Calero-García M J, Calero M D, Navarro E, Ortega A R
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, Campus Lagunillas, 23071, Jaén, Spain,
Z Gerontol Geriatr. 2015 Jan;48(1):22-8. doi: 10.1007/s00391-014-0610-4.
Bone fractures in older adults involve hospitalization and surgical intervention, aspects that have been related to loss of autonomy and independence. Several variables have been studied as moderators of how these patients recover. However, the implications of cognitive plasticity for functional recovery have not been studied to date.
The present study analyzes the relationship between cognitive plasticity--defined as the capacity for learning or improved performance under conditions of training or performance optimization--and functional recovery in older adults hospitalized following a bone fracture.
The study comprised 165 older adults who underwent surgery for bone fractures at a hospital in southern Spain. Participants were evaluated at different time points thereafter, with instruments that measure activities of daily life (ADL), namely the Barthel Index (BI) and the Lawton Index, as well as with a learning potential (cognitive plasticity) assessment test (Auditory Verbal Learning Test of Learning Potential, AVLT-LP).
Results show that most of the participants have improved their level of independence 3 months after the intervention. However, some patients continue to have medium to high levels of dependency and this dependency is related to cognitive plasticity.
The results of this study reveal the importance of the cognitive plasticity variable for evaluating older adults hospitalized for a fracture. They indicate a possible benefit to be obtained by implementing programs that reduce the degree of long-term dependency or decrease the likelihood of it arising.
老年人骨折需要住院治疗和手术干预，这些方面与自主性和独立性丧失有关。已经研究了几个变量作为这些患者恢复情况的调节因素。然而，认知可塑性对功能恢复的影响迄今为止尚未得到研究。
本研究分析认知可塑性（定义为在训练或性能优化条件下学习或提高表现的能力）与骨折后住院的老年人功能恢复之间的关系。
该研究包括165名在西班牙南部一家医院接受骨折手术的老年人。此后在不同时间点对参与者进行评估，使用测量日常生活活动（ADL）的工具，即巴氏指数（BI）和劳顿指数，以及学习潜力（认知可塑性）评估测试（学习潜力听觉言语学习测试，AVLT-LP）。
结果显示，大多数参与者在干预后3个月提高了他们的独立水平。然而，一些患者仍然有中度到高度的依赖性，并且这种依赖性与认知可塑性有关。
本研究结果揭示了认知可塑性变量在评估骨折住院老年人方面的重要性。它们表明通过实施减少长期依赖性程度或降低其发生可能性的计划可能获得的益处。
