Sex differences in 3- to 5-year-old children's motor competence: A pooled cross-sectional analysis of 6241 children.

There is some, albeit inconsistent, evidence supporting sex differences in preschoolers' motor competence (MC), with these observations not uniform when analyzed by age, and cultural groups. Thus, this study examined sex differences across ages in 3- to 5-year-old children's MC. A cross-country pooled sample of 6241 children aged 3-5 years (49.6% girls) was assessed for MC using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2nd/3rd edition, and children were categorized into groups of age in months. Multiple linear regression models and predictive margins were calculated to explore how sex and age in months affect scores of MC (i.e., locomotor and ball skills), with adjustments for country and BMI. The Chow's Test was used to test for the presence of a structural break in the data. Significant differences in favor of girls were seen at 57-59 and 66-68 months of age for locomotor skills; boys performed better in ball skills in all age periods, except for 42-44 and 45-47 months of age. The higher marginal effects were observed for the period between 45-47 and 48-50 months for locomotor skills (F = 30.21; and F = 25.90 for girls and boys, respectively), and ball skills (F = 19.01; and F = 42.11 for girls and boys, respectively). A significantly positive break point was seen at 45-47 months, highlighting the age interval where children's MC drastically improved. The identification of this breakpoint provides an evidence-based metric for when we might expect MC to rapidly increase, and an indicator of early delay when change does not occur at that age.

Instruments for Measuring Psychological Dimensions in Human-Robot Interaction: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties.

BACKGROUND: Numerous user-related psychological dimensions can significantly influence the dynamics between humans and robots. For developers and researchers, it is crucial to have a comprehensive understanding of the psychometric properties of the available instruments used to assess these dimensions, as they indicate the reliability and validity of the assessment. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide a systematic review of the instruments available for assessing the psychological aspects between people and social and domestic robots, offering a summary of their psychometric properties and the quality of the evidence. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines across different databases including Scopus, PubMed and IEEEXplore. The search strategy encompassed studies meeting the following inclusion criteria: a) the instrument could assess psychological dimensions related to social and domestic robots, including attitudes, beliefs, opinions, feelings, and perceptions; b) the study focused on validating the instrument; c) it evaluated the psychometric properties of the instrument; d) it underwent peer review; e) it was in English. Studies focusing on industrial robots, rescue robots, robotic arms, or those primarily concerned with technology validation or measuring anthropomorphism were excluded. Independent reviewers extracted instruments properties and methodological quality of their evidence following the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines. RESULTS: From 3,828 identified records, the research strategy yielded 34 articles that validated and examined the psychometric properties of 27 instruments designed to assess individuals' psychological dimensions in relation to social and domestic robots. These instruments encompass a broad spectrum of psychological dimensions. While most studies predominantly focused on structural validity and internal consistency, consideration of other psychometric properties was frequently inconsistent or absent. Despite their significance in the clinical context, no instrument has evaluated measurement error and responsiveness. Most of the instruments were targeted at both adults and older adults (18 years old and above). There is a limited number of instruments specifically designed for children, older adults, and healthcare contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Given the strong interest in assessing psychological dimensions in the human-robot relationship, there is a need to develop new instruments using more rigorous methodologies and to consider a broader range of psychometric properties. This is essential to ensure the creation of reliable and valid measures for assessing people's psychological dimensions toward social and domestic robots. Among the limitations, the review included instruments applicable to both social robots and domestic robots, while excluding those for some specific types of robots (e.g., industrial robots). CLINICALTRIAL: The review was not registered with any relevant database.

