Transitioning to home and beyond following stroke: a prospective cohort study of outcomes and needs.

Introduction: Understanding of the needs of people with stroke at hospital discharge and in the first six-months is limited. This study aim was to profile and document the needs of people with stroke at hospital discharge to home and thereafter.

Methods: A prospective cohort study recruiting individuals with stroke, from three hospitals, who transitioned home, either directly, through rehabilitation, or with early supported discharge teams.

Time to Refocus Assessment of Vision in Older Adults? Contrast Sensitivity but Not Visual Acuity Is Associated With Gait in Older Adults.

Background: The relationship between measures of visual function and gait related risk factors for falls is unclear. In this study, we examine the relationship between visual function (visual acuity [VA] and contrast sensitivity [CS] at multiple spatial frequencies) and quantitative spatiotemporal gait, using a large, nationally representative sample of community dwelling older adults.

Methods: Participants aged 50 and over were recruited as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Measurement Error, Reliability, and Minimum Detectable Change in the Mini-Mental State Examination, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Color Trails Test among Community Living Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

Background: Knowing the reliability of cognitive tests, particularly those commonly used in clinical practice, is important in order to interpret the clinical significance of a change in performance or a low score on a single test.

Objective: To report the intra-class correlation (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimum detectable change (MDC) for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Color Trails Test (CTT) among community dwelling older adults.

Methods: 130 participants aged 55 and older without severe cognitive impairment underwent two cognitive assessments between two and four months apart.

Age-related normative changes in phasic orthostatic blood pressure in a large population study: findings from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Background: In this report, we provide the first normative reference data and prevalence estimates of impaired orthostatic blood pressure (BP) stabilization, initial orthostatic hypotension, and orthostatic hypotension based on beat-to-beat blood pressure methods in a population-representative sample.

Methods And Results: Participants were recruited from a nationally representative cohort study (≥50 years). Beat-to-beat systolic BP, diastolic BP, and heart rate records were analyzed among those who underwent an active stand test (n=4475).

Relative association of processing speed, short-term memory and sustained attention with task on gait speed: a study of community-dwelling people 50 years and older.

Background: For single gait tasks, associations have been reported between gait speed and cognitive domains. However, few studies have evaluated if this association is altered in dual gait tasks given gait speed changes with complexity and nature of task. We evaluated relative contributions of specific elements of cognitive function (including sustained attention and processing speed) to dual task gait speed in a nationally representative population of community-dwelling adults over 50 years.

Using timed up and go and usual gait speed to predict incident disability in daily activities among community-dwelling adults aged 65 and older.

Objectives: To compare the ability of Timed Up and Go (TUG) and usual gait speed (UGS) to predict incident disability completing basic activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental ADL (IADL) in older adults free of disability at baseline, and to provide estimates for the probability of incident disability at different levels of baseline mobility performance.

Design: Data from the first 2 waves of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a study assessing health, economic, and social aspects of ageing in adults aged ≥50 years.

Setting: A nationally representative, population-based sample of community-dwelling adults.

Validation of the self-reported hearing questions in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing against the Whispered Voice Test.

Background: Self report questions are often used in population studies to assess sensory efficacy and decline. These questions differ in their validity in assessing sensory impairment depending on the wording of the question and the characteristics of the population. We tested the validity of the self-report questions on hearing efficacy (self reported hearing, ability in following a conversation, use of a telephone and use of hearing aids) used in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Relationship between fear of falling and mobility varies with visual function among older adults.

Aim: The present study examined the association between vision, fear of falling and fear-related activity restriction, and assessed the effect of vision on the relationship between fear of falling and mobility, using data from a nationally representative sample of community-dwelling adults aged ≥ 50 years.

Methods: Participants (n=5003) completed an interview and health assessment (including Timed Up-and-Go, vision and cognitive tests). Visual acuity and contrast sensitivity were assessed using an Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study logMAR chart and Functional Vision Analyzer, respectively.

Oscillometric measure of blood pressure detects association between orthostatic hypotension and depression in population based study of older adults.

Background: White matter hyperintensities may contribute to depression by disrupting neural connections among brain regions that regulate mood. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) may be a risk factor for white matter hyperintensities and accumulating evidence, although limited suggests it may play a role in the development of late-life depression. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between an oscillometric measure of orthostatic hypotension and depression in population based sample of older adults.

The impact of being the intermediate caring generation and intergenerational transfers on self-reported health of women in Ireland.

Objectives: To investigate the associations with being the "sandwich generation" in older women in Ireland and its impact on self-reported health.

Methods: Analysis of 3,196 women from wave 1 of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) was undertaken. Poisson regression was used to determine whether intergenerational transfers, were associated with self-rated physical health and depression, when controlling for other socio-demographic variables.

Variance between walking speed and neuropsychological test scores during three gait tasks across the Irish Longitudinal study on Aging (TiLDA) dataset.

