bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Psychogeriatric Assessment Program. II. Clinical and Laboratory Findings†
Authors: Hontela S. , Müller H. F. , Grad B. , Derkevorkian K. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTIn a Psychogeriatric Assessment Program, the statistical evaluation of clinical and laboratory data related to thyroid function in 80 patients led to the conclusion that: 1) differences in thyroid function between psychogeriatric patients of the organic and functional types were only slight, as determined by clinical symptoms and thyroxine blood levels, and 2) factor analysis for 53 selected variables indicated that loading for “gross disturbance of psychobiologic function” may be related to the symptom complex of hyperthyroidism/hyperadrenergism, and particularly to psychobiologic symptoms rather than purely somatic symptoms of hyperthyroidism. In comparison with a group of 60 healthy old people, the psychogeriatric patients showed many more signs of hyperactivity and other characteristics of this symptom complex. The results supported the preliminary impression of an energetic (hyperthyroid‐sympathicotonic) reaction to mental decline, accompanied by plasma corticosteroid and electroencephalographic changes.
Treatment of Anemia in the Aged: A Common Problem and Challenge†
Authors: Harant Z. , Goldberger J. V. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTThe occurrence of anemia in a group of aged persons residing in a home for the aged and in a chronic disease hospital was reviewed with regard to etiology, choice of treatment, and therapeutic response. Of the 484 patients, 151 (31 per cent) had anemia or were receiving antianemia therapy. Iron‐deficiency anemia was the most common type, and iron was the most common form of treatment. Seventy‐eight patients were given antianemia therapy in 97 courses, and a good therapeutic result was achieved in about one‐fourth of the courses. The most frequent error in iron therapy was its use in the anemia associated with chronic disorders. Often there was a combination deficiency of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. The response to iron in the elderly can be very slow, so therapy should not be discontinued too soon. Anemia may directly contribute to other serious pathologic conditions, especially in aged persons with impaired circulation. In some cases the physiologic concentration of hemoglobin may be higher than the accepted “normal” value. The course of the anemia in relation to the general state of the patient is more significant than any laboratory data in choosing antianemia therapy. Practical laboratory screening procedures for elderly anemic patients are discussed.
Procaine Hydrochloride as a Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor: Implications for Geriatric Therapy
Authors: Fuller Ray W. , Roush Betty W. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTThe results of in vitro experiments showed that inhibition by procaine hydrochloride of monoamine oxidase (MAO) from either rat brain or liver was substrate‐dependent. Procaine was more effective in inhibiting serotonin oxidation than phenylethylamine oxidation and had an intermediate effect on tryptamine oxidation. MAO activity in tissue homogenates from rats treated with procaine (150 mg/kg intraperitoneally) was inhibited most in liver, less in heart, and only very slightly in brain for a duration of up to 8 hours. Procaine injected in that dose did not alter brain norepinephrine levels and elevated only slightly the brain serotonin levels. It did not protect against the degradation of exogenous radioactive tryptamine in brain. These data confirm and extend prior observations on in vitro inhibition of MAO by procaine and suggest that in high doses procaine may inhibit MAO weakly in vivo. If the reported usefulness of procaine preparations in treating geriatric patients indeed depends upon MAO inhibition, more effective inhibitors would seem to be available.
A Clinical Psychogeriatric Unit: Organization and Function†
Authors: Poliquin Nicole , Straker M. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA psychogeriatric unit in Brentwood VA hospital is described with regard to function and organization. Its clinical task is to evaluate the elderly veteran in several dimensions. Then a comprehensive plan emerges for continuing care, to which each professional staff member contributes his own experience. The presenting problems are given priorities, and needed services are coordinated. This process involves staff roles and training, the needs of the population served, diagnostic and treatment procedures, and aftercare programs. Liaison with other agencies addressing the problems of aging provides support in policy‐making, consultation and education for the proprietors of homes accepting placement of elderly veterans. It is hoped that the findings of this report (including a clinical study of 47 patients) may serve as a stimulus to others who contribute to the care of the aged.