What Effect Do Goal Setting Interventions Have on Physical Activity and Psychological Outcomes in Insufficiently Active Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Goal setting is commonly used for promoting physical activity (PA) among insufficiently active individuals. Previous reviews have analyzed the effects of goal setting on PA, but the purpose of this systematic review was to examine the concurrent effects of goal setting on PA and psychological outcomes in insufficiently active individuals to support interventions aiming to produce sustained PA behavior change. METHODS: In this review (PROSPERO: CRD42021243970), we identified 13 studies with 1208 insufficiently active adults that reported the effects of goal-setting interventions (range 3-24 wk) on both PA and psychological outcomes (eg, self-efficacy, motivation, and affect). We used meta-analysis and narrative synthesis to analyze these effects. RESULTS: All goals used in the included studies were specific goals. Setting specific goals had a large, positive effect on PA (g [standard mean difference] = 1.11 [P < .001]; 95% confidence interval, 0.74-1.47), but only a small, positive effect on the combined psychological outcomes (g [standard mean difference] = 0.25 [P < .001]; 95% CI, 0.10-0.40). Moderator analyses revealed that interventions that did not reward participants had a significantly greater effect on PA than interventions that did provide rewards (g = 1.30 vs 0.60, respectively, P ≤ .003). No other significant moderators were found. CONCLUSION: Our review offers initial insight into the long-term effects of specific goals on PA and psychological outcomes in insufficiently active adults. Further research that examines the PA and psychological effects of goal-setting interventions and investigates a wider range of goal types could develop a stronger evidence base to inform intervention for insufficiently active individuals.

Determining factors of physical activity and sedentary behaviour in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Historically, university students demonstrate poor movement behaviours that could negatively impact current and future health. Recent literature has focused on identifying determinants of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) in this population to inform the development of intervention strategies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic substantially restricted movement behaviours in this population, meaning findings of previous research may no longer be applicable within the current societal context. The present study explored the longitudinal relationships between pre-pandemic psychological, behavioural and anthropometric factors, and the movement behaviours of UK university students nine months following the outbreak of COVID-19. METHODS: Mental wellbeing (MWB), perceived stress (PS), body mass index (BMI), SB, and PA were assessed using an online self-report survey in 255 students prior to (October 2019) and nine months following (October 2020) the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the UK. Path analysis was utilised to test relationships between pre-COVID mental wellbeing, perceived stress and BMI, and movement behaviours during the pandemic. RESULTS: The fit of the path analysis model was good (χ2 = 0.01; CMIN = 0.10, CFI = 1.00, RMSEA = 0.00). Pre-covid MWB and PS positively influenced PA (ß = 0.29; ß = 0.24; P < 0.01) but not SB (ß = -0.10; ß = 0.00; P = 0.79) during the pandemic. Additionally, pre-pandemic SB and PA positively influenced SB and PA during the pandemic respectively (SB: ß = 0.26; P < 0.01) (PA: ß = 0.55; P < 0.01). Pre-pandemic BMI did not influence any measured variable during the pandemic (PA: ß = 0.03 and P = 0.29; SB: ß = 0.06 and P = 0.56), and there was no mediating effect of PA on SB during the pandemic (ß = -0.26; P = 0.14). CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that pre-covid mental health and movement behaviours had a direct positive influence on PA during the pandemic, but not SB. This longitudinal study demonstrates the influence that prior psychological and behavioural factors have in determining university students' response to periods of elevated stress and uncertainty, furthering our understanding of determinants of health-related behaviours in students.

Motor Competence and Body Mass Index in the Preschool Years: A Pooled Cross-Sectional Analysis of 5545 Children from Eight Countries.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: One in five preschool children are overweight/obese, and increased weight status over time increases the risks of poorer future health. Motor skill competence may be a protective factor, giving children the ability to participate in health-enhancing physical activity. Yet, we do not know when the relationship between motor competence and weight status first emerges or whether it is evident across the body mass index (BMI) spectrum. This study examined the association between motor skill competence and BMI in a multi-country sample of 5545 preschoolers (54.36 ± 9.15 months of age; 50.5% boys) from eight countries. METHODS: Quantile regression analyses were used to explore the associations between motor skill competence (assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development, Second/Third Edition) and quantiles of BMI (15th; 50th; 85th; and 97th percentiles), adjusted for sex, age in months, and country. RESULTS: Negative associations of locomotor skills, ball skills, and overall motor skill competence with BMI percentiles (p < 0.005) were seen, which became stronger at the higher end of the BMI distribution (97th percentile). Regardless of sex, for each raw score point increase in locomotor skills, ball skills, and overall motor skill competence scores, BMI is reduced by 8.9%, 6.8%, and 5.1%, respectively, for those preschoolers at the 97th BMI percentile onwards. CONCLUSIONS: Public health policies should position motor skill competence as critical for children's obesity prevention from early childhood onwards. Robust longitudinal and experimental designs are encouraged to explore a possible causal pathway between motor skill competence and BMI from early childhood.

