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Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is an intermediate state between normal cognition and early dementia and is not considered as a typical outcome of brain aging. It has been estimated that 10% to 20% of individuals above 65 years of age will be diagnosed as having MCI. The increased rate of dementia and the importance of early detection of its forerunners have encouraged researchers to focus on detecting MCI and modifiable risk factors with the hope of developing better ways of managing dementia and its consequences. The main aim of this study was to systematically review the related literature concerning the cognitive changes in the spectrum of cognitive aging to cognitive impairment. Articles included in this review were identified through searching the databases of PubMed, Psych Info, Embase, ProQuest, and Scopus. Many domains like verbal memory, language, executive function, visual memory, attentional skills, and working memory showed acceptable predictive power. Testing subdomains such as executive function, speed of processing, working memory and semantic language are critical and others may indicate some suggestions for further clinical deteriorations in normal individuals. Although various cognitive instruments have been used for evaluation of impaired cognitive domains, it remains challenging to select the most appropriate ones having high‐level accuracy and their related cognitive subdomains. It also revealed that none of the identified cognitive domains solely fulfilled the criteria for MCI screening; in clinical settings, multiple neuropsychological batteries may be used for one single cognitive domain, while longitudinal studies prefer the use of at least two cognitive measures for each domain to improve accuracy and research settings might focus on only a single neuropsychological test. However, along with episodic memory, testing for amnestic MCI, executive function could increase the chance of early detection of MCI. Executive control has been found to deteriorate the earliest in MCI patients.

Objectives: Early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is necessary to prevent irreversible brain damage caused by incipient Alzheimer's disease. It has been showing that amnestic MCI (a-MCI) subjects exhibit subtle deficits in executive function that can be tested using saccade eye movements. Eyetracking technology is a sensitive method to measure cognitive impairments in dementia and MCI. Methods: In this study, we used eye-tracking technology to explore saccade impairments to distinguish between a-MCI and the variants of reference controls. 21 patients with AD, 40 patients with a-MCI, and 59 normal participants were recruited in current study. We measured saccade reaction time, saccade errors, saccade omission, and uncorrected saccades using anti-saccade and pro-saccade tasks with 'gap' and 'overlap' procedures. These parameters were used as markers of executive function and visual attention deficits. Results: The findings revealed that more errors, more omissions, and fewer corrections characterized the saccade behavior of the a-MCI group compared to the reference group. These eye-tracking characteristics can be considered as inhibitory control and working memory deficits in a-MCI subjects. Our results thus demonstrate the applicability of the anti-saccade task as a cognitive marker in a-MCI. Conclusion:The work provides further support for eye-tracking as a useful diagnostic biomarker in the assessment of executive function in aging with cognitive impairments.

BackgroundAge associated cognitive decline or normal cognitive aging is related with lower levels of functioning in real life, and may interfere with maintaining independence and health related quality of life (HRQL).ObjectiveIn this study, health related quality of life and cognitive function in community-dwelling older adults were evaluated with the aim of exploring the association between them by adjusting for potential confounders.MethodsThis cross-sectional study, was implemented on 425 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 and over, between August 2016 and October 2016 in health centers of the municipality of Tehran, Iran, using Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess cognitive function and Short Form-36 scales (SF-36) to assess HRQL. The relation between HRQL and cognitive function was evaluated by Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and the impact of cognitive function on HRQL adjusted for potential confounders was estimated by linear regression model. All analyses were done using SPSS, version 22.0.ResultsA positive significant correlation between cognitive function and quality of life (r=0.434; p<0.001) and its dimensions was observed. Two variables of educational level (B=2.704; 95% CI: 2.09 to 3.30; p<0.001) and depression (B=2.554; 95% CI: 2.00 to 3.10; p<0.001) were assumed as potential confounder by changing effect measure after entering the model. After adjusting for potential confounders in regression model, the association between MMSE scores and quality of life persisted (B=2.417; 95% CI: 1.86 to 2.96; p<0.001).ConclusionThe results indicate that cognitive function was associated with HRQL in older adults with age associated cognitive function. Two variables of educational level and depression can affect the relation between cognitive decline and HRQL.

Background: Approximately 2% of the human core promoter short tandem repeats (STRs) reach lengths of ≥6 repeats, which may in part be a result of adaptive evolutionary processes and natural selection. A single-exon transcript of the human nescient helix loop helix 2 (NHLH2) gene is flanked by the longest CA-repeat detected in a human protein-coding gene core promoter (Ensembl transcript ID: ENST00000369506.1). NHLH2 is involved in several biological and pathological pathways, such as motivated exercise, obesity, and diabetes. Methods: The allele and genotype distribution of the NHLH2 CA-repeat were investigated by sequencing in 655 Iranian subjects, consisting of late-onset neurocognitive disorder (NCD) as a clinical entity (n = 290) and matched controls (n = 365). The evolutionary trend of the CA-repeat was also studied across vertebrates. Results: The allele range was between 9 and 25 repeats in the NCD cases, and 12 and 24 repeats in the controls. At the frequency of 0.56, the 21-repeat allele was the predominant allele in the controls. While the 21-repeat was also the predominant allele in the NCD patients, we detected significant decline of the frequency (p < 0.0001) and homozygosity (p < 0.006) of this allele in this group. Furthermore, 12 genotypes were detected across 16 patients (5.5% of the entire NCD sample) and not in the controls (disease-only genotypes; p < 0.0003), consisting of at least one extreme allele. The extreme alleles were at 9, 12, 13, 18, and 19 repeats (extreme short end), and 23, 24, and 25 repeats (extreme long end), and their frequencies ranged between 0.001 and 0.04. The frequency of the 21-repeat allele significantly dropped to 0.09 in the disease-only genotype compartment (p <

