Pliny the Elder: Lessons from the Naturalist as an Early Neuroscientist.

Pliny the Elder was a prolific Roman author, naturalist, and military leader. Yet, his impact on modern-day neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology has been little explored. Here, we aimed to trace the origins of our current understanding of the brain in ancient Rome through Pliny and his work, Natural History. As his magnum opus, this 37-book tome catalogs the facts and observations of natural life collected by Pliny, reflecting the knowledge of his time. Following the cephalocentric school of thought, Pliny places the brain as an agent for consciousness and details its diseases. Further, we explore Pliny's methods, which allow him to build a thorough collection of clinical descriptions and remedies. This body of work serves as an important lesson for future neuroscientists on the power of observation, the role of the humanities, and the necessity of understanding the origin of modern scientific thinking.

[Relationship between sleep duration and hypertension among elderly residents in 15 provinces of China in 2015].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the duration of sleep and hypertension among residents aged 60 and above in 15 provinces of China. METHODS: Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey in 2015, 4078 residents aged 60 and above who provided complete diagnostic information on sleep duration and blood pressure were selected as subjects by stratified multi-stage cluster random sampling. RESULTS: The average age of participants aged 60 and above in 15 provinces was 68.41 years old, with 1915 were male, 2163 were female, 1683 urban participants and 2464 rural participants. After adjusting for gender, age, education, and economic confounding factors, Model 2 found that subjects who slept less than 7 h/d and those who slept more than 8 h/d had an increased risk of developing hypertension compared with the recommended sleep duration, the ORs were 1.24(95%CI 1.03-1.51) and 1.38(95%CI 1.15-1.65). Adding the sitting time, smoking, drinking and obesity to the Model 2, compared with the recommended sleep duration, subjects who slept less than 7 h/d and those who slept more than 9 h/d had an increased risk of hypertension. The ORs values were 1.27(95%CI 1.04-1.56) and 1.40(95%CI 1.16-1.70). CONCLUSION: The proportion of the elder aged 60 and older who sleep less than 7 h/d or more than 9 h/d has increased hypertension.

Factor structure and longitudinal measurement invariance of the K6 among a national representative elder sample of China.

BACKGROUND: As the number of older people is rapidly growing, prevention, screening, and treatment of mental health problems (including anxiety and depression) in this population increasingly become a heavy burden to individuals, families, and even the whole society. The Kessler-6 screening measure (K6) is an efficient and effective instrument for general mental health problems. However, few studies have examined its measurement invariance across time, which is particularly important in longitudinal studies, such as exploring developmental trajectories of non-specific psychological distress and evaluating the effects of certain interventions. METHODS: The current study investigated the factor structure and the longitudinal measurement invariance of the K6 among a national representative elder sample of China. Longitudinal data in two survey waves (the year 2010, and the year 2014) from the China Family Panel Studies were drawn for secondary data analysis. A total of 3845 participants aged 60 years old and above (52.2% male, mean age = 66.99 years, SD = 5.93 years) responded to both waves of the survey. RESULTS: A comparison of four existing models with confirmatory factor analysis supported a two-factor solution of the K6. A series of multi-group confirmatory factor analyses further indicated that the K6 held strict longitudinal measurement invariance across time. Additionally, the internal consistency indices across time and the stability coefficients over time were acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The findings further confirmed the psychometric defensibility of the K6 when used in the old Chinese population. The longitudinal measurement invariance justified comparisons of psychological distress scores among different measurement time points.