This study investigated the relationship between neuropsychological test scores and gait speed in three gait tasks using baseline cross-sectional data from 4694 healthy adults (54% women, age (mean±sd) 62.4±8.2) from The Irish Longitudinal study on Aging (TiLDA).

Low macular pigment optical density is associated with lower cognitive performance in a large, population-based sample of older adults.

Macular pigment (MP) is comprised of the carotenoids lutein (L), zeaxanthin (Z), and meso-zeaxanthin (MZ), which selectively accumulate at the macula (central retina) of the eye and are neuroprotective. These carotenoids are also present in the brain, and evidence suggests a close correlation between retinal and brain concentrations. We investigated the relationship between MP and cognitive function in 4453 adults aged ≥ 50 years as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging.

Normative values of cognitive and physical function in older adults: findings from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

Objectives: To provide normative values of tests of cognitive and physical function based on a large sample representative of the population of Ireland aged 50 and older.

Design: Data were used from the first wave of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a prospective cohort study that includes a comprehensive health assessment.

Setting: Health assessment was undertaken at one of two dedicated health assessment centers or in the study participant's home if travel was not practicable.

Health and aging: development of the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing health assessment.

Objectives: To assist researchers planning studies similar to The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), concerning the development of the health assessment component, to promote use of the archived data set, to inform researchers of the methods employed, and to complement the accompanying article on normative values.

Design: Prospective, longitudinal study of older adults.

Setting: Republic of Ireland.

Age and sex differences in prevalence and clinical correlates of depression: first results from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

Objective: The risk of depression is increased by physical illness; however, the nature of this relationship is complex and unclear. Here, we explore the prevalence and clinical correlates of depression, with particular emphasis on factors representing consequences or physical manifestations of disease and identify age and gender differences in their effects.

Methods: A population-representative sample of 8175 community-dwelling adults aged 50 years and over participated in the first wave of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

Effects of fear of falling and activity restriction on normal and dual task walking in community dwelling older adults.

Fear of falling (FOF) is associated with poor physical and psychosocial health and can have debilitating consequences especially when it leads to activity restriction. This study examined whether normal and dual task gait disruptions were independently associated with FOF and activity restriction or if they were fully explained by impaired health status. Data was obtained from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Education is positively associated with macular pigment: the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Purpose: The three carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, are found at the macula and referred to as macular pigment (MP). This study was undertaken to investigate determinants of MP in a large randomly selected sample from the Republic of Ireland (as part of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing [TILDA]).

Methods: MP optical density (MPOD) was measured using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry in 4373 participants.

Using timed up-and-go to identify frail members of the older population.

Background: Fried's definition of frailty is widely used but its measurement is problematic. Timed up-and-go (TUG) is a simple measure of mobility that may be a useful proxy for frailty. Here, we describe the distribution of frailty and TUG in the older population of Ireland and discuss the extent to which TUG identifies the frail and prefrail populations.

Association between timed up-and-go and memory, executive function, and processing speed.

Objectives: To determine which cognitive tests are independently associated with performance on the Timed Up-and-Go Test (TUG).

Design: Data were obtained from Wave 1 of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), a population-based study assessing health, economic, and social aspects of aging.

Setting: Community-dwelling adults completed a home based interview and a health center-based assessment.

Factors affecting continuous beat-to-beat orthostatic blood pressure response in community-dwelling older adults.

Objective: To examine the effect of age, time of day, the timing of medication and food ingestion on orthostatic blood pressure response (OBP) in community-dwelling adults.

Methods: A nationally representative sample of 109 community-dwelling adults aged at least 50 years attended for health assessment in a pilot study of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. OBP was measured using continuous beat-to-beat plethysmography (Finometer) during active stand, and OBP with excessive artefacts were excluded.

Cardiac causes for falls and their treatment.

Cardiovascular disorders are a common cause of falls and syncope in older adults. The most common cardiac disorders linked to falls and syncope are carotid sinus syndrome, postprandial hypotension, orthostatic hypotension, vasovagal syncope, and bradyarrhythmias. It is important to recognize these conditions, because they may be associated with an increased mortality.

Comparison of centre and home-based health assessments: early experience from the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).

Background: some cohort studies of ageing and health supplement questionnaire-based surveys with in-home measurements of biological parameters and others have required respondents to attend assessment centres. Centre-based assessments facilitate detailed measurements and novel technologies, but may differentially influence participation. The aim of this paper is to compare the characteristics of participants who attended a centre with those who chose a home assessment and those who did not have a health assessment.

Macular pigment optical density in an ageing Irish population: The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing.

Purpose: The 3 carotenoids lutein, zeaxanthin, and meso-zeaxanthin, which account for the 'yellow spot' at the macula and which are referred to as macular pigment (MP), are believed to play a role in visual function and protect against age-related macular degeneration (AMD) via their optical and antioxidant properties. This study was undertaken to compare MP optical density (MPOD) in a population aged > or =50 years with MPOD values from a normative database of subjects aged 18-60 years.

Methods: Seventy-nine subjects were recruited into this pilot study (The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing-TILDA).