Day :
- Aging and Gerontology, Aging and Geriatrics, Neuroplasticity and Aging.
Location: WEBINAR
Session Introduction
Kelvin M. Leshabari
H3 Research Unit of I Katch Technology Ltd. Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Title: Neuroplasticity and Aging
Biography:
Kelvin is a clinical researcher in geriatric endocrinology/cardiology. He trained in Medicine and was thereafter a fellow at different institutions in the Netherlands and Belgium. He received his MSc degree from the University of Leiden (The Netherlands) back in the summer of 201. Kelvin practices clinical geriatrics in up to 30 of his work time. He has managed to establish and follow-up a cohort of 100 geriatric clients in a year time. At present, he is the principal investigator of Cardio-metabolic Risk Intervention & Surveillance programme in Tanzania (CRISTA) where he spent up to 0 of his work time.
Abstract:
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism among adult population aged > 65 years in a typical sub-urb of sub Saharan Africa. Methods: A cross-sectional screening was done at a private hospital clinic setting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from August 2018 to Feb 2019. Adult patients (age> 65 years) were the target population. Data collected included symptoms & signs at clinic presentation; date of birth; gender; thyroid function tests (i.e. serum-TSH, serum T3 and T4 levels); systolic & diastolic BP; glycaemia stata (both FBG & HBA1c levels); past & current medical history; drugs history; alcohol & smoking history as well as family & social history. For those who were found to have abnormal thyroid function tests values, a separate appointment for USS thyroid scan was booked and findings analysed.Continuous data were summarized using median (with inter quartile range) while categorical data were summarized using frequency (with proportions) Generalised linear model was used for main data analysis. SAS version 9.4 was used for analysis. Verbal informed consent was sought from each participant prior to screening session. Results: We managed to screen 311 different adult residents of Ubungo-Msewe area in Dar es Salaam. Median age was 64 (IQR: 55 – 73.4) years. Point prevalence of sub-clinical hypothyroidism was found to be 9.4%. Males with subclinical hypothyroidism were also found to have known co-morbidities (Diabetes mellitus: 38% vs. 11.3%; Isolated Systolic Hypertension: 66.9% vs. 24.1%; chronic heart failure: 10.5% vs. 1.2%) compared to females (all P< 0.01). None of the respondents with screen-positive results for subclinical hypothyroidism were on treatment at the time of screening. Females were more likely to return for further clinical evaluation post-screening. Conclusion: the burden of subclinical hypothyroidism is higher than expected in this study population. Screened participants with subclinical hypothyroidism were likely to have clinically significant co-morbidities. There appears to be a gender effect in response to screening results for subclinical hypothyroidism.
Aurel Popa-Wagner
University of Medicine Essen, Germany
Title: CELLULAR AUTOPHAGY – TREATMENT TARGET FOR THE AGING PROCESS
Biography:
Dr. Popa-Wagner has completed his PhD at the age of 31 years from University of Karlsruhe postdoctoral studies from University of Southern California. In 2012, he joined the the Department of Psychiatry, University of Medicine, Rostock, Germany and from 2017 he joined the Chair of Vascular Neurology and Dementia at the Clinic of Neurology, Medical University, Essen, Germany. He has published more than 120 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Associate Editor for several journals and editorial board member of repute for many journals.