Combined lifestyle factors on mortality among the elder population: evidence from a Chinese cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have suggested that lifestyle-related factors are associated with mortality, however limited evidence is available for the Chinese elder population. METHODS: The data of this study was obtained from the Chinese Longitudinal Health Survey (CLHLS) during 2008 - 2018, lifestyle-related factors including body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, consumption of vegetables and fruits, physical activity and sleep duration were included as dependent variables in the analysis. A lifestyle risk score was created using six unhealthy behaviors: smoking, drinking, unhealthy weight, physical inactivity, not eat vegetables or fruits and short or prolonged sleep. The Kaplan-Meier curves were used to illustrate the cumulative effect of lifestyle factors on mortality and cox regression models were conducted to estimate the combined effects of lifestyle-related factors on total mortality. RESULTS: The results illustrated that low BMI, smoking, no fruit eating, and no physical inactivity were risk factors for total mortality. KM curves showed significant cumulative effect of unhealthy lifestyle factors on mortality. Compared with participants without any unhealthy factors, the hazard ratio (HR) for participants with six unhealthy factors was 1.335 (1.015,1.757) for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated poor adherence to a healthy lifestyle may increase all-cause mortality and specific combinations of lifestyle related factors have different effects on mortality among Chinese elderly population.

Psychological antecedents and psychological benefits of physical exercise for the elderly under the elderly law

The study investigates the psychological antecedents and advantages of physical exercise for the old under the law governing the aged. This paper studies the effects of physical exercise on psychological emotion and psychological benefits by employing a questionnaire and referring to the law of older people. The study discovered that the psychological advantages of physical exercise for the elderly depend on the amount of exercise performed each week and the time spent exercising. Individuals who exercise more than five times per week and for at least 30 minutes are more mentally healthy. Physical exercise can not only improve mood, enhance self-concept and coordinate interpersonal relations, but also eliminate fatigue, reduce stress response, reduce or eliminate mental diseases to indeed promote the fitness and mental health of the elderly.(AU)

Preoperative Pre-albumin Concentration as a Predictor of Short-term Outcomes in Elderly Patients With Colorectal Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Population aging results in increasing numbers of elderly persons undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. We sought to identify objective preoperative indicators of outcomes, with a view toward development of safe, effective treatments for such patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 99 patients aged 80 years or more, who were treated surgically for stage I- III colorectal cancer. Preoperative nutritional status was compared retrospectively between those who suffered postoperative complications (n=40) and those who did not (n=59). RESULTS: Univariate analysis revealed low prealbumin (PreAlb) concentration (p=0.032) and low platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (p=0.116) as risk factors for postoperative complications. Multivariate analysis showed preoperative PreAlb concentration to be an independent risk factor (OR=0.884; 95% confidence interval=0.791-0.989; p=0.024) associated with postoperative length of hospital stay (coef.=-0.336, p=0.002). CONCLUSION: PreAlb, a rapid turnover protein, shows promise as a simple predictor of postoperative complications in elderly patients treated for colorectal surgery.

Trayectorias y dinámicas alimentarias de adultos/as mayores: la alimentación como relato de vida / Trajectories and food dynamics of Elderly People: food as life story

Argentina atraviesa un proceso de transición demográfica avanzada, ya que los/as adultos mayores (AM) alcanzan el 15,1% de la población. Ello pone en tensión el lugar de las/os AM en la sociedad, sus condiciones de acceso y resolución de necesidades, entre ellas la alimentación. En este trabajo se postula que hablar de la alimentación, de los alimentos, es hablar de los/as AM, de la historia de vida de estas personas que se va escribiendo entre sustancias y circunstancias que hacen a actividades tan cotidianas como el cocinar y el comer. Así, se planteó como objetivo, indagar acerca de la categoría trayectorias y dinámicas alimentarias (TyDA) de los/as AM de la Ciudad de Córdoba-Argentina, para establecer diálogo(s) posible(s) entre alimentación y curso de vida. Se realizó una investigación con posicionamiento epistemológico mixto entre paradigma interpretativista y crítico; con triangulación metodológica cuali-cuantitativa. Etapa cuantitativa: muestra no probabilística por cuotas según nivel de instrucción (n=384); incluyendo a AM de Córdoba y gran Córdoba que integran espacios participativos. Se implementó un cuestionario semiestructurado. Etapa cualitativa: muestra intencional (n=10) a partir del muestro anterior. Se realizaron observaciones participantes, bitácora de campo y entrevistas. Participaron 384 AM, edad promedio de 72 años (DE=7), 79% mujeres y 21% varones. Las "TyDA", siguiendo una idea de proceso que se construye y reconstruye constantemente, fueron abordadas desde: a) Etapa de la vida b) Sistema Alimentario y c) Alimentos identificadores. Reconstruir la historia de la comida de los/as AM propicia el reencuentro con la propia historia (infancia, juventud, adultez, vejez). Esta matriz de sentido es una invitación a repensar los abordajes en materia de políticas públicas destinados a este grupo poblacional; que genera cambios demográficos tanto a nivel macrosocial (cultura, economía, mercado de trabajo, sistemas políticos) pero especialmente en la experiencia de vida de los y las AM.

