News

In a study recently published in the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, show that acupuncture may be effective in treating older adults suffering from low back pain and knee pain. The authors took to finding "the effect of acupuncture on back-pain and knee-pain treatment of elderly people" as an alternative to analgesic usage. The study surveyed older adults receiving treatment every two days for a total of 10 sessions of acupuncture treatment. The author's found that "mean back pain and knee pain scores of patients were reduced significantly after acupuncture treatment." The study concluded that acupuncture may be used as [...]

TRIPLL's Roybal Center application to the National Institute on Aging was successful! We were awarded a competitive five year renewal to continue our Translational Research Institute on Pain in Later Life. We welcome our new core investigators: Jeanne Teresi, PhD, EdD and Mildred Ramirez, PhD from The Hebrew Home at Riverdale and Corinna Loeckenhoff, PhD from Cornell University in Ithaca. Click here for more information

The authors of a recent study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Journal examined the “association between self-reported sleep disturbances and dementia risk.” The authors conducted a longitudinal study that followed 1574 men for up to 40 years. The study determined dementia incidence by reviewing their patient history between ages 50 and 90 years. The authors found that “men with self-reported sleep disturbances had a higher risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s than men without sleep disturbances,” and concluded that improved sleep quality may help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia in older men. Full Article

A recent study published in JAMA Psychiatry conducted a largest ever study that aimed to “systematically review the antidepressant and possible adverse effects of anti-inflammatory interventions.” The authors conducted a search for randomized placebo-controlled trials assessing the efficacy and adverse effects of pharmacologic anti-inflammatory treatment in adults with depression/depressive symptoms. The study evaluated 14 international studies with a total of 6,262 patients. The authors found that “anti-inflammatory treatment showed a beneficial effect on depressive symptoms without an increased risk for well-known adverse effects.” Full Article

A recent study published in BMC Geriatrics sought to “estimate the associations between survival probability of becoming a centenarian (SPBC) for those aged 70, and the gross national income, health expenditure, telecommunications, and sanitation facilities in 32 countries.” Data for this study was obtained from the United Nations Development Programme and the Human Mortality Database. The authors found a significant positive correlation between SPBC and the socioeconomic levels in all 32 countries. The study identified “higher overall economic development level, public expenditure on health, mobile telephone subscribers are standard of living, and the use of improved sanitation facilities,” as four [...]

Dr. Mancuso, a 2013 TRIPLL Pilot Awardee, was recently awarded a research grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Her research will focus on comparing patient’s and surgeons’ expectations of Lumber Spine Surgery. For more information about her research work click here

Join us at the 42nd Annual Conference of the State Society on Aging of New York, as Dr. Cary Reid (TRIPLL’s director) delivers a talk on Community-Based Palliative Care and the need for New Models of Service Delivery. The program highlights the priorities of the 2015 White House Conference on Aging – retirement security, long-term services and supports, healthy aging, and elder justice.

The authors of a recent study published in Pain Medicine, “investigated if older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain (CMP) are more sedentary than a group of similar age and sex without CMP, and possible contributory factors to this.” The study enrolled 286 community-dwelling older adults, with an equal proportion of participants with and without CMP. Participants completed surveys on falls rate, pain inventory, activities, fear of falling, and participation in physical activity. The authors found that “older adults with CMP spent approximately 3 ½ hours a day more being sedentary than the comparison group." The authors concluded that "older adults with [...]

Emily Chen, TRIPLL Affiliate and Mentee, received a Francis G. Caro Student Paper Award at the University of Massachusetts. Her paper entitled "Social Diffusion of Advance Care Planning among Related Older Adults" was selected by the review committee at UMass Gerontology Department as the most outstanding doctoral level paper.

The authors of a recent study published in The Gerontologist , “examined whether the associations of Positive Affect (PA) and depressive symptoms with sleep problems differed between caregivers and noncaregivers.” Interviews were conducted with 92 caregivers and 137 noncaregivers ages 60 and older. Sleep problems were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and depressive symptoms were assessed based on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale. The authors found that “caregivers with high PA had significantly fewer sleep problems, whereas those with depressive symptoms reported slightly more problems.” Additionally, “high PA and depressive symptoms were not associated with sleep problems [...]