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Xu J, Sun Y, Zhu X, Pan S, Tong Z, Jiang K. Tactile discrimination as a diagnostic indicator of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment: A narrative review. Heliyon 2024; 10:e31256. [PMID: 38803967 PMCID: PMC11129005 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e31256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Tactile discrimination, a cognitive task reliant on fingertip touch for stimulus discrimination, encompasses the somatosensory system and working memory, with its acuity diminishing with advancing age. Presently, the evaluation of cognitive capacity to differentiate between individuals with early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and typical older adults predominantly relies on visual or auditory tasks, yet the efficacy of discrimination remains constrained. Aims To review the existing tactile cognitive tasks and explore the interaction between tactile perception and the pathological process of Alzheimer's disease. The tactile discrimination task may be used as a reference index of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment and provide a new method for clinical evaluation. Methods We searched four databases (Embase, PubMed, Web of Science and Google scholar). The reference coverage was from 1936 to 2023. The search terms included "Alzheimer disease" "mild cognitive impairment" "tactile" "tactile discrimination" "tactile test" and so on. Reviews and experimental reports in the field were examined and the effectiveness of different types of tactile tasks was compared. Main results Individuals in the initial phases of Alzheimer's spectrum disease, specifically those in the stage of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), exhibit notable impairments in tasks involving tactile discrimination. These tasks possess certain merits, such as their quick and straightforward comparability, independence from educational background, and ability to circumvent the limitations associated with conventional cognitive assessment scales. Furthermore, tactile discrimination tasks offer enhanced accuracy compared to cognitive tasks that employ visual or auditory stimuli. Conclusions Tactile discrimination has the potential to serve as an innovative reference indicator for the swift diagnosis of clinical MCI patients, thereby assisting in the screening process on a clinical scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinan Xu
- Center for Applied Psychological Research (Ningbo), School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, 315300, China
- School of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Yuqi Sun
- Center for Applied Psychological Research (Ningbo), School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, 315300, China
- School of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Xianghe Zhu
- Center for Applied Psychological Research (Ningbo), School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, 315300, China
- School of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Sipei Pan
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Zhiqian Tong
- Center for Applied Psychological Research (Ningbo), School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, 315300, China
- School of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Institute of Aging, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Affiliated Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
| | - Ke Jiang
- Center for Applied Psychological Research (Ningbo), School of Mental Health, Wenzhou Medical University, Cixi, 315300, China
- School of Mental Health, Key Laboratory of Alzheimer's Disease of Zhejiang Province, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325035, China
- Center for Brain, Mind and Education, Shaoxing University, China
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Misaghian K, Lugo JE, Faubert J. Immediate fall prevention: the missing key to a comprehensive solution for falling hazard in older adults. Front Aging Neurosci 2024; 16:1348712. [PMID: 38638191 PMCID: PMC11024377 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2024.1348712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The world is witnessing an unprecedented demographic shift due to increased life expectancy and declining birth rates. By 2050, 20% of the global population will be over 60, presenting significant challenges like a shortage of caregivers, maintaining health and independence, and funding extended retirement. The technology that caters to the needs of older adults and their caregivers is the most promising candidate to tackle these issues. Although multiple companies and startups offer various aging solutions, preventive technology, which could prevent trauma, is not a big part of it. Trauma is the leading cause of morbidity, disability, and mortality in older adults, and statistics constitute traumatic fall accidents as its leading cause. Therefore, an immediate preventive technology that anticipates an accident on time and prevents it must be the first response to this hazard category to decrease the gap between life expectancy and the health/wellness expectancy of older adults. The article outlines the challenges of the upcoming aging crisis and introduces falls as one major challenge. After that, falls and their mechanisms are investigated, highlighting the cognitive functions and their relation to falls. Moreover, since understanding predictive cognitive mechanisms is critical to an effective prediction-interception design, they are discussed in more detail, signifying the role of cognitive decline in balance maintenance. Furthermore, the landscape of available solutions for falling and its shortcomings is inspected. Finally, immediate fall prevention, the missing part of a wholesome solution, and its barriers are introduced, and some promising methodologies are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khashayar Misaghian
- Sage-Sentinel Smart Solutions, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan
- OIST Innovation, Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, Onna, Okinawa, Japan
- Faubert Lab, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Jesus Eduardo Lugo
- Sage-Sentinel Smart Solutions, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan
- Faubert Lab, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Puebla, Mexico
| | - Jocelyn Faubert
- Sage-Sentinel Smart Solutions, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, Japan
- Faubert Lab, School of Optometry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Arambula OG, Padovani FHP, Corrente JE, Schelp AB, Sanches FJ, Amorim RM, Schelp AO. Applicability of tactile memory examination as an option to visual- and verbal-based batteries. Dement Neuropsychol 2021; 15:373-380. [PMID: 34630926 PMCID: PMC8485637 DOI: 10.1590/1980-57642021dn15-030010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The validity and applicability of tactile battery tests for the diagnosis and medical follow-up of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia syndromes do not have their usefulness well understood in clinical practice. While haptic abilities in older individuals receive less attention, in earlier stages of human life they are well focused on. There are even fewer studies on tactile memory, including episodic memory of demented individuals with or without sensorial limitations. The applicability of a new haptic memory battery was evaluated in patients with Alzheimer's disease with mild or moderate commitment. Objective The aim of this study is to apply a battery based on tactile perception, recognition, and recollection of everyday objects in patients with Alzheimer's disease, testing tactile delayed recall memory discrimination and late recognition to compare validated visual and verbal tests. Methods Tactile-, visual-, and verbal-based memory performance was registered in 21 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Results Except for tactile identification, it showed that there was a close relationship between the three sensory modalities of memory, with an apparent better performance of tactile incidental memory and recognition compared with the test with pictures. Conclusions The haptic evaluation of memory demonstrated applicability in the evaluation of memory dysfunction in patients with Alzheimer's disease. Further studies are needed to establish the sensibility and specificity of the proposed test that had a small sample size and many limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Gurrola Arambula
- Department of Neurology, Psychology and Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Flavia Helena Pereira Padovani
- Department of Neurology, Psychology and Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Jose Eduardo Corrente
- Statistical Department, Bioscience Institute, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | | | - Felipe Jacques Sanches
- Veterinary Clinical Department, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Rogerio Martins Amorim
- Veterinary Clinical Department, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - Botucatu, SP, Brazil
| | - Arthur Oscar Schelp
- Department of Neurology, Psychology and Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" - Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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