Dermatology in Ancient Rome: Medical ingredients in Ovid's "Remedies for female faces".

BACKGROUND: In Roman medicine, face packs, plasters, unguents, and peelings were part of the therapy of dermatological diseases, but also served cosmetic purposes. Ancient medical textbooks inform us about the ingredients for these applications. Beyond medical literature, other genres contain information about dermatological applications. The Roman poet Ovid (43 BC-17 AD) wrote a didactic poem recording five recipes for topical applications for female faces (Medicamina faciei femineae). Researchers debate the relation of Ovid's poem to Roman medicine: Does the poem contain therapeutical or cosmetical information, or is it mere belles lettres? AIMS: The objective of the paper is to conduct a medico-historical classification of Ovid's poem by determining whether the ingredients of Ovid's recipes were thought to be effective by the authors of Roman medical textbooks. METHODS: First, translation and identification of the ingredients were carried out. Second, comparison of the ingredients' functions regarding the therapy of dermatological diseases in two important Roman medical textbooks was realized. For this purpose, several commentaries on the text of Ovid were used and a keyword search in Roman medical textbooks was performed. RESULTS: Ovid's five recipes contain 23 ingredients. All ingredients can be found in medical textbooks. We find that 14 of these ingredients serve cosmetic purposes, 17 serve the therapy of dermatological diseases, and 13 serve both. CONCLUSION: Ovid's recipes contain drugs that were considered effective by the authors of Roman medical textbooks. These drugs were recommended both for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes by the same authors. Therefore, Ovid's didactic poem is not mere belles lettres, but contains serious medical and cosmetical information. As far as we know, it is the first Roman text that contains dermatological recipes.

Comparison the effect of color cornea contact lens and occlusion foils on monocular elder amblyopia / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

@#AIM: To compare the efficacy of invisible occlusion mirror and depressant membrane therapy in treatment of elderly amblyopia.<p>METHODS: Prospective study. Totally 112 cases(112 eyes)of monocular amblyopia aged 10-14 years were selected from June 2015 to December 2016 in our hospital. Among them, 55 cases(Group A)were treated with depressant membrane therapy and 57 cases(Group B)were treated with invisible concealer. The treatment compliance and efficacy of the two groups were evaluated, and the changes of corrected visual acuity before and after treatment were observed.<p>RESULTS: For 3, 6 and 12mo, there was no significant difference in treatment compliance between group A(98.2%, 96.4%, 92.7%)and group B(94.7%, 91.2%, 89.5%)(all <i>P</i>>0.05), but the effective rate of treatment(27.8%, 50.9%, 76.5%)was significantly lower than that of group B(46.3%, 71.2%, 92.2%), and the amblyopic corrected visual acuity of group B was better than that of group A(<i>P</i><0.05). After 12mo treatment, the total and actual cure rates of group A(52.7% and 56.9%)were significantly lower than those of group B(71.9% and 80.4%).<p>CONCLUSION: The treatment of monocular amblyopia over 10 years old with invisible occlusion mirror is superior to that of depressor membrane occlusion in improving visual acuity and curing rate.