Abstract:
As life expectancy increases, there is an ever growing interest in preventing these diseases and multiple studies are looking for the answer to a healthy aging. Recently, several studies have focused on various aspects of ageing and autophagy. Cellular autophagy plays an important role in cytoprotection and in maintaining cellular homeostasis by preventing accumulation of toxic proteins and by eliminating pathogens. We hypothesized that pharmacological stimulation of autophagy may lead to partial regeneration of aged tissues and may stimulate healthy aging from a cognitive, as well as a functional point of view. Our objective was to assess the efficacy of the drug SPT100 to extend life and improve cognitive function and spatial memory (Water-Maze) and motor function (Rotor-Rod), by stimulating autophagy processes at tissue and cellular level in the brain and the liver through transcriptomic, genomic, proteomic and imunohistochemical methods. We found that treatment with SPT100 did not extend the life span of aged rats. However, SPT100 improved the cognitive and motor functions of the aged rats, as assessed with Elevated Plus maze, Latency Curiosity Test and Forced Swim. This compound has also promising anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic effects on the central nervous system. We hypothesized that long-term treatment with SPT100 could reduce gene expression of various inflammation markers, including: C11, CR3, Tgfb, Cxcl10, CXCR4, Fcgr3a and Stat. Thus, by RT–PCR, we found significant decreases in the expression of mRNA coding for inflammation and astroglial markers. These results may offer a basis for further studies regarding the protective mechanisms of autophagy stimulation on the aging process.
Yuanmay Chang
Institute of long term care, MacKay Medical College, Taiwan
Title: Aerobic Exercise on Sleep Quality and Physical Fitness with aged schizophrenia patients
Biography:
Chang Yuanmay has worked in the Nursing Department of Shin-Kong Medical Center since she graduated from 1992. After her PhD graduated from University of Wisconsin-Milwakee, she had been Chief Nurse Officer in 2003-2011. With very high motivation and multidisciplinary training, she is capable to coordinate well with others and showed herself to possess many of the skills that any successful professional requires. Now She is an associate professor in long term care in Mackay medical college. She has published more than 20 papers in journals and has been serving as a reviewer of Journal of Advanced Nursing.
Abstract:
The Moderate Aerobic Intensity Training (MIT) is used to describe the sleep quality and physical fitness of the elderly schizophrenia whom have insomnia: softness, balance ability and lower limb muscle strength. Method: This study was an quasi-experimental study, we select 30 patients with chronic schizophrenia in a northern psychiatric center in Taipei. The experimental group (EG) received MIT for 12 weeks. Exercise course for 50 minutes three times a week, total have 9 balance training, 10 softness training and 11 lower extremity strength training. The control group (CG) receive treatment as usual. Measurement included sleep quality assessment (SQA) by Insomnia Severity Index Chinese version (ISI-C), nursing daily sleep record and actiwatch (with sleep duration, wake after sleep onset). Functional fitness test (FFT) : Body mass index (BMI), Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), 30-second chair stand (lower limb muscle strength), seated forward bend (lower limb flexibility), 8-foot up-and-go (static balance), single-leg stand with eyes closed (static balance). A total of five measurement times including pretest, 4th, 8th, and 12th week after exercise, and no intervention in the 16th week after stopping exercise. Results: Data analysis with SPSS version 22.0, using descriptive statistics, independent T test, repeated measure ANOVA, and linear regression for statistical analysis. In the objective of SQA, nursing daily sleep record and actiwatch (with sleep duration, wake after sleep onset) total of five times measurement had no significant differences in both groups. In the subjective evaluation, the ISI-C of EG began to improve at the 4th week (β = -5.667, p =.003) and had significant difference until the 12th week(β= -9.067, p <.001). The ISI-C of the EG decreased after no exercise (β= -2.667, p =.190). The effects of physical fitness, the EG began to be effective in the 4th week after intervention, the most significant benefit reached the peak of the eighth week , and remained flat until the 12th week: 30-second chair stand (β = 5.933, p <.001), 8-foot up-and-go (β = -1.619, p <.001), single-leg stand with eyes closed (β = 6.277, p <.001) and physical fitness continued significant to the 16th week. BMI and WHR had no significant differences due to no diet control. Seated forward bend was improved in both group but no significant difference. Conclusion :This study was a 12-week MIT intervention to improve sleep quality and fitness in patients with schizophrenia. It is recommended that ward routine adjustment of exercise time according to FITT principles and patient mental status, accumulating at least 150 minutes per week, effective exercise improves FFT and SQA.