Psychological Factors Associated with Functional Disability in Patients with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis.

Several studies have shown an association between psychosocial variables and functional capacity in chronic pain processes such as osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to test a structural equations model that shows the predictive weight of certain variables such as catastrophizing, self-efficacy and kinesiophobia on functional pain and WOMAC subscales scores of pain and physical function of older patients diagnosed with hip and knee osteoarthritis. We also assessed the specific weight of age in terms of the factors.

[Cognitive activities and cognitive functioning in the elderly].

Introduction: The aim of this study was to analyse whether the activity is a protective factor of intellectual decline, and specifically to examine whether intellectual activity versus other activities, is a better predictor for the maintenance of cognitive functioning in a group of people over 90 years, independent in basic daily living activities and having preserved cognitive capacity.

Material And Methods: This sample was selected from a bio-psycho-social longitudinal study of independent persons 90 and over. This is a longitudinal study involving 188 people, 67 males and 121 females.

Mortality and refusal in the longitudinal 90+ project.

Attrition is one of the most important threats for longitudinal studies on aging mainly due to refusal and mortality. This study deals with those individuals who were assessed in the base line of 90+ project but died, dropped out or were examined in the follow-up. Participants of the 90+ project baseline consist of a sample of 188 older than 90 years, independent individuals (mean age = 92.