Quality of life assessment for elderly residents in Shanghai communities and relevant influence factors / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective To assess quality of life in elderly in Shanghai communities and to analyze relevant influence factors.Methods The quality of life and relevant influence factors of 4 395 residents aged 60 years or older who were registered in the health records of three community healthcare centers in Shanghai were investigated through questionnaire survey.Results Total 4 350 valid questionnaire were retrieved with a response rate of 99.0％.The mean physical component summary scale (PCS) score was (50.1± 10.1) and the mean mental component summary scale (MCS) score was (47.3±7.9).Factors influencing the quality of life in order of importance were depressive symptom(B=-8.41),self-care ability(B=7.45),disease score(B=-1.91),participating in outdoor activities(B=1.89),proportion of medical expenses over income(B=-1.72),social intercourse score(B=-1.48),gender(B=-1.37),education level(B=-1.03) and age(B=-0.93).Conclusion The quality of life in elderly residents of Shanghai is relatively high,but the mental components of quality of life need to be further improved.

Community intervention in elderly patients with insomnia / 中华全科医师杂志

Community intervention was conducted for 60 elderly patients with insomnia who attended the clinic of Sanlihe NO.1 Community Health Service Station of Yuetan Community Health Service Center from October 2016 to December 2016. Community intervention strategies included appointed visit to contracted family doctors, health counseling by specialists, lifestyle interventions, drug interventions, psychological interventions, individualized interventions, regular home visits and follow-up, self-management and referral to specialist service. After 1 year of community intervention, the differences of sleep quality self-assessment score [(29.77±7.20) vs. (28.62±6.79) ; t=7.48,P<0.01] and COOP/WONCA score [(17.38±3.35] vs. (16.00±3.09); t=8.69,P<0.01] before and after the intervention were statistically significant. Community intervention is helpful to improve the quality of sleep and life of the elderly insomnia patients.

The application of thyroid function tests in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of thyroid examination for elderly pa-tients with cardiovascular disease.Methods 845 cases from 60 to 89 years old ,who were initially diagnosed as cardiovascular disease in a hospital in Chongqing from December 2013 to November 2014 ,were selected as the case group.Another 200 healthy persons in the same age group who underwent the healthy assessment in the physical examination center of the hospital during the same period were selected as the control group.The lev-els of thyroid hormone were detected in two groups.Results The abnormal type of thyroid function in the case group had a statistically significant difference in different age distribution (P＜0.05).The detection rate of thyroid dysfunction was significantly higher in the case group than that in the control group ,and the differ-ence was statistically significant (P＜0.05).The differences of thyrotropin stimulating hormone (TSH) ,free triiodothyronine(FT3) and free thyroxine(FT4) concentrations between the control group and the case group were statistically significant (P＜0.01).In comparison with the results in the control group ,the concentration of TSH in patients with coronary heart disease and atrial fibrillation increased significantly ,the TSH concen-tration of patients with arrhythmia decreased significantly ,the concentrations of FT3 and FT4 in patients with hypertension and coronary heart disease increased significantly ,the FT3 concentration in patients with ar-rhythmia significantly increased ,and the concentrations of FT 3 and FT4 in patients with atrial fibrillation sig-nificantly decreased ,and the differences were statistically significant (P＜0.01).Conclusion The thyroid dys-function has a high detection rate in elderly patients with cardiovascular disease ,and all kinds of abnormalities may have an effect on the cardiovascular system.Thus ,active control of the abnormal thyroid hormone value can significantly improve the patients' cardiac function.Therefore ,for elderly patients with cardiovascular dis-ease ,routine screening of thyroid function is conducive to the diagnosis and treatment of their cardiovascular diseases.

La materia terapéutica en La Arcadia, de Lope de Vega / The therapeutic subject in La Arcadia by Lope de Vega

En la actualidad, aún se desconoce el verdadero alcance de la vasta cultura de Lope de Vega, pues, aunque se sabe que fue un gran lector, que legó más de 1500 libros, sus títulos se han perdido a lo largo de la historia. No obstante, en sus obras trasciende una serie de textos que contribuyeron a su formación. En el presente trabajo se analiza La Arcadia (1598), considerada la novela pastoril más erudita del Siglo de Oro, desde la perspectiva de los agentes terapéuticos. En esta obra se mencionan remedios de procedencia herbal (romero, helenium, verbena, lupino, narciso, lirio, jacinto, lechuga o lino), de procedencia mineral (rubí, diamante, esmeralda, pórfido y oro) y también de procedencia animal (sustancias obtenidas del asno, caballo, conejo, zorro, víboras o arañas, entre otros animales). Los resultados confirman que Lope de Vega pudo utilizar una serie de textos científicos en sus citas sobre la materia terapéutica. Entre ellos cabe destacar a Andrés Laguna y su Dioscórides y Plinio el Viejo, cuya Historia Natural pudo haber consultado como fuente primaria, a través de alguna traducción comentada, como la de Gerónimo de Huerta o a través de alguna otra obra basada en ella, como el opúsculo de Constantino Castriota, pues, en este último caso, se encuentran párrafos muy similares y, en algunos casos, casi literales.

