Biomedical subjects

R W Ponds

Publications and source records attributed to R W Ponds.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1993

[Forgetful or demented? Who worries and why?].

Many elderly people complain about their memory or are afraid to become demented. Research shows that in most cases this worry is unsubstantiated. Anxiety and uncertainty are primarily caused by a lack of proper information about the differences between normal forgetfulness and dementia. In order to be able to effectively inform the general public, more insight and a better understanding are needed about level of knowledge, needs and characteristics of the target group. For this reason, a survey was carried out among 500 elderly people who ordered an information brochure on memory and dementia. Approximately 32% of the respondents worry very much about their forgetfulness and 57% worry somewhat. Among other things, respondents ascribe their memory complaints to bad concentration (61%), stress and tension (45%) and the medication they use (30%). Almost 22% indicate that they worry a lot about possible dementia and 47% worry somewhat about dementia. The main predictors for respondents' concern about dementia are the extent to which people are hindered by their forgetfulness in daily life and the fact that someone in the near family has or has had dementia. Of all respondents who worry about their memory, 26% consulted their general practitioner to discuss their complaints. Important reasons for not seeking help despite being worried, are that many subjects do not want to bother their general practitioner (48%) and feel that they are not taken seriously by their social environment (27%).

Adult↗

PubMed1992

[The elderly and memory complaints. A study of self-knowledge about memory, depression and memory abilities].

A group of 24 elderly persons who applied for a memory training because of memory complaints is compared with a control group of 24 healthy persons (matched for age, sex, and education). The comparison concerned several memory tests, complaints above everyday memory, depression and aspects of meta-memory. Before training, the memory training group had more complaints about everyday memory and depression compared to the control group. The training group reported more decline in memory capacity and functioning compared to their earlier days. They also reported feelings of stress and anxiety related to memory performance in daily life. Before training, the training group had more general knowledge about basic memory processes and used memory strategies more frequently. On most memory tests no differences were found. Memory complaints of elderly people may therefore not only be related to memory abilities according to tests but also to individual (negative) beliefs in memory capacity and abilities.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

[Screening for dementia: validity of the Cognitive Screening Test (CST) and the Mini-Mental State Examination].

The Cognitive Screening Test (CST--short version), a Dutch orientation questionnaire, and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) were compared with respect to their ability to discriminate between mildly demented, moderately demented and non-demented patients. The difference between mildly and moderately demented patients was based on the Global Deterioration Scale score. The CST and the MMSE were administered to patients who had been referred to the Memory Clinic of the University Hospital of Maastricht. Both instruments were successful in discriminating moderately and severely demented from non-demented patients. The CST and the MMSE were also successful with respect to the classification of depressive, non-demented elderly patients. The CST did not succeed in the correct classification of mildly demented patients (50% false-negative). The results of the MMSE in this group of mildly demented patients were moderate (25% false-negative). It is concluded that the value of both screening instruments, and especially the short version of the CST is limited for clinical practice.

Aged↗

PubMed1989

Divided attention 5 to 10 years after severe closed head injury.

The ability to divide attention of persons who had sustained a severe Closed Head Injury 5 to 10 years before (chronic CHI patients), was examined in a dual-task experiment administered to 15 CHI patients and 34 control subjects. Both the patient group and the control group consisted of active licenced drivers at the time of the investigation. One task was a compensatory tracking task requiring lane tracking, a basic skill or car driving. The other task was a self-paced visual choice reaction time task. Single-task difficulty was individually adjusted by adaptive task procedures (on both tasks CHI patients reached significantly lower performance levels in single task conditions). With individual differences in single-task performance thus controlled, the ability to divide attention was found to be approximately equal in the chronic CHI patients and the control group. A surprising finding in this light, however, was the significant positive correlation between severity of injury (PTA duration) and divided attention costs in the patient group.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

Age differences in divided attention in a simulated driving task.

The ability of young, middle-aged, and old adults to divide attention was examined using a dual task experiment involving two continuous performance tasks. The first task was a compensatory tracking task modeled after the important everyday activity of car driving. The second task was a self-paced visual choice-reaction time task requiring analysis of a small visual display presented in such a way that no eye movements were required when the two tasks had to be performed simultaneously. Single-task difficulty was individually adjusted for each subject. Performance-Operating-Characteristics were used to control for individual differences in attention allocation strategies. Even when individual differences in single task performance were adequately controlled for, elderly adults showed a significantly decreased ability to divide attention when compared with young and middle-aged adults. Young and middle-aged adults did not differ in the ability to divide attention.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Driving competence in older persons.

Older drivers form a growing segment of the driving population which in comparison to most other modes of transportation, is relatively user-friendly for older people. There are two important problems. The first is the increase of physical vulnerability with age which means that the same accident often leads to much more severe injury in an older than a younger adult driver. The second problem is the decline of sensory, perceptual-motor and cognitive abilities (impairments) because of ageing-related degenerative processes and diseases. As a result, processing of and responding to traffic information is slowed and activities cannot well be performed simultaneously. Much of this may be compensated by behavioural changes. However, studies of accident characteristics and driving skill in relation to ageing suggest that compensation breaks down in complex and ambiguous traffic situations and in individuals with strongly impaired perceptual and cognitive function. Possible changes to reduce ageing-related accidents, and which make driving more user-friendly for older drivers, are discussed.

Accidents, Traffic↗