Longitudinal analysis of physical function in older adults: The effects of physical inactivity and exercise training.

Lack of exercise contributes to systemic inflammation and is a major cause of chronic disease. The long-term impact of initiating and sustaining exercise in late life, as opposed to sustaining a sedentary lifestyle, on whole-body health measures such as physical performance is not well known. This is an exploratory study to compare changes in physical performance among older adults initiating exercise late in life versus inactive older adults. Data from two observational cohorts were included in this analysis, representing two activity groups. The Active group cohort comprises older adults (n = 318; age 72.5 ± 7.2 years) enrolled in a supervised exercise program, "Gerofit." The inactive group comprises older adults (n = 146; age 74.5 ± 5.5 years) from the Italian study "Act on Ageing" (AOA) who self-reported being inactive. Participants in both groups completed physical performance battery at baseline and 1-year including: 6-min walk test, 30-s chair stand, and timed up-and-go. Two-sample t-tests measured differences between Gerofit and AOA at baseline and 1-year across all measures. Significant between-group effects were seen for all performance measures (ps = 0.001). The AOA group declined across all measures from baseline to 1 year (range -18% to -24% change). The Gerofit group experienced significant gains in function for all measures (range +10% to +31% change). Older adults who initiated routine, sustained exercise were protected from age-related declines in physical performance, while those who remained sedentary suffered cumulative deficits across strength, aerobic endurance, and mobility. Interventions to reduce sedentary behaviors and increase physical activity are both important to promote multi-system, whole-body health.

The Effect of Cognitive Task Complexity on Healthy Gait in the Walking Corsi Test.

Dual-task activities are essential within everyday life, requiring visual-spatial memory (VSM) and mobility skills. Navigational memory is an important component of VSM needed to carry out everyday activities, but this is often not included in traditional tests such as the Corsi block tapping test (CBT). The Walking Corsi Test (WalCT) allows both VSM and navigational memory to be tested together, as well as allowing measures of gait to be collected, thus providing a more complete understanding of dual-task function. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an increasingly complex cognitive task on gait in a healthy adult population, using the WalCT and body-worn inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors. Participants completed both the CBT and WalCT, where they were asked to replicate increasingly complex sequences until they were no longer able to carry this out correctly. IMU sensors were worn on the shins throughout the WalCT to assess changes in gait as task complexity increased. Results showed that there were significant differences in several gait parameters between completing a relatively simple cognitive task and completing a complex task. The type of memory used also appeared to have an impact on some gait variables. This indicates that even within a healthy population, gait is affected by cognitive task complexity, which may limit function in everyday dual-task activities.

Differences in self-control, self-efficacy and depressive symptoms between active and inactive middle-aged and older adults after 1 year of COVID restrictions.

