Defining exceptional cognition in older adults: A systematic review of cognitive super-ageing.

Objective: A consistent approach to defining cognitive super-ageing is needed to increase the value of research insights that may be gained from studying this population including ageing well and preventing and treating neurodegenerative conditions. This review aims to evaluate the existing definitions of 'super-ageing' with a focus on cognition.

Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO and Google Scholar from inception to 24 July 2023.

Frequency of cognitive "super-aging" in three Australian samples using different diagnostic criteria.

Objectives: To investigate the frequency of exceptional cognition (cognitive super-aging) in Australian older adults using different published definitions, agreement between definitions, and the relationship of super-aging status with function, brain imaging markers, and incident dementia.

Design: Three longitudinal cohort studies.

Setting: Participants recruited from the electoral roll, Australian Twins Registry, and community advertisements.

The role of frailty in advanced HF and cardiac transplantation.

Frailty is a complex, multi-system condition often associated with multimorbidity. It has become an important prognostic maker across a range of conditions and is particularly relevant in patients with cardiovascular disease. Frailty encompasses a range of domains including, physical, psychological, and social.

Treating hallucinations in Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Hallucinations in Parkinson's disease are common, can complicate medication management and significantly impact upon the quality of life of patients and their carers.

Areas Covered: This review aims to examine current evidence for the management of hallucinations in Parkinson's disease.

Expert Opinion: Treatment of hallucinations in Parkinson's disease should be both individualized and multifaceted.

Wearable technology to assess bradykinesia and immobility in patients with severe depression undergoing electroconvulsive therapy: A pilot study.

The psychomotor retardation that may be seen in major depression represents an interesting parallel to bradykinesia, a core feature of Parkinson's disease. Psychomotor retardation has been correlated with the severity of depression and is a predictor of response to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Psychomotor retardation has typically been assessed by subjective clinical judgement including clinical rating scales.

Visual Hallucinations and the Role of Medications in Parkinson's Disease: Triggers, Pathophysiology, and Management.

Visual hallucinations, which are part of the syndrome of Parkinson's disease (PD) psychosis, affect patients' quality of life and increase the likelihood of residential aged-care placement. The association between visual hallucinations and dopaminergic and other medications that are necessary for the symptomatic management of motor and other symptoms of PD is a common clinical dilemma. While dopaminergic medications have long been associated with PD psychosis, a clear causal link has not been established, and other neurotransmitter systems, particularly noradrenaline, serotonin, and acetylcholine, are implicated and important.

Parkinsonism in the psychiatric setting: an update on clinical differentiation and management.

Parkinsonism is seen frequently in patients with psychiatric conditions. Drug-induced parkinsonism (DIP) is the second most common cause of parkinsonism in the general population after Parkinson's disease (PD) but a range of rarer aetiologies, some of them reversible, should also be considered in patients of all ages. DIP is more common in older patients, as are neurodegenerative diseases that may produce parkinsonism and it is relatively more likely that drug exposure could be unmasking an underlying process in this population.

Recommencing lithium in Older Adults with Bipolar I Disorder.

Objectives: This paper addresses considerations in recommencing lithium in elderly patients with Bipolar I Disorder and medical comorbidity. We focus on nephrotoxicity and cognitive impairment.

Methods: Case reports and review of relevant literature.

The Performance of Five Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis Prediction Equations against Dual X-ray Absorptiometry in Estimating Appendicular Skeletal Muscle Mass in an Adult Australian Population.

Appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) is a diagnostic criterion for sarcopenia. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) offers a bedside approach to measure ASM but the performance of BIA prediction equations (PE) varies with ethnicities and body composition. We aim to validate the performance of five PEs in estimating ASM against estimation by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA).

Primary sclerosing cholangitis associated with CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, oesophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly and telangiectasia) in an elderly woman: a case report.

Introduction: CREST (calcinosis, Raynaud phenomenon, oesophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia) syndrome comprising calcinosis cutis, Raynaud phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly and telangiectasia and primary sclerosing cholangitis are both chronic fibrotic diseases but the association between them is extremely rare. While primary sclerosing cholangitis has been associated with diffuse cutaneous scleroderma, the association with limited cutaneous scleroderma or CREST has not been previously reported in the literature. This case report illustrates the association between CREST and primary sclerosing cholangitis.

Managing severe aggression in frontotemporal dementia.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to present a case and discussion illustrating the limitations in the evidence base to guide practice in relationship to managing severe aggression in people with dementia. It also calls attention to the association between haloperidol use and increased mortality in dementia.

Method: Case report and review of the literature.