Objetivo. Analisar a relação entre idade, escolaridade e potenciais perdas cognitivas em idosas residentes em instituições de longa per­manência para idosos (ILPIs). Método. Estudo transversal, descritivo e quantitativo realizado com 24 idosas residentes em duas ILPIs na cidade de Fortaleza/CE, utilizando o Mini-Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM). Amostra foi dividida em três faixas etárias (65-69, 70-79 e 80-90 anos) e três níveis educacionais (analfabetas, baixo nível escolar e médio/alto nível escolar). Resultados. A pontuação média geral no MEEM das idosas foi de 19,2±6,8 escores [mín=8 e máx=30]. Con­siderando apenas a idade, a menor média no MEEM foi do grupo de 80-90 anos (16,9±6,9) e a maior no grupo de 70-79 anos (21,7±6,9). O grupo de idosas analfabetas (14±6,3) apresentou a menor média e as idosas com nível escolar médio/alto (23,6±6,7) apresentaram as maiores médias de escores. Na análise combinada das variáveis, cons­tatou-se menor pontuação média no grupo de idosas analfabetas com idade entre 80-90 anos (13,5±6,2) e maior média nas idosas com es­colaridade média/alta e idade de 70-79 anos (26,5±4,9). Conclusão. Escolaridade e idade influenciam no desempenho do MEEM.

No abstract

The increase in the size of the elderly population demands new knowledge about the process of healthy and active aging. Cognitive disorders are directly associated with aging, and therefore represent a public health problem. A longitudinal and interventional study with a quantitative approach was performed with the aim of analyzing the effects of a physical therapy program aimed at health promotion on the cognitive ability of institutionalized elderly women. Data was collected using a sociodemographic and clinical form and the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) at three time points (baseline, after 10 interventions and after 20 interventions). The health promotion program consisted of 20 recreational group activities in weekly meetings lasting an hour. Statistical analysis used the paired Student's t-test and Analysis of variance, with a significance level of p<0.05. The sample consisted of 24 elderly persons, with a mean age of 80.04 years. The results showed improvement in the performance of the elderly, both in overall MMSE score (T0=19.22 vs. T2=28.33, p=0.01) and in the evaluated subcategories "time orientation" (T0=3.35 vs. T2=3.57, p=0.02), "record" (T0=2.61 vs. T2=2.95, p<0.01), "memory recall" (T0=1.78 vs. T2=2.71, p<0.01), "read and execute" (T0=0.43 vs. T2=0.67, p=0.01) and "copy diagram" (T0=0.26 vs. T2=0, 48, p=0.02). These findings suggest that physical therapy for health promotion purposes enables improvement in performance of cognitive activities of institutionalized elderly persons, thus contributing to a better quality of life.

Introduction

Introduction: Manual therapy employs hands as a way of healing, being a manipulation for therapeutic purposes. However, there is little evidence about their effects on the respiratory system. Objective: To describe the effect of manual therapy in the diaphragm, the breathing muscle strength and mobility of the rib cage. Method: Descriptive, longitudinal, interventionist and quantitative survey, conducted in Cardiopneumofuncional Therapy Laboratory of the Federal University of Ceará (UFC). The sample consisted of 40 female students, sedentary, aged between 18 and 35 years of UFC physiotherapy course. The following techniques were performed: "lift diaphragm" and double pillars psoas diaphragm. Data collection was carried out in three stages on the same day by the same researcher using homogeneous verbal commands. It was considered statistically significant value of p = 0.05. Results: After application of the techniques carried out a comparative analysis which demonstrated a statistically significant difference in maximal expiratory pressure, with p <0.0001, and all coefficients cirtometry, being p <0.0025 (axillary), p < 0.0085 (xiphoid) and p <0.0005 (basal). Conclusion: The manual therapy techniques performed on the diaphragm influence the muscular strength, due to increased maximal expiratory pressure; and mobility of the rib cage, reflected in increased cirtometry coefficients.