• Korean Journal of Social Welfare Studies
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• v.44 no.2
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• pp.327-358
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• 2013

This study aimed to analyze the trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability, and to identify the impacts of socio-demographic factors on the two variables. Based on the assumption that there are differences according to the progress of cognitive impairment, it focused on examining the differences in trajectories of cognitive function and functional disability between two groups: dementia conversion group and dementia non-conversion group among cognitively normal older adults. This study was conducted based on the data from a 3-wave panel study of a sample of 966 Yeoncheon elderly cohort aged 65 and over between 1997 and 2003. Latent growth curve model and multi-group structural equation modeling were used to examine the hypothesis. Results revealed that dementia conversion group exhibited faster rate of cognitive decline as well as lower initial cognitive level. Difference between two groups was not significant in the initial level of functional disability, yet dementia conversion group showed greater degree of deterioration in the functional disability over time than dementia non-conversion group did. In terms of the influence of socio-demographic factors on cognitive function and functional disability, the cognitive decline was more drastic in the female group, whereas functional decline was more apparent for the male group. The level of education in early life had a strong impact on the cognitive function in later life. Based on these findings, practical implication for high risk groups in cognitive function and functional disability were discussed.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.185-198
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to identify the effectiveness of Korean medicine treatment in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) among a group of community dwelling elderly. Methods: Two-hundred and twenty-nine elderly living in a community and diagnosed with MCI were recruited. Participants were evaluated with various instruments such as the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and the Korean version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-K). Korean medicine treatment consisted of herbal medicine, acupuncture, and pharmacoacupuncture. The change in cognitive ability was assessed by using the MMSE-DS and the MoCA-K. Data were analyzed by SPSS/WIN 22.0 using the paired t-test, and the ANOVA. Results: The MMSE-DS and the MoCA-K score generally increased after six months of Korean medicine treatment and the differences in both instruments were statistically significant. Additionally, some consecutive participants maintained long-term cognitive improvement. When analyzed specifically by herbal medicine group based on syndrome differentiation and pharmacoacupuncture group, most showed improvement in the MMSE-DS and the MoCA-K but not all data were statistically significant. The satisfaction score was mostly high and most participants were willing to re-participate in the program. Conclusions: Korean medicine treatment may contribute to the improvement and prevention of cognitive decline in the elderly. However, further systematic research based on large scale sample data and standardized protocols is needed to uplift the welfare and mental health of the elderly.

• Dementia and Neurocognitive Disorders
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.44-53
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• 2024

Background and purpose: The anti-aging standard forest healing program (ASFHP), which uses forest therapy, was reported to be effective in improving psychological, physical, and cognitive functions. However, there are several challenges to directly visiting the forest. This study aimed to investigate the impact of multi-session ASFHP with forest visit on the mental and physical health of the older people with visits to forest facilities and compared them with those of the same program conducted indoors. Methods: Individuals aged over 70 years with concerns about cognitive decline were recruited at dementia relief centers and divided into control and experimental groups. A total of 33 people were administered ASFHP under the supervision of a forest therapy instructor. The control group stayed indoors, while the experimental group visited a forest healing center and repeated the program 20 weeks. Results: The multiple-session ASFHP positively affected cognitive impairment screening test (CIST) total scores (p=0.002), memory (p=0.014), Korean version of the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status total scores (p<0.001), immediate recall (p=0.001), visuospatial/construction (p<0.001), language (p<0.001), forest healing standard questionnaire total scores (p=0.002), and cognitive function (p=0.019), regardless of location. The forest visits during the ASFHP showed positive effects on orientation (p=0.035), delayed recall (p=0.042), emotional stability (p=0.032), physical activity (p=0.005), and health (p=0.022). The CIST scores of the memory domain were the strongest indicator of the multiple-session ASFHP effects. Conclusions: The 20-week multi-session ASFHP with forest visit showed effects on cognitive improvement and physical and emotional stability compared to indoor education.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.747-753
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• 2019

Cognitive decline is characterized by reduced long-/short-term memory and attention span, and increased depression and anxiety. Such decline is associated with various degenerative brain disorders, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). The increases in elderly populations suffering from cognitive decline create social problems and impose economic burdens, and also pose safety threats; all of these problems have been extensively researched over the past several decades. Possible causes of cognitive decline include metabolic and hormone imbalance, infection, medication abuse, and neuronal changes associated with aging. However, no treatment for cognitive decline is available. In neurodegenerative diseases, changes in the gut microbiota and gut metabolites can alter molecular expression and neurobehavioral symptoms. Changes in the gut microbiota affect memory loss in AD via the downregulation of NMDA receptor expression and increased glutamate levels. Furthermore, the use of probiotics resulted in neurological improvement in an AD model. PD and gut microbiota dysbiosis are linked directly. This interrelationship affected the development of constipation, a secondary symptom in PD. In a PD model, the administration of probiotics prevented neuron death by increasing butyrate levels. Dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has been identified in AD and PD. Increased BBB permeability is also associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis, which led to the destruction of microtubules via systemic inflammation. Notably, metabolites of the gut microbiota may trigger either the development or attenuation of neurodegenerative disease. Here, we discuss the correlation between cognitive decline and the gut microbiota.

