OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to explore the associations between openness to experience and conscientiousness, two dimensions of the five-factor model of personality, and usual gait speed and gait speed decline. METHOD Baseline analyses were conducted on 907 men and women aged 71-82 years participating in the Cognitive Vitality substudy of the Health, Aging, and Body Composition...

Preventive neuroradiology is a new concept supported by growing literature. The main rationale of preventive neuroradiology is the application of multimodal brain imaging toward early and subclinical detection of brain disease and subsequent preventive actions through identification of modifiable risk factors. An insightful example of this is in the area of age-related cognitive decline, mild c...

UNLABELLED BACKGROUND/STUDY CONTEXT: Minor physical anomalies are thought to be markers of development and increased frequency of such anomalies has been linked to lower levels of intelligence. Here the authors examine a finger curvature anomaly, and evaluate its potential as a marker of the causes of cognitive aging. METHODS Participants were members of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (LBC 192...

Cognitive health in the elderly is an increasingly important preoccupation for public health institutions globally. This preoccupation is all the more acute given the lack of effective medical treatment for the various types of cognitive decline associated with aging including ‘‘Alzheimer’s disease’’. Because the various forms of cognitive decline in the elderly are increasingly recognised as a...

With age, physical functions decline, which influences respiratory performance. One of the physical changes associated with aging is sarcopenia, a reduction in muscle strength and power. Sarcopenia has been extensively studied in the elderly with regard to limb function but less with regard to respiratory function. Elderly individuals experience reduced muscle mass and strength in respiratory m...

Change in life satisfaction was modeled over a 22-year period in 1,927 men. A curvilinear relationship emerged. Growth-curve models indicated that life satisfaction peaked at age 65 and then declined, but showed significant individual differences in rate of change. Extraversion predicted variability in change, with higher levels associated with a high and flat life satisfaction trajectory. Time...

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia, the age related decline in muscle mass, is associated with a reduction in muscle function, physical performance, quality of life, and loss of independence. Exercise, specifically resistance (weight) training, has been shown to be an effective countermeasure, arresting decline and substantially improving physical function. OBJECTIVE This article reviews the prevalence of...

Chronological aging starts at birth and ends at death. Therefore, anyone in the work force (15–64 years of age) can be considered an aging worker. However, the definition of an aging worker is generally based on the period when major changes occur in relevant work related functions during the course of work life. Functional capacities, mainly physical, show a declining trend after the age of 30...

In the past decade, researchers have begun to study the sexual functioning of typical older persons. This review summarizes literature on the sexuality of men and women over age 50 as researched by social and health scientists. Research on the relationship of biological factors (changes accompanying aging), health (physical, mental, and medication use), psychological factors (attitudes, informa...

Identifying lifestyle strategies and allied neurobiological mechanisms that reduce aging-related motor impairment is imperative, given the accelerating number of retirees and increased life expectancy. A physically active lifestyle prior to old age can reduce risk of debilitating motor decline. However, if exercise is initiated after motor decline has begun in the lifespan, it is unknown if agi...