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Response to the Letter to the Editor: "What Is Missing in the Validation of Frailty Instruments?"
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Frailty in Clinical Practice
No full textFrailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by reduced homeostatic reserves, exposing the organism to extreme vulnerability to endogenous and exogenous stressors. Since disability is considered as an almost irreversible condition at advanced age, frailty has been indicated as a promising target for specific interventions in order to prevent disability. From a theoretical viewpoint, the concept of frailty has been well established, but its operationalization is still subject to controversy. This impediment leads to the postponement of the integration of frailty in the clinical setting. In the present article, we discuss the main issues regarding the frailty syndrome in the clinical setting, describe possible solutions (especially on the basis of our experience derived from the frailty clinic we have set up in Toulouse, France), and present the most relevant research perspectives in the field
The frailty phenotype and the frailty index : different instruments for different purposes
No full textThe integration of frailty measures in clinical practice is crucial for the development of interventions against disabling conditions in older persons. The frailty phenotype (proposed and validated by Fried and colleagues in the Cardiovascular Health Study) and the Frailty Index (proposed and validated by Rockwood and colleagues in the Canadian Study of Health and Aging) represent the most known operational definitions of frailty in older persons. Unfortunately, they are often wrongly considered as alternatives and/or substitutables. These two instruments are indeed very different and should rather be considered as complementary. In the present paper, we discuss about the designs and rationals of the two instruments, proposing the correct ways for having them implemented in the clinical setting
Prevalence of Frailty and Mobility Limitation in a Rural Setting in France
No full textBACKGROUND:
The prevalence of frailty is variable according to the adopted operational definition, the tested population, and the setting where it is explored.
OBJECTIVE:
To estimate the prevalence of frailty and mobility disability in community-dwelling persons aged 60 years and older.
DESIGN:
Cross-sectional analyses.
SETTING:
The rural area of Labastide-Murat (France).
PARTICIPANTS:
All community-dwelling persons aged 60 years and older living in the area and answering to the study survey (n=572/1022).
MEASUREMENTS:
The study questionnaire included questions defining mobility disability (as ability to walk 400 meters and climb up 2 flights of stairs) and frailty (according to the FRAIL instrument and a modified version of the original definition proposed by Fried and colleagues).
RESULTS:
Mean age of participants was 72.4 years old. Mobility disability was reported by 47 (8.3%) participants. The sedentariness criterion of frailty was the most prevalent in the present population. Overall, according to the FRAIL instrument, 77.6%, 14.0%, and 8.3% could be defined as robust, pre-frail/frail, and disabled, respectively. When the alternative definition of frailty mirroring the definition proposed in the Cardiovascular Health Study was adopted, the prevalence of frailty increased and showed gender-specific differences (p=0.02).
CONCLUSIONS:
A relevant number of older persons living in rural areas experiences physical impairments and presents an increased risk for major negative health-related events. These results may support the ongoing clinical and research actions aimed at preventing the functional decline in elders
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Cognitive Interventions Targeting Subjective Cognitive Complaints
No full textSubjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) are being increasingly recognized as a preclinical phase of dementia. Thus, SCCs may represent a promising stage for planning and implementing preventive interventions aimed at reducing the incidence of cognitive disorders. The aim of the present study is to present and discuss the available evidence coming from clinical trials adopting cognitive interventions in individuals with SCCs. A systematic review of literature was conducted to evaluate the available trials testing nonpharmacological cognitive interventions for the prevention of dementia in subjects with SCCs. Six studies were included in the present study. Overall, most interventions showed to objectively improve cognitive performance in subjects with SCCs. A relevant heterogeneity was found concerning their characteristics and feasibility. Conversely, there is a current lack of evidence in the literature about the efficacy of nonpharmacological cognitive interventions for preventing dementia or cognitive impairment
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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