The Climacteric Disease
Authors: Livesley Brian 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTEvidence is provided to show that the account of “The Climacteric Disease” given in 1813 by Sir Henry Halford, Physician to King George III, was his interpretation that the King's illness was due to aging as a disease. This laid foundations upon which are placed the unfavorable attitudes toward Geriatric Medicine today, and which may affect the provision of medical care for the elderly and aged tomorrow.
Metabolic Behavior of α‐Ray Activity in Large Human Arteries: Relationship to Atherosclerosis
Authors: Elkeles Arthur 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTThe paradoxic biologic behavior of tissue calcium metabolism is emphasized. Although calcium salts are essential for the development of bones, they also contribute to aging of the large human arteries. The heavy elements providing α‐ray activity tend to be metabolized like calcium. The concept of an osteoporosis‐atherosclerosis relationship led to a series of investigations in which ash content and α‐ray activity were examined in abdominal aortas, coronary arteries, pulmonary arteries and, for comparison, in bones and ventral costal cartilages. Both ash content and α‐ray activity rise with age in the aorta and in the coronary arteries, but there is no such increase in the pulmonary arteries. A statistically significant correlation between ash content and α‐ray activity has been found only in aortas and coronary arteries. This correlation is even closer in the coronary arteries of subjects who die of coronary artery disease and in the aortas of the elderly. Wet tissue α‐ray activity in an aorta with severe atherosclerosis may be 220 times higher than in an aorta without significant atherosclerosis. Alpha‐activity in bones and in ventral costal cartilages tends to decline in advancing years, though in the cartilages the calcium deposits increase with age. Our studies reveal a close relationship between atherogenesis and the unique metabolic behavior of α‐ray radiation in the large human arteries.
A Memory Assessment Technique for Use in Geriatric Psychopharmacology: Drug Efficacy Trial with Naftidrofuryl
Authors: Branconnier Roland J. , Cole Jonathan O. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTThis study was conducted to compare an automated test of paced stimulus material (Sperling's Perceptual Trace, SPT) with several other standard memory scales. Sixty patients with mild senile organic brain syndrome were divided into two groups of 30; one group was treated for 90 days with 300 mg daily of naftidrofuryl (Praxilene), and the other group received placebo. The patients were tested before treatment and at 30, 60 and 90 days after the beginning of treatment. The data indicated that the SPT indirectly assesses short‐term memory, is resistant to practice effects, and is drug‐sensitive. It is suggested that the SPT might become the test of choice in the indirect assessment of short‐term memory in the elderly.
Free Radical Theory of Aging: Effect of Age, Sex and Dietary Precursors on Rat‐Brain Docosahexanoic Acid†
Authors: Eddy Dennis E. , Harman Denham 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTIncreasing the peroxidizability of dietary fat has an adverse effect on the function of the central nervous system (CNS) in the rat. This effect may be influenced by the level of docosahexanoic acid, a highly unsaturated fatty acid, selectively concentrated in the phospholipids of brain membranes. This study was aimed at determining the influence of age, sex, and the nature of a dietary lipid supplement – linolenic acid (18:3ω3), docosahexanoic acid (22:6ω3), or the same amount of 22:6ω3 in the form of menhaden oil triglycerides — on the rate of increase in the percentage of 22:6ω3 in the whole‐brain fatty acids of rats between the ages of 1 and 12 months. The dietary lipid supplements were reflected in linear increases in the brain 22:6ω3 of female rats throughout the study. Between 6 and 12 months of age, the rate of incorporation of dietary 22:6ω3 and its precursors into the brain 22:6ω3 of male rats dropped. At 12 months it was about half that for females in the case of 22:6ω3 and menhaden oil, and about zero for 18:3ω3. It is suggested that dietary 22:6ω3 and its precursors may modify CNS function by altering membrane function and peroxidizability through changes in the concentration of 22:6ω3 in membrane phospholipids.