OBJECTIVES: The psychological impact of the prolonged lockdown measures in the UK as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic is unclear. Our aim was to determine if there are significant differences in self-control, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms and leisure motivation between UK older adults with differing levels of physical activity, and which of these variables can be used to predict activity level after 1 year of lockdown restrictions. METHODS: 521 adults aged 50-92 years completed an online survey consisting of several validated measures relating to physical activity, self-control, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms, and leisure motivation. Participant's responses were grouped into active (≥150minutes activity per week) and inactive (<150minutes activity per week). Data was analysed using ANOVA, Pearson's Correlation and Multiple Regression (forward stepwise). RESULTS: We found significant differences in self-efficacy, self-control, and depressive symptoms between physically active vs inactive subjects. High levels of self-control and self-efficacy were associated with higher levels of activity and fewer depressive symptoms. Self-control, amotivation, depressive symptoms and self-efficacy were predictors of physical activity level. CONCLUSION: Psychological variables including self-control, self-efficacy, depressive symptoms and amotivation can be used to predict physical activity levels in UK middle-aged and older adults following 1 year of Covid restrictions.

16 Weeks of Physically Active Mathematics and English Language Lessons Improves Cognitive Function and Gross Motor Skills in Children Aged 8-9 Years.

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of physically active lessons, implemented through the Mathematics and English Language curriculum, on cognitive function and gross motor skill development. Following ethical approval, 192 children aged 8-9 years were randomly allocated to an intervention group (n = 98) or a control group (n = 94). The intervention consisted of 8 h.wk-1 of physically active lessons, equally split between Mathematics and English Language, for 16 weeks. Cognitive function (digit span, coding and arithmetic reasoning) and gross motor skill development (TGMD-3) were assessed at baseline and follow-up. The improvement in every domain of cognitive function was greater in the intervention group compared to the control group (group * time, p = 0.008-0.023, d = 0.34-0.42). Furthermore, total TGMD-3 score (group * time, p < 0.001, d = 1.16) and both sub-scales (locomotor, p < 0.001, d = 0.63; object control, p < 0.001, d = 1.29) also improved by a greater extent in the intervention group than in the control group. These findings suggest that 16 weeks of physically active lessons, taught in both Mathematics and English Language curriculum, synergistically improved cognitive function and gross motor skill development in primary school children aged 8-9 years.

Brain Anatomy Alterations and Mental Health Challenges Correlate to Email Addiction Tendency.

Despite the widespread use of email, our knowledge regarding the consequences of email addiction is lacking. The purpose of this study was to develop an email addiction tendency scale to evaluate its correlation to behavior and brain structure. Following this, the validity and reliability of the developed scale was investigated. We used voxel-based morphometry, correlation, and univariate regression analysis to assess the relationships between email addiction tendency scores and regional gray and white matter volumes, depression, and nonverbal reasoning abilities in a large sample of healthy young adults (n = 1152; mean age, 20.69 ± 1.84 years). The content validity ratio, content validity index, principal component analysis, and confirmatory factorial analysis all showed that the email addiction tendency scale (EATS) has high validity. Additionally, the Cronbach's alpha internal consistency and split-half reliability coefficient showed that the EATS has high reliability. We found that email addiction tendency scores were significantly negatively correlated with nonverbal reasoning. We also observed that the email addiction tendency scores were significantly and positively correlated with depression symptom severity and gray matter volume of the left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (RLPC) in subjects. These results indicate that email addiction tendency is associated with lower mental health outcomes and increased GMV in the left RLPC.

Mercury levels in hair are associated with reduced neurobehavioral performance and altered brain structures in young adults.

The detrimental effects of high-level mercury exposure on the central nervous system as well as effects of low-level exposure during early development have been established. However, no previous studies have investigated the effects of mercury level on brain morphometry using advance imaging techniques in young adults. Here, utilizing hair analysis which has been advocated as a method for biological monitoring, data of regional gray matter volume (rGMV), regional white matter volume (rWMV), fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), cognitive functions, and depression among 920 healthy young adults in Japan, we showed that greater hair mercury levels were weakly but significantly associated with diminished cognitive performance, particularly on tasks requiring rapid processing (speed measures), lower depressive tendency, lower rGMV in areas of the thalamus and hippocampus, lower rWMV in widespread areas, greater FA in bilaterally distributed white matter areas overlapping with areas of significant rWMV reductions and lower MD of the widely distributed gray and white matter areas particularly in the bilateral frontal lobe and the right basal ganglia. These results suggest that even normal mercury exposure levels in Japan are weakly associated with differences of brain structures and lower neurobehavioral performance and altered mood among young adults.