Nowadays, the true extent of the vast culture of Lope de Vega is still largely unknown. Although it is known that he was a great reader, who bequeathed more than 1500 books, his titles have been lost throughout history. However, a series of texts that contributed to his education become known in his works. In the present paper, La Arcadia (1598), considered the most erudite pastoral romance of Spanish Golden Age, is analyzed from the therapeutic perspective. Remedies of herbal origin (rosemary, helenium, verbena, lupine, narcissus, lily, hyacinth, lettuce or flax, among others), of mineral origin (ruby, diamond, emerald, porphyry and gold) and also of animal origin (substances obtained from donkeys, horses, rabbits, foxes, vipers or spiders, among other animals) are mentioned in this novel. The results achieved confirm that Lope de Vega was able to use a series of scientific texts in his quotations on the therapeutic subject. Among them, it is worth mentioning Andres Laguna (and his Dioscorides), and Pliny the Elder, whose Natural History could have been consulted as a primary source, through some commented translation, such as that of Geronimo de Huerta, or through some other work based on it, like Constantino Castriota's opuscule. In the latter case, there are very similar and, in some cases, almost literal paragraphs.

Effect of health Baduanjin Qigong for mild to moderate Parkinson's disease.

AIM: The present study investigated the effectiveness of Baduanjin Qigong on symptoms related to gait, functional mobility and sleep in Parkinson disease (PD) patients. METHODS: A total of 100 patients (age 67.53 ± 8.56 years, range 55-80 years) with mild to moderate PD were randomly assigned to two groups. Participants in the Baduanjin Qigong group (BQG) received a Baduanjin Qigong program, consisting of four 45-min sessions each week and daily walking 30 min for 6 months. Participants in the control group were carried out daily walking for 30 min. Pre- and post-intervention testing was carried out to assess sleep quality, fatigue, functional mobility and gait performance in these participants. RESULTS: After the 6-month Baduanjin Qigong intervention, the BQG showed sleep quality improvements in the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale score (P = 0.049), Parkinson's Disease Sleep Scale-2 (PDSS-2) total score (P = 0.039), Motor Symptoms at Night (PDSS-2) score (P = 0.039), PD Symptoms at Night (PDSS-2) score (P = 0.029), Disturbed Sleep (PDSS-2) score (P = 0.037). The BQG showing functional mobility capacity greater improvements in the Berg Balance Scale (P = 0.041) and 6-minute walk test (P = 0.042), and greater decrease in the Timed Up & Go (s; P = 0.046). The BQG showing gait function increased in the gait speed (m/s; P = 0.011). However, this was not the case for the control group, which remained at the same level as pretest performance. CONCLUSIONS: BQG improved the gait performance, functional mobility and sleep quality in older adults with PD at the 6-month follow up. It is as an alternative home exercise program for older adults in rehabilitation for PD. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 911-919.

