Biomedical subjects

D Zimprich

Publications and source records attributed to D Zimprich.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2004

Life-long intellectual activities mediate the predictive effect of early education on cognitive impairment in centenarians: a retrospective study.

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis of whether early education and/or maintaining intellectual activities over the life-course have the power to protect against cognitive impairment even in extremely old adults. Ninety centenarians from the population-based Heidelberg Centenarian Study were assessed with a modified version of the Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE). Data about education, occupational status, and life-long intellectual activities in four selected domains were obtained. Results demonstrated that 52% of the sample showed mild-to-severe cognitive impairment. Analyzing the influence of early education, occupational status, and intellectual activities on cognitive status we applied several (logistic) regression analyses. Results revealed independent, significant and strong influence of both formal school education and intellectual activities on the cognitive status in very late life, even after controlling for occupational status. However, about one fourth of the effect of early education on cognitive status was exerted indirectly via the assessed intellectual activities. In summary, the present study provides first evidence for the conclusion that even with regard to cognitive performance in very old age, both early education and life-long intellectual activities seem to be of importance.

Achievement↗

PubMed2001

[Subjective cognitive dysfunctions in the elderly: a change-oriented viewpoint].

The relation between subjective cognitive complaints and the actual level of cognitive performance in the elderly is of interest in both basic and applied cognitive research. However, most studies suggest a small to moderate correlation between complaints and actual performance. In contrast to previous studies, we examined the relation between changes in fluid and crystallized intelligence, changes in memory performance, and changes in subjective cognitive complaints in a sample of 465 older adults (M = 62.9 years) at two measurement occasions four years apart. The results indicate significant relationships between changes in subjective complaints and changes in memory performance and changes in fluid intelligence. The discussion focuses on the importance of a change-oriented view in examining subjective cognitive complaints from an applied perspective.

Aged↗

PubMed2000

[Success and variability of success of inpatient rehabilitation of the elderly: an empirical study based on medical-psychiatric and psychosocial indicators].

This study considers findings of psychological gerontology as particularly important for geriatric rehabilitation research. Its concrete aim was to describe the course and outcome of geriatric rehabilitation based on a wide range of success criteria, to explore the influencing role of age, sex, and diagnosis as well as to describe the variability pattern of success. The data were gathered from a sample of 100 older adults who underwent treatment in a German inpatient rehabilitation unit. Participants were assessed across five measurement occasions by use of a state-of-the-art geriatric assessment and a psychological data collection part. The results underline, for one, that significant improvements of functional as well as psychological capacity were obtained. Second, age and sex played practically no role concerning the course of the success criteria, whereas diagnosis revealed some statistically meaningful effects. Third, it was found that the variability of success was characterized by a relatively homogeneous pattern of gain with regard to functional criteria; with respect to psychological variables, heterogeneity was more pronounced and some participants show loss as well, a chance for further improvement of the geriatric rehabilitation.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Everyday competence in visually impaired older adults: a case for person-environment perspectives.

In this article, the need for an explicit consideration of the environment in order to address everyday competence (EC) in old age is illustrated based on an analysis of the day-to-day challenges of visually impaired older adults. Data are based on a sample of elderly adults suffering from different degrees of visual impairment (visually severely impaired vs blind, each N = 42) and a control group of visually unimpaired elderly persons (N = 42) with age means between 74.9 and 76.8 years. Findings underscore that: (a) EC, regarded as an outcome, is negatively affected by low person-environment fit in the home environment in visually impaired older adults but not in the visually unimpaired elderly population; (b) EC, understood as daily compensatory processes, is more pronounced in the visually impaired with respect to some compensation modes (e.g., use of latent skills), but not all; and (c) EC, as a predictor variable for outdoor behavior, assumes a particularly critical role when outside environmental press is high.

Activities of Daily Living↗

PubMed1998

[Speed of information processing and fluid intelligence in advanced age. A secondary analysis of data of the Bonn Longitudinal Study of Aging based on "latent growth curve models"].

According to the "speed"-hypothesis of cognitive development, the slowing of information processing in old age is at the core of negative age differences in psychometric intelligence. The present study investigates the "speed"-hypothesis for fluid intelligence at the individual level using Latent Growth Curve Methodology. Data on 4 measurement points come from the Bonn Longitudinal Study of aging (N = 127, mean age 67.2, 53% women). Based on principal factor analysis, markers of mental speed were the WAIS Digit Symbol Test and a simple psychomotor task. As indicators of fluid intelligence the WAIS Object Assembly and Block Design were used. After separately fitting Latent Growth Curve Models for the trajectory of mental speed and fluid intelligence, a combined model showed no statistically significant improvement of fit for freeing the covariance between the two slope-factors. Interpreting this result, contrary to the "speed"-hypothesis the intraindividual change of fluid intelligence does not relate to the according change of mental speed.

Aged↗