Procainamide‐Induced Systemic Lupus Erythematosus with Hypocomplementemia
Authors: Rao K. V. R. Mohan , Diaz Roberto , Quigley Thomas J. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTProcainamide‐induced systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a well recognized clinical syndrome believed to be characterized by normocomplementemia. However, in 7 cases of drug‐induced SLE recorded in the literature, hypocomplementemia was found. The present report concerns a well documented case of procainamide‐induced SLE with hypocomplementemia. The patient improved and complement values returned to normal after procainamide therapy was discontinued and replaced by digitalis and steroid therapy.
Some Risk Factors in Pathologic Aging†
Authors: Ždichynec B. , Stransky P. , Hartmann M. , Holas V. , Konrad J. , Hogen J. , Svatos Z. , Sabl J. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA clinico‐epidemiologic prevalence survey was conducted in the submountainous area of Northern Bohemia, which is distinguished by the highest proportion of aged people in Bohemian countries. It involved 6057 persons of the 70–79 age group, 1718 persons of the 80–89 age group and 139 persons of the 90+ group, plus control subjects in various other groups. In this study an attempt was made to find an effective measure of the presumed risk factors of pathologic aging in persons of the 70–105 age group. The data were analyzed by the method of coincidence of two parameters of binomial decomposition on the computer Odra. The quantity dependence of the signs was determined, and an index of the compound‐risk factor of pathologic aging was calculated. When the numerical value of the index is lower than 56.9 ± 4.36 for a group of males or 50.3 ± 3.55 for a group of females, the probability is that a given person in those groups will survive to an advanced age. The total risk is higher for the male sex. Of considerable importance are the genetic burden, external environmental causes, harmful habits, certain “civilization”. diseases, and other factors such as disturbed social contacts and defective nutrition.
The Restless Legs of a Nantucket Farmer
Authors: Freeman Joseph T. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTEkbom's syndrome of restless legs is common but not restricted primarily to the elderly. Records of familial occurrence and association with several pathologic disorders preclude exclusive age‐association. Most cases of the syndrome in the general population are seen in persons of middle or old age. Lack of awareness of the frequency of the syndrome and lack of an adequate dependable form of treatment attest the need for additional study. Historical documentation is one way of alerting the profession to the nature, frequency and lineage of a clinical disorder that requires an accepted form of amelioration. Notes from the 1870–73 diary of a Nantucket farmer are presented.
A Program of Balanced Physical Fitness in the Preventive Care of Elderly Ambulatory Patients
Authors: De Carlo Thomas J. , Castiglione Lawrence V. , Cavusoglu Melmet 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA program of balanced physical fitness incorporated into a medical “team” approach to treatment contributed significantly to the general health of elderly ambulatory patients. Each week for eleven months, 13 patients were given one hour of balanced exercise and encouraged to perform it for two additional hours per week. Initial differences favoring the control group (13 subjects) in their general state of health were reversed during the exercise program. Physicians’ single‐blind assessment of the two groups resulted in significantly better health ratings for the patients who had received the therapeutic exercise program than for those who did not participate.
Signs of Sensory Deprivation versus Cerebral Injury in Post‐Hip‐Fracture Patients
Authors: Oster Claude 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTPatients with a primary diagnosis of “postoperative hip fracture” often have a poor prognosis because of their inability to participate in rehabilitation programs. They tend to remain in a state of physical inactivity and sensory deprivation. The signs and symptoms of head injury associated with the hip fracture may be overlooked and attributed to sensory deprivation. Thirty‐nine patients with fractured hip and 18 with multiple fractures were studied by means of electroencephalography, echoencephalography, and computer axial tomography. In 7, the findings indicated a cerebral lesion. At operation, a subdural hematoma was found in 5 patients and a tumor in 2; all but one made a dramatic recovery. Thus, after hip fracture, it is important that the patient be tested appropriately so that signs and symptoms of sensory deprivation may not be confused with those of an occult head injury. When indicated, surgical intervention may be a life‐saving process.
