Impact of Land Versus Water Environments on Orthostatic Hypotension in Older Adults: A Randomized Crossover Study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Orthostatic hypotension (OH) is a common condition among older adults that increases the risk of falls. The study objectives are to determine the influence of distinct environments (water vs. land) on OH and the consequent effects of walking in these environments in older adults. Additionally, we aimed to assess the differences in response between two groups: older adults with OH and those without OH. METHODS: A randomized crossover design was utilized including one session involving water walking and the other session involving land walking, with a 1- to 3-day washout period. Orthostatic hemodynamic measurements were obtained before, immediately after, and 2 hr after a 15-min walking session. Two subgroups were formed for analysis: participants with OH (n = 14, 81 ± 7 years) and participants without OH (n = 11, 84 ± 7 years). RESULTS: Compared with the land environment, an 86% reduction in the frequency of OH episodes was noted when the older adults were immersed in water. This reduction was accompanied by greater mean arterial pressure, while participants without OH showed no such changes. The frequency of OH episodes was similar when assessed immediately after emerging from the pool following water-based walking or after land-based walking. All participants exhibited elevated mean arterial pressure immediately after water-based walking, but not after land-based walking. Two hours after walking, all participants demonstrated similar mean arterial pressure and frequency of OH episodes, regardless of the environment. CONCLUSIONS: Water immersion resulted in a substantial reduction in the frequency of OH episodes among older adults. Additionally, the frequency of OH episodes was not affected by prior walking exercise in either environment. Significance/Implication: These findings underscore the safety and potential advantages of water-based exercise for older adults dealing with OH.

Hypotensive Effects of Aquatic Exercise Training in Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Although regular exercise can help reduce blood pressure (BP), older adults often struggle with adhering to land-based exercise due to barriers such as arthritis pain, functional limitations, and fear of falling. Aquatic exercise is a good alternative mode of exercise that may reduce barriers and improve adherence. However, limited evidence is available on the effectiveness of aquatic exercise in reducing BP in older adults with isolated systolic hypertension. This study aimed to determine the effects of an 8-week aquatic exercise program on arterial BP in older adults. METHODS: Twenty-five participants were randomized to a control (n = 12, 81 ±â€…8 years) or aquatic exercise group (n = 13, 83 ±â€…7 years). The exercise group received aquatic cognitive-motor training at a moderate-intensity for 45 minutes per session three times per week for 8 weeks. The non-exercising control group received a 1-hour fall prevention seminar and was asked to maintain their normal physical activity level. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were not different between the groups. After 8 weeks, the exercise group had reductions in systolic BP (135 ±â€…11 vs. 126 ±â€…13 mm Hg, P < 0.01) and pulse pressure (PP) (68 ±â€…8 vs. 60 ±â€…8 mm Hg, P < 0.01) without significant change in diastolic BP. There were no significant changes in the control group. CONCLUSION: Aquatic cognitive-motor training performed at a moderate-intensity was effective in inducing clinically meaningful reductions in systolic BP and PP in older adults.

Water immersion skin wrinkling: modulation by common participant characteristics.

BACKGROUND: Water immersion skin wrinkling (WISW) has been used as a noninvasive test of a limb's sympathetic function. To date, research has not sufficiently explored this phenomenon. The primary aim of this study was to determine the impact of common individual characteristics on WISW. METHODS: Demographic information was collected on 39 apparently healthy adults varying widely in age. Each participant submerged one hand in 40°C water for 30 minutes. The degree of WISW was assessed using computer software. Because WISW is often associated with peripheral edema and facial wrinkling, we also evaluated facial wrinkling and hand volume expansion following prolonged immersion. RESULTS: Sex, body mass index, and physical activity habits were not correlated with any of the WISW measures. Age was a predictor of the WISW score (ß = -0.38, P = 0.02, R2 = 0.15). WISW score was significantly lower for participants who reported relevant medical history (cardiovascular, pulmonary, or psychological) than those with no such report. WISW was not associated with face wrinkling or hand volume expansion. CONCLUSION: We concluded that WISW was reduced in older age and those with medical history but was not affected by physical activity. These results are consistent with the prevalent notion that WISW may be a sympathetically mediated phenomenon.

