neuropathologica Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2051-5960. ; 7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Soluble aggregates of amyloid-beta (A beta) have been associated with neuronal and synaptic loss in Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, despite significant recent progress, the mechanisms by which these aggregated species contribute to disease progression are not fully determined. As the analysis of human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) provides an accessible window into the molecular changes associated with the disease progression, we characterised soluble aggregates present in CSF samples from individuals with AD, mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls using a range of sensitive biophysical methods. We used super-resolution imaging and atomic force microscopy to characterise the size and structure of the aggregates present in CSF and correlate this with their ability to permeabilise lipid membranes and induce an inflammatory response. We found that these aggregates are extremely heterogeneous and exist in a range of sizes, varying both structurally and in their mechanisms of toxicity during the disease progression. A higher proportion of small aggregates of A beta that can cause membrane permeabilization are found in MCI CSF; in established AD, a higher proportion of the aggregates were larger and more prone to elicit a pro-inflammatory response in glial cells, while there was no detectable change in aggregate concentration. These results show that large aggregates, some longer than 100nm, are present in the CSF of AD patients and suggest that different neurotoxic mechanisms are prevalent at different stages of AD.
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| 3. |
- Falk, Hanna, 1977, et al.
(author)
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Internet use and self-rated health among Swedish 70-year-olds: a cross-sectional study
- 2019
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In: BMC Geriatrics. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-2318. ; 19:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Abstract Background: The Internet is increasingly becoming an infrastructure for a number of services, both commercial, public (including health related) and personal. Using the internet have the potential to promote social interaction and social connectedness by upholding social networks and social contacts. However, Internet use is lower in older adults compared to other age groups. This digital divide is considered a risk to the health of older adults since it limits their participation in society, access and use of relevant health related information and services. This study focuses on whether there is an association between Internet use and self-rated health. Method: A cross-sectional population-based sample of 70-year-olds from The Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Study (n=1136) was examined in 2014–16. All data was collected using structured interviews and questionnaires. Differences in proportions were tested with chi-square test and ordinary least square regression analysis was used to estimate the relationship between Internet use and self-rated health controlling for health factors, hearing and visual impairment, and social contacts. Results: There is a relationship between more frequent Internet use and good self-rated health (unstandardized β 0.101 p<0.001), and the effect remained after adjusting for all covariates (unstandardized β 0.082 p<0.001). Our results also show that, in comparison to health factors, Internet use is of minor importance to the SRH of older adults, since adding these improved the explanatory power of the model by approximately 400% (from 0.04 to 0.18). Conclusion: Although the direction of the relationship between more frequent interne use and better self-rated health is undetermined in the present study, it can be suggested that using the Internet informs and educates older adults, strengthening their position as active and engaged participants of society. It can also be suggested that those using the Internet report less loneliness and a possibility to establish new computer-mediated relationships within online communities. Further research needs to examine what aspects of Internet use, and in what contexts such positive perceptions arise.
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| 4. |
- Göthberg, Hanna, 1973, et al.
(author)
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Cross-sectional assessment of hearing acuity of an unscreened 85-year-old cohort - Including a 10-year longitudinal study of a sub-sample.
- 2019
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In: Hearing research. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-5891 .- 0378-5955. ; 382
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- As the proportion of older people increases, it is important to investigate hearing acuity in older individuals and to calculate hearing decline for older ages, using standardised test protocols. The main aim of this study was to determine pure-tone hearing thresholds in an unscreened birth cohort of 85-year-olds born in 1930, living in an industrial Swedish city. A further aim was to describe hearing decline in men and women from 75 to 85 years of age with the aid of longitudinal data. The study was part of the Gothenburg H70 Birth Cohort Studies in Sweden. Hearing thresholds (0.25-8kHz) were measured using automated pure-tone audiometry for 286 85-year-old participants. A subsample (n=182) was hearing examined at 75 years of age and studied longitudinally from 75 to 85 years. At age 85 years, men had better hearing at low frequencies but poorer hearing at high frequencies than women. The longitudinal study showed a considerable decline between 75 and 85yearsat mid-high frequencies (>1kHz) and the amount of decline was similar between sexes. The results contribute to the estimation of the future need for hearing health services.
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| 6. |
- Hasselgren, Caroline, 1987, et al.
(author)
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APOE ε4 and the long arm of social inequity: estimated effects of socio-economic status and sex on the timing of dementia onset
- 2019
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In: Ageing & Society. - 0144-686X .- 1469-1779. ; 39:9, s. 1951-1975
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- It is well established that carriers of the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele run a greater risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia and a strongly age-related condition known to disproportionally affect women. Low educational attainment also stands out as a prominent risk factor, and it has been suggested that occupational class plays a similar role in disease susceptibility. Not yet fully explored, however, is the question of whether socio-economic status (SES) could moderate the effect of APOE ε4. In the present paper, we address this issue. As substantial inequities in workforce participation and educational opportunities have existed between men and women in previous generations, we further examine whether SES-related moderations of the relationship between dementia and APOE ε4 are sex-specific. Our analyses are based on a sample of 580 individuals from the H70 Birth Cohort Study and the Prospective Population Study on Women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Data were analysed using Cox proportional hazards regression, and the results suggest that while high SES postpones dementia onset among male APOE ε4 carriers, this is not the case for women. These findings underscore the long-term impact of social inequity on health as well as the importance of considering potential interactions between social and genetic risk factors if we are to understand better the complex aetiology of dementia.
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| 10. |
- Johansson, Lena, 1972, et al.
(author)
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Longstanding psychological stress in relation to biomarkers of neuronal dysfunction in cerebrospinal fluid: a 25-year follow-up study in women
- 2019
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In: Neurobiology of Aging. - : Elsevier BV. - 0197-4580. ; 80, s. 111-115
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Longstanding psychological stress has been associated with increased risk of neurodegenerative disorders, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. In a prospective population study of women (n = 81), we tested if midlife stress (mean age 49 years) was associated with late-life biomarkers of neuro-degeneration in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (mean age 74 years) in linear regression models. It was found that women who report of stress at baseline (n = 20) had higher levels of CSF visinin-like protein-1 (VILIP-1) (age adjusted beta = 0.113, p = 0.017) and CSF myelin basic protein (beta = 0.060, p = 0.030) compared with women without midlife stress (n = 61). There was also a trend observed for higher CSF neurofilament light (beta = 0.133, p = 0.056). In addition, longer periods of stress (i.e., stress at 2-3 midlife examinations) were associated with higher levels of CSF VILIP-1. The results suggest that longstanding stress might be associated with neurodegenerative processes in the brain, as CSF VILIP-1 is an unspecific marker for neuronal injury and CSF myelin basic protein reflects neuroaxonal demyelination. (C) 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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