Incidence of Mental Illness in the Aged: Unmasking the Effects of a Diagnosis of Chronic Brain Syndrome
Authors: Ernst Philip , Badash Deena , Beran Barbara , Kosovsky Ruth , Kleinhauz Moris 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA combination of three psychiatric screening tests was used to uncover the extent of affective‐psychotic symptoms, the indications of “chronic brain syndrome,” and the perceptual limitations among two selected populations of elderly persons. It was found that 25 percent of 48 residents in a home for the aged, and 9 percent of 45 members in a social club, had four or more affective‐psychotic complaints. In the former group, 75 percent had symptoms of moderate to severe “chronic brain syndrome,” versus 7 percent in the latter group. Among the residents of the home, 10 percent had serious disturbances as measured by all three tests. The significant number of affective‐psychotic symptoms found in this population with extensive manifestations classifiable as “chronic brain syndrome” indicates that this diagnosis should not be allowed to preclude regular psychiatric evaluation of these elderly patients. When a specific diagnosis is established, available treatment modalities should be provided as needed.
Sexual Psychodynamics of Aging: Urologic Perspectives†
Authors: Finkle Alex L. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTThe urologist is often the first clinician to whom an impotent male patient is sent. To establish an accurate composite diagnosis, the urologist must be familiar with the many emotional and organic factors influencing sexual function. Research being carried on at various centers involves efforts toward better differentiation, or linkage, of psychogenic and organic impotence. The author has previously reported acceptable rates of successful therapy of psychogenic impotency in men. The technique consists essentially of attentive listening and emotional support. Treatment usually can be accomplished within three sessions at weekly intervals–a much shorter time than that involved in other current methods. Psychogenic impotency may be treated primarily by the urologist, or he may refer the patient to an appropriate consultant. Not all patients require or will respond to the same therapeutic approach.
Speech and Hearing Problems in the Geriatric Patient
Authors: Von Leden Hans 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTRegardless of the physical and mental health of any elderly person, verbal communications tend to deteriorate with advancing years. A significant loss of hearing occurs in 30–50 percent of persons over age 65, and voice changes are virtually inevitable after the age of 60. These alterations in the organs of communication increase markedly in incidence and degree after age 70. Deafness is a symptom and not a disease. Presbycusis is the result of degenerative changes affecting the organ of Corti and its central connections. The effects of aging on the expressive system of human communications may take different forms, including changes in the pitch, intensity, and quality of the voice. Therapy consists of rehabilitation, substitution, and amplification for the preservation and maintenance of communications. For patients with presbycusis, rehabilitation may include speech reading, auditory training, speech improvement, hearing‐aid instruction, and guidance in social adjustment. Patients with speech and voice impairment need re‐education by a skilled speech pathologist. With the aid of communication specialists, the geriatric patient can attain a high level of satisfaction from the give‐and‐take of personal communications.
The Role of Geriatrics in a Family Practice Residency Program†
Authors: Kalchthaler Thomas 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTIn an attempt to clarify the role of geriatrics in family practice, the program at St. Joseph's Hospital and Nursing Home of Yonkers is outlined. The objective of this Family Practice Program are: 1) to assist in identifying needs in a target population and in developing and providing services to meet these needs; 2) to train and educate the Family Practice resident in the multiple medical, social and psychiatric problems of late life; 3) to indoctrinate this resident in the unique and numerous needs of the institutional elderly and of the institution in which they reside; and 4) to develop new and comprehensive systems of health care that will permit the marginally ill elderly to remain in the community as long as possible.