Percepciones acerca de los beneficios de la equinoterapia para preservar la integridad psicofísica de adultos mayores / Perceptions about the potential benefits of equine therapy as a means to preserve the psycho-physical integrity of senior citizens

El siguiente trabajo incursiona en la aplicación de los fundamentos y práctica de la equinoterapia2 en adultos mayores (de 55 años de edad en adelante).Se procede a una revista de la literatura académica internacional en lo concerniente al bienestar de los adultos mayores para poder establecer el estado actual de la discusión y verificar si la equinoterapia podría resultar una respuesta aceptable y útil para resolver los problemas citados por los autores al respecto. A fin de poder contrastar las visiones globales de los letrados con la realidad local, se efectuó una pequeña encuesta complementaria a adultos mayores que practican actividad física regularmente, tendiente a verificar si los patrones predichos por la literatura se concretaban en las opiniones populares de las personas interesadas. Se concluye que la equinoterapia es una herramienta potencialmente benéfica para promover y asegurar el bienestar psicofísico de los adultos mayores, pero que lamentablemente no se encuentra lo suficientemente diseminada. Los adultos mayores no la conocen o no la relacionan como una de las disciplinas que podrían practicar y además por falta de recomendación médica frecuente, no existen grandes posibilidades para que las personas mayores que viven en zonas urbanas puedan trasladarse a entornos donde hay caballos ni acceder de manera económicamente plausible a la equinoterapia...

The following piece drowns into the application of the main ideas and practices of Equine Therapy in senior citizens (55 years old and over).We proceed by performing a literature review of the most updated papers in the field of elderly people’s welfare to verify whether Equine Therapy could result in an acceptable and useful response to the most frequently quoted problems that persons approaching and having reached retirement age usually face. In order to be able o contrast global views on the matter with the local reality, we managed to undertake a small complementary survey to verify whether the predicted patterns by the literature coincide with the popular opinions of the individuals concerned. We have reached the conclusion that Equine Therapy is a potentially beneficial tool to promote and ensure the psycho-physical welfare of senior citizens. Nevertheless, it has not been sufficiently disseminated among this population yet and no initiatives have been undertaken to promote its popularity. One option to promote its use could be by making it easier for citizens from urban areas to gain access to fields where horses can be kept and the discipline can be practiced...

Correlation between osteoporosis knowledge and activities and fear of falling in the community elderly / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective To explore the relationship between osteoporosis knowledge and activities and fear of falling of elderly in the community.Method 420 elders in community were investigated with osteoporosis knowledge assessment tool (OKAT) and the modified survey of activities and fear of falling in the elderly (MSAFFE).Result The overall average score of MSAFFE was (25.36±4.58),and exercise capacity dimension scored higher (13.89±2.41).The overall average score of OKAT was (9.11±3.81).The correlation coefficient of MSAFFE and OKAT was-0.11～ 0.58(P＜0.05).The level of knowledge osteoporosis could explain 24％,18％,16％ variation of activities and fear of falling in each dimension.Conclusion The level of knowledge osteoporosis in the elderly is closely related to activity and fear of falling.Health education should be strengthened to improve the life quality of older people.

Study of correlation between the elder brain atrophy and calcification score at siphon segment of internal carotid artery / 临床神经病学杂志

Objective To explore the correlation between the elder brain atrophy and calcification score at siphon segment of internal carotid artery.Methods The brain CT examination was detected in 327 elders.The brain atrophy occurrence were observed, and the calcification score at siphon segment of internal carotid artery were determined and calculated.Accroding to the calcification score, all the cases were divided into calcification 0 score group, calcification 1-199 score group, calcification 200-399 score group, calcification 400-599 score group and calcification ≥600 score group.The situation of brain atrophy were compared among these groups.And the correlation between the brain atrophy and calcification score were analyzed.Results Accroding to the calcification score, there were 63 cases in calcification 0 score group, 133 cases in calcification 1-199 score group, 72 cases in calcification 200-399 score group, 28 cases in calcification 400-599 score group and 31 cases in calcification ≥600 score group.There were 13 cases ( 20.63%) of brain atrophy in calcification 0 score group, 64 cases (48.12%) in calcification 1 -199 score group, 51 cases (70.83%) in calcification 200 -399 score group, 23 cases (82.14%) in calcification 400-599 score group and 28 cases (90.32%) in calcification≥600 score group;the differences of the brain atrophy rate among these groups were statistical significant ( all P<0.05 ) .The brain atrophy was mainly mild-moderate in calcification 0 score group and calcification 1 -199 score group;which was mainly severe in calcification 200 -399 score group;and mainly moderate-severe in calcification 400 -599 score group and calcification≥600 score group (all P<0.05).Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the degree of brain atrophy were positive correlated with calcification score at siphon segment of internal carotid artery ( r=0.717, P<0.05) .Conclusions The elder brain atrophy is significantly correlated with calcification score at siphon segment of internal carotid artery.The calcification score higher, the brain atrophy rate higher and the degree more severe.Calcification score can be used as an important indicator of the elder brain atrophy.