Loneliness inside of the brain: evidence from a large dataset of resting-state fMRI in young adult.

Although loneliness itself is a natural emotion, prolonged loneliness is detrimental to human health. Despite its detrimental effect, few loneliness-related neuroimaging studies have been published and some have limitations on the sample size number. This study aims to find the difference in resting-state functional connectivity associated with loneliness within a big sample size via the seed-based approach. Functional connectivity analysis was performed on a large cohort of young adults (N = 1336) using the seed-based functional connectivity approach to address the concern from previous studies. The analysis yielded statistically significant positive correlations between loneliness and functional connectivities between the inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area, precentral gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. Additionally, the analysis replicated a finding from a previous study, which is increased functional connectivities between the inferior frontal gyrus and supplementary motor area. In conclusion, greater loneliness is reflected by stronger functional connectivity of the visual attention brain area.

Perceptions of In-home Monitoring Technology for Activities of Daily Living: Semistructured Interview Study With Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

BACKGROUND: Many older adults prefer to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. However, there are still questions surrounding how best to ensure that an individual can cope with autonomous living. Technological monitoring systems are an attractive solution; however, there is disagreement regarding activities of daily living (ADL) and the optimal technologies that should be used to monitor them. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to understand older adults' perceptions of important ADL and the types of technologies they would be willing to use within their own homes. METHODS: Semistructured interviews were conducted on the web with 32 UK adults, divided equally into a younger group (aged 55-69 years) and an older group (≥70 years). RESULTS: Both groups agreed that ADL related to personal hygiene and feeding were the most important and highlighted the value of socializing. The older group considered several activities to be more important than their younger counterparts, including stair use and foot care. The older group had less existing knowledge of monitoring technology but was more willing to accept wearable sensors than the younger group. The younger group preferred sensors placed within the home but highlighted that they would not have them until they felt that daily life was becoming a struggle. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, technological monitoring systems were perceived as an acceptable method for monitoring ADL. However, developers and carers must be aware that individuals may express differences in their willingness to engage with certain types of technology depending on their age and circumstances.

Systematic Review of the Effects of Exercise and Physical Activity on the Gut Microbiome of Older Adults.

Recent evidence suggests that exercise/physical activity (PA) can beneficially alter the gut microbiome composition of young people, but little is known about its effects in older adults. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize results of human studies that have assessed the effects/associations of PA/exercise on the gut microbiome of older adults and to better understand whether this can help promote healthy ageing. Seven studies were included in the review and overall, exercise and increased amounts of PA were associated with decreases in the abundance of several well-known harmful taxa and increases in the abundance of health-promoting taxa. Altogether, the findings from the included studies suggest that exercise/PA have a beneficial impact on the gut health of older adults by improving the gut microbiome composition. However, due to methodological and sampling disparities, it was not possible to reach a consensus on which taxa were most affected by exercise or PA.

An After-School Football Session Transiently Improves Cognitive Function in Children.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of a real-world after-school football session on subsequent cognitive function in primary school children. Following ethical approval, 100 children (aged 8−9 year) from the same after-school football club were randomly assigned to either an intervention (60 min football activity) or control (continued to rest) group. Cognitive function (selective visual attention, short term memory and long-term memory) was assessed prior to, immediately following and 45 min following the football session (and at the respective timepoints in the control group). Data were analysed via two-way (group * time) mixed methods ANOVA. The pattern of change in all domains of cognition over time, was different between the football and control groups (group * time, all p < 0.001). Specifically, performance on all cognitive tasks was greater immediately following the football session in the intervention group compared to the control group (selective visual attention, p = 0.003; short-term memory, p = 0.004; long-term memory, p < 0.001). However, there was no difference between the group 45 min following the football session (p = 0.132−0.393). These findings suggest that an after-school football session enhances cognition immediately post-activity in primary school children.