Oversimplifying Teaching of the Control of Variables Strategy / La excesiva simplificación de la enseñanza de control de estrategia de variables

Two experiments compared closely related interventions to teach the control of variables strategy (CVS) to fourth-grade students. Over the two experiments, an intervention first developed by Chen and Klahr (1999) was most effective at helping students learn how to design and evaluate single-factor experiments. In Experiment 1, attempts to reduce the cognitive load imposed by Chen and Klahr’s basic teaching intervention actually produced poorer learning and transfer of CVS. In Experiment 2, attempts to simplify Chen and Klahr’s algorithm for teaching students how to set up a valid experimental design also produced poorer learning and transfer of CVS. Both experiments illustrate that oversimplifying a domain or the logic behind controlling variables can undermine the effectiveness of an intervention designed to teach CVS

Mediante dos experimentos se compararon intervenciones estrechamente relacionadas con el objetivo de enseñar el control de estrategia de variables (CVS) a estudiantes de cuarto grado. Durante los dos experimentos, una intervención desarrollada primero por Chen y Klahr (1999) fue más eficaz para ayudar a los estudiantes a aprender a diseñar y evaluar experimentos de un solo factor. En el experimento 1, los intentos de reducir la carga cognitiva impuesta por la intervención básica de enseñanza de Chen y Klahr produjeron un aprendizaje y transferencia de CVS peores. En el experimento 2, los intentos de simplificar el algoritmo de Chen y Klahr para enseñar a los estudiantes cómo establecer un diseño experimental válido también produjeron un aprendizaje y transferencia de CVS peores. Ambos experimentos ilustran que simplificar excesivamente un dominio o la lógica que subyace en el control de variables puede socavar la eficacia de una intervención diseñada para enseñar CVS

When a son steals money from his mother: courtroom perceptions of elder financial exploitation.

The perception of elder financial exploitation was investigated using community members (N = 104) and undergraduates (N = 143). Participants read an exploitation trial summary; an 85-year-old victim accused her son of stealing her money. Primary results indicated that alleged victims described as healthy rendered more guilty verdicts than those described as having a cognitive deficit; pro-victim judgments were higher for women than men; and younger and older community members' rendered more guilty verdicts than middle-aged mock jurors. The results are discussed in terms of the factors that impact the perception of exploitation in court.

Perceptions of elder physical abuse in the courtroom: the influence of hearsay witness testimony.

A community sample of 226 participants (41% men, 59% women) who answered questions about a trial summary that manipulated what type of witness (a 45-year-old hearsay [second-hand information based on the report of a crime victim] witness, a 75-year-old hearsay witness, or the 75-year-old victim) presented an allegation of elder physical abuse. Overall, participants who read the testimony of a 45-year-old hearsay witness had higher conviction rates than participants who read the testimony of the 75-year-old hearsay witness or the elder victim. Additionally, participants who had previously been victims of abuse and/or who had positive attitudes toward elderly people rendered more pro-prosecution verdicts. Finally, as the age of the participant increased so did conviction rates.

The impact of mock jury gender composition on deliberations and conviction rates in a child sexual assault trial.

This study investigated how the gender composition of mock juries affects deliberations and conviction rates in a child sexual assault (CSA) trial. As opposed to studies in which mock jurors make decisions as individuals, mock jury research allows for investigation of how individual decisions translate into group verdicts. Gender composition within mock juries was varied to examine whether well-established gender differences in individual judgments affect the jury-level decision-making process. Three hundred men and women, in 6-member mock juries, heard a fictional CSA trial. During deliberations, proprosecution/ prodefense statements by women were approximately equal, whereas men made more prodefense statements. Women switched votes during deliberations more than did men; jurors in woman majority mock juries changed from not guilty to guilty more often than did jurors in nonwoman majority juries, and vice versa; and woman majority mock juries convicted most often. Findings indicate that predeliberation gender differences led to unique jury deliberation strategies and voting patterns.