Rest: Its Use and Abuse in the Aged†
Authors: Goldman Ralph 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTRest is essential, even though its exact physiologic functions and quantitative requirements are far from clear. Sleep appears to be the primary and most imperative form of rest. The nature, the role, and the necessity for rest as simple relaxation and leisure are elusive and poorly defined. The rejuvenating effects of leisure and diversion are apparent, over and above the pleasure and enjoyment they bring to life. Absolute rest has in the past been an important component of therapy for disease and injury. Relatively recent evidence that bed rest may prolong invalidism and contribute to complications, combined with the development of more specific therapies, has reduced both the necessity and prescription for bed rest. However, it should be emphasized that the data are incomplete, and in some situations such as myocardial disease or hepatitis, there is no final proof that early activity does not have late effects. This article presents a perspective and a classification that can serve as a more precise and restrictive context in which the concept of rest can be used and prescribed. Further study is necessary to establish whether rest which is not sleep, not diversion, nor a discredited prescription of immobility, is physiologically or psychologically valid, and to determine a more precise measure of required “dosage.”
Regression of Metastatic Hypernephroma
Authors: Dubrow Edward L. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTA 71‐year‐old woman had massive pulmonary metastases from a right hypernephroma, as shown by a chest roentgenogram. Nine days after nephrectomy, there was no roentgenographic evidence of such metastases. This represents the most rapid regression of clear‐cell pulmonary metastases ever reported. Metastases reappeared six months postoperatively and the patient died of widespread metastatic disease 18 months after nephrectomy. The unpredictable behavior of metastatic hypernephroma is discussed.
Proceedings of the American Geriatrics Society Conferences on Geriatric Education
Authors: Reichel William 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTTwo Conferences on Geriatric Education have been conducted by the American Geriatrics Society with contractual support from the National Institute on Aging. At the first Conference, an Advisory Committee defined various models and strategies of geriatric education, which were then presented to representatives of major physician organizations at the second Conference. The Final Recommendations which emerged from the meeting of March 4–5, 1977 threw additional light on this important subject. The Conferences represent the first major attempt at clarifying alternative models and strategies in relation to geriatric education. The American Geriatrics Society intends, through its future conferences, publications, and liaison relationships with other organizations, to continue to move forward, finding solutions which will improve education related to geriatrics, and thus improve the health care of the senior citizens of this nation. (A Summary of the Final Recommendations appears in the current Journal “Contents.”)
Three Score and Ten Plus More†
Authors: Stare Fredrick J. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTThe elderly in our society are required to make many social and psychologic adjustments. In addition, they have to cope with the inevitable physiologic changes associated with the aging process. These alterations in lifestyle and in body functioning call for modified dietary patterns during this phase of life. In particular, older persons should reduce caloric intake while maintaining a highly nourishing diet. Other recommended dietary modifications include a shift toward smaller meals eaten more frequently, and the use of generous amounts of fiber and liquid to avoid constipation. As a result of growing community awareness, some programs have been started to assist the elderly in overcoming problems that may cause poor nourishment.
Perceptions of Urban versus Rural Hospital Patients about Return to Their Communities†
Authors: Costello T. Patrick , Pugh Richard C. , Steadman F. Bruce , Kane Rosalie A. 
Published: April 2015

ABSTRACTDuring a two‐month period in 1976, male patients scheduled to be discharged from two Veterans Administration Hospitals, who were aged 55 or older, chronically ill, able to communicate rationally, and had been hospitalized at least a week for the current illness, were interviewed prior to discharge. Information was sought regarding their feelings about admission and discharge, the availability of and their need for 13 related health‐related services at home, and the informal support systems available to them in their local communities. Comparisons were made between patients from distinctly rural settings (communities with less than 5,000 population) and those from larger towns or cities. Both urban and rural patients were modest in assessment of their own health‐related needs, especially their need for social and ancillary health services. In almost all instances, the perceived availability exceeded perceived needs. Rural dwellers reported somewhat less apprehension about entering the hospital; they also reported more social contact in their home communities despite the fact that in this sample the rural dwellers were more likely to be older, widowed, and living alone. Rural dwellers were slightly more likely to have their own family doctor.