Brain structures and activity during a working memory task associated with internet addiction tendency in young adults: A large sample study.

The structural and functional brain characteristics associated with the excessive use of the internet have attracted substantial research attention in the past decade. In current study, we used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and multiple regression analysis to assess the relationship between internet addiction tendency (IAT) score and regional gray and white matter volumes (rGMVs and rWMVs) and brain activity during a WM task in a large sample of healthy young adults (n = 1,154, mean age, 20.71 ± 1.78 years). We found a significant positive correlation between IAT score and gray matter volume (GMV) of right supramarginal gyrus (rSMG) and significant negative correlations with white matter volume (WMV) of right temporal lobe (sub-gyral and superior temporal gyrus), right sublobar area (extra-nuclear and lentiform nucleus), right cerebellar anterior lobe, cerebellar tonsil, right frontal lobe (inferior frontal gyrus and sub-gyral areas), and the pons. Also, IAT was significantly and positively correlated with brain activity in the default-mode network (DMN), medial frontal gyrus, medial part of the superior frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate cortex during a 2-back working memory (WM) task. Moreover, whole-brain analyses of rGMV showed significant effects of interaction between sex and the IAT scores in the area spreading around the left anterior insula and left lentiform. This interaction was moderated by positive correlation in women. These results indicate that IAT is associated with (a) increased GMV in rSMG, which is involved in phonological processing, (b) decreased WMV in areas of frontal, sublobar, and temporal lobes, which are involved in response inhibition, and (c) reduced task-induced deactivation of the DMN, indicative of altered attentional allocation.

Polygenic risk score for bipolar disorder associates with divergent thinking and brain structures in the prefrontal cortex.

It has been hypothesized that a higher genetic risk of bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with greater creativity. Given the clinical importance of bipolar disorder and the importance of creativity to human society and cultural development, it is essential to reveal their associations and the neural basis of the genetic risk of bipolar disorder to gain insight into its etiology. However, despite the previous demonstration of the associations of polygenic risk score (PRS) of BD and creative jobs, the associations of BD-PRS and creativity measured by the divergent thinking (CMDT) and regional gray matter volume (rGMV) as well as regional white matter volume (rWMV) have not been investigated. Using psychological analyses and whole-brain voxel-by-voxel analyses, we examined these potential associations in 1558 young, typically developing adult students. After adjusting for confounding variables and multiple comparisons, a greater BD-PRS was associated with a greater total CMDT fluency score, and a significant relationship was found in fluency subscores. A greater BD-PRS was also associated with lower total mood disturbance. Neuroimaging analyses revealed that the BD-PRS was associated with greater rGMV in the right inferior frontal gyrus, which is a consistently affected area in BD, as well as a greater rWMV in the left middle frontal gyrus, which has been suggested to play a central role in the increased creativity associated with the risk of BD with creativity. These findings suggest a relationship between the genetic risk of BD and CMDT and prefrontal cortical structures among young educated individuals.

Cortico-striatal-thalamic loop as a neural correlate of neuroticism in the mind-body interface.

OBJECTIVE: Although brain structural studies have demonstrated the neural correlates of neuroticism, the outcomes are not easily identified because of the various possible brain regions involved, low statistical power (low number of subjects), and brain structural measures available, such as mean diffusivity (MD), which are more suitable than standard regional measures of grey and white-matter volume (rGMV, rWMV) and fractional anisotropy (FA). We hypothesized that neuroticism neural correlates could be detected by MD and differentially identified using other measures. We aimed to visualize the neural correlates of neuroticism. METHODS: A voxel-by-voxel regression analysis was performed using the MD, rGMV, rWMV, or FA value as the dependent variable and with neuroticism scores based on the NEO-FFI and its confounding factors as independent variables in 1207 (693 men and 514 women; age, 20.7 ± 1.8, 18-27 years), non-clinical students in a cross-sectional study. RESULTS: MD in the cortico- (orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, and posterior insula) striatal- (caudate and putamen) thalamic loop regions, including the right posterior limb of the internal capsule, were positively associated with neuroticism using the threshold-free cluster enhancement method with a family-wise error-corrected threshold of P < 0.0125 (0.05/4, Bonferroni correction for four types of MRI data [MD, rGMV, rWMV, and FA]) at the whole-brain level. CONCLUSIONS: An increased MD has generally been associated with reduced neural tissues and possibly area function. Accordingly, this finding helps elucidate the mechanism of somatization in neuroticism because the regions related to neuroticism are considered neural correlates of somatoform disorders.