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of the Mini-Cog in Iranian older adults. It was a cross-sectional study; 50 older people with dementia and 50 without dementia who matched for age, gender, and education entered the study. The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders criteria for dementia were used as gold standard. A battery of scales included the abbreviated mental test score (AMTS), the Geriatric Depression Scale, and the Mini-Cog was performed. Validity and reliability of the Mini-Cog determined using the Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (Pearson's r), Cronbach's alpha, and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The Persian version of Mini-Cog showed a good inter-rater reliability ( K = 0.76, p < .01) and a positive concurrent validity ( r = 0.39, p < .01) with the AMTS. The sensitivity and specificity were 88% and 62.8%, respectively, using the original cutoff point of 2. The findings showed that the Persian version of Mini-Cog have an acceptable sensitivity, specificity, and substantial overall agreement with the AMTS.

ObjectivesThe present study determined the correlation of self-concept and self-efficacy with self-management among elderly in the sanatoriums in Tehran in2015. Methods & Materials This descriptive-analytic research, conducted in a cross-sectional study, enrolled 217 elderlies from the sanatoriums of Tehran in 2015 via a simple random sampling method. Three tools including Rogers self-concept scale, general self-efficacy scale (GSE-10), and self-management ability scale (SMAS-30) were utilized to measure the variables. After sampling and gathering the questionnaires, collected data were entered into SPSS and analyzed using the analytical tests such as Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, Pearson's test, and regression. Results The mean of self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-management were 8.25±1.47, 17.68±4.00, and 59.69±11.59 , respectively. Other findings indicated significant relationships of self-concept and self-efficacy with self-management (P<0.05). Multiple regression analysis showed that self-concept and selfefficacy could predict about 14% of self-management. Conclusion The elderly in the sanatoriums of Tehran had a low self-concept, self-efficacy, and self-management. Thus, it could be concluded that by improving the self-concept and self-efficacy of elderly, we might witness an increase in self-management. A B S T R A C T Key words:Self-concept, Selfefficacy, Self-management, Elderly, Sanatorium Extended Abstract Objectivesne of the major concerns of the aging period is the reduction in self-management abilities required by the individuals for managing themselves [1]. If the elderly self-management abilities are challenged, they would feel like living creatures witho out discretion and lack of decision-making power, and their management and independence in life would be jeopardized. In such a situation, they have to obey the decisions and authority of others contradictory to their willingness [2]. Elderly individuals with low self-management abilities are vulnerable [3]. Currently, there is no study addressing the relationship of self-concept and self-efficacy variables with self-management variable in the elderly. Self-concept is a way of thinking and attitude that a person has about him/herself [4], and self-efficacy is the level of confidence is that with which a person shows specific behavior and expects desired results, depending on the particular situation [5]. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the relationship between self-concept/self-efficacy and self-management. Methods and MaterialsIn this descriptive-analytic and cross-sectional study, the research population included s all elderly residents of nursing homes under the Department of Welfare of Tehran city; the sample cohort comprised of 217 individuals. After receiving the ethics code (IR.USWR. REC.1394.253) from the University of Social Welfare and Rehabilitation Sciences, random sampling was conducted. After obtaining informed consent from all participants, questionnaires were provided to gather the relevant data, which were subseq...

Objectives: Loneliness is a significant concern among the elderly and requires measurement and intervention. This study was conducted to translate and make a psychometric evaluation of the 6-item de Jong Gierveld loneliness scale in Iranian older people. Methods & Materials: This is a descriptive study carried out in 2018. After receiving permission from the tool designer, the original version of the 6-item de Jong Gierveld loneliness scale was translated into Persian by the translation and translation-back method. Then its face and content validities were determined. The final Persian version was completed by 224 eligible elderly residents in Khorramabad City, Iran. The data were analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), the Pearson correlation coefficient, the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC), and the Cronbach alpha. The SPSS and AMOS were used, and the significance was determined at the level of P≤ 0.05. Results: The Persian version of the 6-item de Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale had an acceptable content validity (CVI=0.874). Confirmative factor analysis indicated the extraction of two factors: emotional loneliness and social loneliness (CMIN/DF=1.48, GFI=0.983, IFI=0.983, RMSEA=0.004). The overall loneliness score showed a significant correlation with the hospital anxiety and depression scale. The reliability of the scale was accepted by the intra-class correlation coefficient and the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Conclusion: The Persian version of the 6-item de Jong Gierveld loneliness scale is a reliable and valid measure of loneliness in Iranian elders.