Aspectos bioéticos da autonomia do idoso / Aspectos bioéticos de la autonomía del anciano / Bioethical aspects of the autonomy of the elderly

Com base em uma revisão narrativa, este estudo visa descrever os aspectos bioéticos envolvidos na autonomia de idosos. O levantamento bibliográfico foi realizado a partir da produção registrada nas bases Biblioteca Cochrane, SciELO, Medline, Ibecs, Lilacs e em livros voltados ao tema. Considera-se significativa esta reflexão, haja vista que o número de idosos tem crescido aceleradamente nos últimos anos e os estudos têm demonstrado que este aumento associa-se, concomitantemente, à ausência do respeito à autonomia dessa população. Conclui-se que este princípio deve estar pautado em atitudes bioéticas e no respeito ao idoso como um ser autocapaz. Sugere-se que novos estudos possam ampliar a discussão acerca do tema, a fim de garantir uma vida mais digna ao idoso, em uma sociedade que envelhece rapidamente.

Con base en una revisión narrativa, este estudio tiene como objetivo describir los aspectos bioéticos involucrados en la autonomía de los ancianos. Fue efectuado a partir de la producción registrada en las bases de datos: Biblioteca Cochrane, SciELO, Medline, Ibecs, Lilacs; además de libros dirigidos para el tema en cuestión. Se considera significativa esta reflexión visto que el número de ancianos ha crecido aceleradamente en los últimos años y los estudios han demostrado que este aumento se asocia concomitantemente a la ausencia del respeto a la autonomía de esa población. Se concluye que este principio debe estar pautado en actitudes bioéticas y al respeto del anciano como un ser autónomo. Se sugiere que nuevos estudios puedan ampliar la discusión acerca del tema, con la finalidad de garantizar una vida más digna al anciano, en una sociedad que envejece rápidamente.

This study was performed through a review of literature and it aims to describe bioethical issues involved in the autonomy of the elderly. This bibliographical survey was carried out through the recorded production of the following databases: Ibecs, Lilacs, Medline, Cochrane Library, and SciELO; besides of books that focus on the topic. This reflection is considered significant because the number of elderly has grown rapidly in recent years and studies have shown that this increase is concomitantly associated with a lack of respect for this population's autonomy. It can be concluded that such principle should be founded on bioethical attitudes and respect for the elderly as autonomous people. It is therefore suggested that further studies should broaden the discussion about this subject, in order to guarantee a better quality of life for the elderly in a rapidly aging society.

Effect of Exercise Practice on Balance Ability of Elder / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To study the factors related with balance ability of the elder.Methods 37 persons above 60 years were assessed with the balanced function reflectoscope reflector,grouped according to their exercise practice.Results The length of locus and length/envelope area as eyes closed increased significantly compared with that as eyes opened in the less exercise group(P<0.05),while they were increased significantly compared with those in the more exercise group either when eyes closed or opened(P<0.05).Conclusion The exercise practice can improve the balances function of the old persons.

Investigation of Factors Related to Depression in Retired Elder Army Officers / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the factors related to the depression in the retired old army officers in Beijing, to establish effective nursing intervention on these factors. Methods Various factors related to depression were investigate using questionnaire in 500 retired army officers. Results Among 500 subjects, 23.0% (115/500) were with minor depression, 6.4% (32/500) with moderate depression, while 1.6% with severe depression. Subjects whose wife were still alive had much less incurrence rate of depression than ones remarried or widowed. The less time after retirement and less satisfaction in life were other important factors related to depression. Conclusion Psychological care should be emphasized on widowed, freshly retired, or people feeling less satisfactory in life. Active nursing intervention should be applied to lower the harmful effect of depression on health.