Italian version of the short 10/66 dementia diagnostic schedule: a validation study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the criterion and concurrent validity of the Italian version of the short 10/66 Dementia Diagnostic Schedule and algorithm in a sample of Italian native speakers, older adults. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, validation study. SETTING: The study was conducted with older adults living in the community and in nursing homes in the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland, and the Piedmont region in Italy between March and August 2019. PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of 229 participants (69% females) were recruited. The eligibility criteria were being ≥60 years old and having an informant. The final sample included 74 participants (32%) with a previous clinical diagnosis of dementia and 155 (68%) cognitively healthy older adults. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The short version of 10/66 Dementia Diagnostic Schedule consists of the Community Screening Instrument for Dementia, the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease (CERAD) 10-word list learning task with delayed recall and the depression scale, Euro-Depression (EURO-D) scale. Disability was measured using the WHO Disability Assessment Schedule (WHO-DAS II). RESULTS: The Italian version of the short 10/66 Dementia Diagnostic Schedule showed fair sensitivity (87%), specificity (61%) and agreement with the clinical diagnosis of dementia (kappa=0.40, area under the receiver operating characteristics curve=0.74). Older adults with dementia living in nursing homes had higher disability scores (WHO-DAS II mean=23.14, SE=1.29) than those living in the community (WHO-DAS II mean=7.08, SE=0.66). WHO-DAS II was positively correlated with the short version of the 10/66 dementia diagnosis (ß=5.23, 95% CI 2.05 to 8.41). CONCLUSIONS: In settings where lengthy diagnostic procedures are not feasible, the short 10/66 is a practical tool to identify dementia in older adults. Our findings extend evidence on the validity of the 10/66 dementia diagnostic algorithm to high-income countries, where epidemiological evidence on dementia and its impact is outdated.

Effects of 1 Year of Lifestyle Intervention on Institutionalized Older Adults.

The socio-economic and health consequences of our ageing population are well documented, with older adults living in long-term care facilities amongst the frailest possessing specific and significant healthcare and social care needs. These needs may be exacerbated through the sedentary behaviour which is prevalent within care home settings. Reducing sedentary time can reduce the risk of many diseases and improve functional health, implying that improvements in health may be gained by simply helping older adults substitute time spent sitting with time spent standing or in light-intensity ambulation. This study identified the impact of 1 year of lifestyle intervention in a group of older adults living in a long-term care setting in Italy. One hundred and eleven older adults (mean age, 82.37 years; SD = 10.55 years) participated in the study. Sixty-nine older adults were in the intervention group (35 without severe cognitive decline and 34 with dementia) and 42 older adults were in the control group. Data on physical functioning, basic activities of daily living (BADL) and mood were collected 4 times, before, during (every four months) and after the 1 year of intervention. The lifestyle intervention focused on improving the amount of time spent every week in active behaviour and physical activity (minimum 150 min of weekly activities). All participants completed the training program and no adverse events, related to the program, occurred. The intervention group showed steady and significant improvements in physical functioning and a stable situation in BADL and mood following the intervention in older adults with and without dementia, whilst the control group exhibited a significant decline over time. These results suggest that engagement in a physical activity intervention may benefit care home residents with and without dementia both physically and mentally, leading to improved social care and a reduced burden on healthcare services.