Recurrence of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Late Life: A Cognitive Aging Perspective

Clinical experience with older adults shows that many will experience PTSD symptoms in older adulthood because of trauma exposure early in life. Some of these patients struggled with PTSD in the distant past and remained symptomfree for decades only to have a recurrence of PTSD in late life. This paper outlines a cognitive aging explanation for the recurrence of PTSD. It is proposed that the age-related decreases in attention make the intrusion of trauma-related memories more likely. The increase in intrusive memories, combined with age-related decreases in working memory, explicit memory, and prospective memory, increases the subjective distress associated with the memories and results in a recurrence of PTSD.     

Postwar Recovery to Stress Symptoms Ratio as a Measure of Resilience,Individual Characteristics,Sense of Danger,and Age

This study maintains that postwar resilience should be defined by the proportion of recovery from war adversity and level of postwar symptoms. We hypothesize first that four resilience-promoting factors will predict this measure of resilience. Second, these associations will be mediated by sense of postwar danger. Third, war-afflicted older people will be comparable to younger people on these variables. The sample included 829 Israeli adults who experienced the 2006 second Lebanon war. Results that have generally supported these hypotheses have been discussed in terms of the definition of resilience, the role of sense of danger in postwar adjustment, and the resilience of older people to war.     

Health and Aging: A Perspective from the Far East

Singapore is an urban, highly industrialized country in South East Asia. By 2030, one-fifth of the population is projected to be composed of citizens aged above 65 years. Research on aging has largely focused on the effects of deteriorating physical ability on daily functioning capabilities (Iwarsson & Isacsson, 1997; Warr, 1995). More recently, the role of self-perceived usefulness, competence and control on well-being in the elderly have been investigated (Heberlein, Licht & Licht, 1999; Ranzjin, Keeves, Luszcz, & Feather, 1998). In other fields, activity and involvement have been identified as effective coping devices (Nair, 1989; Shalit, 1988). The present study compared the conceptual understanding of the esteem and well-being of the elderly on the dimensions of activity, involvement, and control, as viewed by an undergraduate sample (n = 60) and a cross-section of seniors (n = 71). Three separate factor analyses reflected interesting variations in the conceptual frameworks.     

Symptom Expression and Somatization Among Elderly Korean Immigrants

In a study of expression of symptoms of somatization, depression, and other biopsychological conditions, 70 elderly Korean immigrants in the greater Washington, D.C., metropolitan area (35 who met the criteria for major depression and 35 who did not meet those criteria) were administered a Korean version of the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI). Subjects who met the criteria for depression had the highest mean score on the BSI somatization dimension compared with other normative samples including a sample of psychiatric inpatients. A factor analysis of data from the BSI showed that for elderly Korean immigrants, a factor of somatization was identified that included the items from the original BSI obsessive-compulsive, somatization, and anxiety dimensions. Items loading on the somatization factor suggest that elderly Korean subjects experience body and mind as a unitary system and tend to communicate the distress associated with old age, cultural adjustment, and family and social changes through somatic symptoms.     

Decline of Hip Joint Movement Relates to Overestimation of Maximum Forward Reach in Elderly Persons

The authors aimed to characterize age-related changes in the performance of maximum reach and identify kinematic parameters that explain the age-related discrepancy between perceived and actual maximum reach distance. Maximum reach was evaluated in 22 younger women (21.3 years old) and 20 older women (81.2 years old). Both the perceived and actual maximum forward reach and forward excursion of the center of pressure was shorter in older women. Older women also overestimated their maximum reach distance to a greater extent. Decline of movement at the hip joint specifically correlated with both the maximum distance and the overestimation. Based on these results, decline of hip control may be a primary factor for the age-related retardation of perceived and actual maximum reach.     

亲子支持对老年人主观幸福感的影响机制

采用自编的“老年人亲子支持问卷”、“老年人恩情感问卷”和已有量表,对来自4个省市的288名53-87岁的老年人进行问卷调查。结果表明,亲子支持通过影响老年人的自尊感、孤独感、恩情感,进而影响其主观幸福感。其中接受支持对自尊感、孤独感、恩情感产生积极的影响效应;给予支持对老年人的自尊感产生积极的影响效应。     

老年人术后认知功能障碍的影响因素和预防

人口老龄化问题日趋严重,老龄社会已悄然到来,老年人手术,术前、术中、术后都有其独特性,如何避免或者减少手术后并发症的发生,尤其是预防严重并发症的发生意义重大。笔者从老年人生理改变,老年人术后认知功能障碍（postoperative cognitive disorder,POCD）的影响因素以及手术前、手术中（麻醉期）、...     

老年甲状腺结节的诊治经验

介绍笔者及科室老年甲状腺结节的诊治经验,对2003年1月至2009年12月期间共收治的144例年龄大于60岁的老年甲状腺结节患者进行分析和总结。老年甲状腺结节以多发为主;压迫症状、异物和不适感、继发性甲状腺功能亢进是老年甲状腺结节患者主要的手术指证;术中发现喉返神经和甲状旁腺有脂肪沉着;病理方面良性结节的钙化率较高;患者术后切口水肿比较明显;暂时性低钙血症的发生率较高;虽然术前麻醉ASA评分较低,但术后心肺并发症的发生率并未上升。老年甲状腺结节患者以全麻为宜,最好采用双甲近全切除术,这不仅可避免术后复发和再次手术率,更可减少甲状腺素制剂的用量,减少药物副作用。     

老年社会功能与主观幸福感

社会功能是健康老龄化的基本要素。本文综述了老年社会功能的定义和评估、与主观幸福感相关的老年社会功能理论,以及社会功能对主观幸福感影响的研究进展。在消极和积极老化观的指引下,该领域的研究存在两种取向：前者片面强调社会支持,追求享乐主义取向主观幸福感;后者则强调社会参与,追求幸福快乐取向主观幸福感。今后的研究应在积极老化观的指引下,强调老年阶段积极主动的社会参与和幸福快乐的幸福感,并开展相关的干预研究。     

高龄老年高血压患者的降压治疗策略

80岁以上高龄老年高血压患者的降压治疗随着人口老龄化而越来越受关注。评估高龄高血压患者降压治疗的获益与风险,在循证医学基础上进行个体化治疗,依据全身情况和耐受程度调整血压控制水平,慎重选择药物,平稳缓慢降压,将使高龄高血压患者最大程度受益。