Biomedical subjects

Lars Bäckman

Publications and source records attributed to Lars Bäckman.

56 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed2002

Differential evolution of cognitive impairment in nondemented older persons: results from the Kungsholmen Project.

OBJECTIVE: This study was a prospective, population-based examination of the evolution of cognitive impairment, no dementia (CIND). METHOD: Subjects 75 years old or older living in Stockholm were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 years later. The severity of CIND was based on age- and education-specific norms on the Mini-Mental State Examination and was classified as mild (N=212), moderate (N=96), or severe (N=57). Mortality, progression to dementia (DSM-III-R), cognitive stability, and cognitive improvement were studied as main outcomes. RESULTS: Of the individuals with mild CIND, 63 (34%) died, 65 (35%) progressed to dementia, 21 (11%) remained stable, and 46 (25%) improved between baseline and first follow-up. The relative risks of progressing to dementia by first follow-up in the subjects with mild, moderate, and severe CIND were 3.6, 5.4, and 7.0, respectively. The relative risk of death decreased with increasing severity of impairment. Individuals who improved at first follow-up did not have a significantly higher risk of later progressing to dementia than subjects who had never been impaired (relative risk=1.4). The absence of a subjective memory complaint predicted improvement (odds ratio=5.4). CONCLUSIONS: CIND is a heterogeneous condition: similar proportions of subjects progress to dementia, death, and cognitive improvement over 3 years. There is no increased future risk of progressing to dementia in CIND subjects who improve during that period.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Forgetting numbers in old age: strategy and learning speed matter.

BACKGROUND: Memory intervention research with older adults has primarily focused on immediate effects of training. Little is known about whether memory training can prevent forgetting of a learned material over time. OBJECTIVE: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of memory training on forgetting of numerical information in old age. In addition, the effect of speed of learning on forgetting rate was examined. METHODS: Two training programs were employed contrasting a number-consonant mnemonic strategy with a self-generated strategy. A non-practice control group was also included. There were 20 participants in each group (age range=60-83 years). Following completion of training, participants memorized six 4-digit numbers to perfection. Retention was tested after 30 min, 24 h, 7 weeks, and 8 months. RESULTS: The three groups showed equal rates of forgetting across the first two follow-up assessments. A different picture emerged for the last two occasions, with the self-generated strategy group remembering more items relative to the two other groups. Moreover, participants reaching the criterion in few trials exhibited less forgetting than slow learners. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that self-generated strategy training may have advantages over learning a classical mnemonic for preventing long-term forgetting of numeric materials in old age.

Aged↗