• Journal of East-West Nursing Research
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• v.30 no.1
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• pp.31-41
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• 2024

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors affecting subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in men and women. Methods: This study was conducted based on data from the 2021 Korea Community Health Survey, and targeted a total of 80,026 men and 98,753 women aged 40 or older who responded to the SCD assessment. Multivariate logistic regression analysis using a complex sample was performed to identify factors influencing SCD. Results: Of the participants, 19,438 (22.7%) men and 30,826 (29.9%) women in the community reported SCD. Significant factors that influence SCD in both groups were age, education level, subjective health status, and depressive symptoms, and the strongest risk factor was depressive symptoms. Compared to women, men's monthly income, flexibility exercise, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus were found to be significant factors on SCD and Healthcare services affected SCD only in women. Medical services affected SCD only in women. Conclusions: When planning and providing intervention programs for cognitive function, it is necessary to reflect differences in factors associated with SCD according to sex.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.278-289
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• 2021

The rapid aging of society has led to a surge in cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. As there is limited evidence for the development of dementia in medicine, a shift in focus on prevention strategies using bioactive compounds in food is required. This systematic review evaluated the effects of various bioactive compounds on age-associated cognitive decline. The literature was searched for terms related to bioactive compounds in cognitive decline and article selection was limited to clinical randomized controlled trials for a single bioactive compound. We identified 21 studies that evaluated the strength of the evidence. ω-3 fatty acids and vitamin B presented a strong evidence level, whereas vitamin D and E, anserine/carnosine, and chromium were defined as having moderate levels of evidence. ω-3 fatty acids relieved cognitive decline and reduced amyloid β-related protein accumulation. Vitamin B decreased homocysteine levels, which is accompanied by alleviation of cognitive function. In conclusion, ω-3 and vitamin B have the potential to improve age-associated cognitive decline.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2024

Ginseng is a traditional herbal medicine used for prevention and treatment of various diseases as a tonic. Recent scientific cohort studies on life prolongation with ginseng consumption support this record, as those who consumed ginseng for more than 5 years had reduced mortality and cognitive decline compared to those who did not. Clinical studies have also shown that acute or long-term intake of ginseng total extract improves acute working memory performance or cognitive function in healthy individuals and those with subjective memory impairment (SMI), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or early Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia who are taking AD medication(s). Ginseng contains various components ranging from classical ginsenosides and polysaccharides to more recently described gintonin. However, it is unclear which ginseng component(s) might be the main candidate that contribute to memory or cognitive improvements or prevent cognitive decline in older individuals. This review describes recent clinical contributors to ginseng components in clinical tests and introduces emerging evidence that ginseng components could be novel candidates for cognitive improvement in older individuals, as ginseng components improve SMI cognition and exhibits add-on effects when coadministered with early AD dementia drugs. The mechanism behind the beneficial effects of ginseng components and how it improves cognition are presented. Additionally, this review shows how ginseng components can contribute to SMI, MCI, or early AD dementia when used as a supplementary food and/or medicine, and proposes a novel combination therapy of current AD medicines with ginseng component(s).

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.85 no.1
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• pp.184-196
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• 2024

Purpose We investigated potentially promising imaging findings and their combinations in the evaluation of cognitive decline. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 138 patients with subjective cognitive impairments, who underwent brain MRI. We classified the same group of patients into Alzheimer's disease (AD) and non-AD groups, based on the neuropsychiatric evaluation. We analyzed imaging findings, including white matter hyperintensity (WMH) and cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), using the Kruskal-Wallis test for group comparison, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis for assessing the diagnostic performance of imaging findings. Results CMBs in the lobar or deep locations demonstrated higher prevalence in the patients with AD compared to those in the non-AD group. The presence of lobar CMBs combined with periventricular WMH (area under the ROC curve [AUC] = 0.702 [95% confidence interval: 0.599-0.806], p < 0.001) showed the highest performance in differentiation of AD from non-AD group. Conclusion Combinations of imaging findings can serve as useful additive diagnostic tools in the assessment of cognitive decline.

• Korean Journal of Child Studies
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.71-85
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• 2002

This study examined the effects of different interaction styles, that is, interaction with an object and interaction with an adult, on young children's cognitive level. Subjects were 150 5-year-old children. The task required children to predict the working of a mathematical balance beam. Seven cognitive levels were identified based on the logic of prediction. Data were analyzed by t-test, F-test, Duncan Test and Wilcoxon Matched-Pairs Test. Results showed that both interaction styles caused improvement in children's cognitive level, but when interaction with an adult was divided into two categories, i.e., interaction with the higher group and interaction with the lower group, the latter experienced decline in cognitive level. Regardless of sex, interactions within the Zone of Proximal Development and with the object were found to be effective methods for children's cognitive improvement.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.109-120
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• 2015

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate risk factors for chronic ADL, IADL disability. The study explored clinical and socio-demographic risk factors of functional status decline. Methods: Data from the Survey of Living Condition of Elderly 3-year panel study were analyzed. The study subjects were 5,928 community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older who were no disability in ADL and IADL at baseline. Predisposing factors, pathology, impairment, and functional limitations were regarded as risk factors. Logistic regression analysis was used. Results: During the 3-year study period, 3.9% participants developed chronic ADL disability, 9.4% participants were IADL disabled. After controlling for predisposing factor, the best predictors for ADL disability at 36 months were fall as a pathology factor, cognitive decline, disability judgement, lower limb functional limitation. Comorbidity, fall, cognitive decline, disability judgement, lower limb and upper limb functional limitation were risk factors for IADL disability. Conclusions: Health promotion program focusing elderly is essential to prevent ADL and IADL disability. Mobilizing physical activity should be included in health promotion program for elderly.