Abstract Objective: Oral diadochokinesis (ODK) has been shown to be associated with oral frailty. In this study, we investigate the relationship between physical function, swallowing function, nutritional evaluation, and each syllable of ODK. Methods: The subjects are 26 elderly people living in an area where they can walk. ODK, tongue pressure, modified water swallowing test, EAT-10,grip strength, MNA-SF, skeletal muscle index, height, weight, and BMI were evaluated. For statistical analysis based on ODK values, the subjects were di vided into two groups on the basis of the number of times the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were repeated: 1) The first group with >6 repetitions exceeded six; 2) the second group with ≤5 repetitions. Both groups were compared us ing the Mann-Whitney U test (Model 1). In addition, the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were also divided among the groups and a comparison was per formed (Model 2). Results: In Model 1, the tongue pressure value was signif icantly higher in the good group (p < 0.01). In Model 2, the good group showed significantly higher values for the syllables /pa/ (p < 0.01) and /ta/ (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the values for the syllable /ka/. Conclusion: In community-dwelling elderly people, tongue pressure was po sitively associated with ODK values for the syllables /pa/ and /ta/, suggesting that tongue pressure may be associated with strength of the lip and tongue tip muscles. Furthermore, it was suggested that the ODK values may even be lower than normal values in the elderly who maintain skeletal muscle mass and thus have adequate tongue pressure; therefore, these indicators may be used as a guideline to assess oral frailty.

Abstract Objective: Oral diadochokinesis (ODK) has been shown to be associated with oral frailty. In this study, we investigate the relationship between physical function, swallowing function, nutritional evaluation, and each syllable of ODK. Methods: The subjects are 26 elderly people living in an area where they can walk. ODK, tongue pressure, modified water swallowing test, EAT-10,grip strength, MNA-SF, skeletal muscle index, height, weight, and BMI were evaluated. For statistical analysis based on ODK values, the subjects were di vided into two groups on the basis of the number of times the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were repeated: 1) The first group with >6 repetitions exceeded six; 2) the second group with ≤5 repetitions. Both groups were compared us ing the Mann-Whitney U test (Model 1). In addition, the syllables /pa/, /ta/, and /ka/ were also divided among the groups and a comparison was per formed (Model 2). Results: In Model 1, the tongue pressure value was signif icantly higher in the good group (p < 0.01). In Model 2, the good group showed significantly higher values for the syllables /pa/ (p < 0.01) and /ta/ (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the values for the syllable /ka/. Conclusion: In community-dwelling elderly people, tongue pressure was po sitively associated with ODK values for the syllables /pa/ and /ta/, suggesting that tongue pressure may be associated with strength of the lip and tongue tip muscles. Furthermore, it was suggested that the ODK values may even be lower than normal values in the elderly who maintain skeletal muscle mass and thus have adequate tongue pressure; therefore, these indicators may be used as a guideline to assess oral frailty.

Abstract Colon cancer is the third most common among cancer deaths in the US for both men and women. The incidence of colonoscopy has been soaring in younger patients, which led to changes in recent United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) guidelines to reduce the age for screening from 50 years to 45 years. Demand for colonoscopy services is surging due to increased incidences of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the both aging and younger population. Increased referrals have led to an insufficient workforce in hospitals and long waiting lists. Further, results from colonoscopy reveal a low percentage of CRC or another severe bowel disease (SBD). Therefore, colon cancer screening is a growing concern, particularly in patients who otherwise have a very long-life expectancy, and who are most likely to benefit from screening. Another reason to boost CRC screening is to minimize the load on hospitals by reducing the patients that undergo colonoscopy unnecessarily because only a low percentage of CRC occurrence is observed in individuals undergoing colonoscopy. In recent years, there are a variety of screening options available for CRC. Noninvasive alternatives include fecal immunochemical test (FIT), multitarget stool DNA testing (MT-sDNA, available under the brand name Cologuard), computed tomography (CT) colonography (previously called virtual colonoscopy), guaiac-based fecal occult blood testing (gFOBT), and capsule colonoscopy (CC). These tests have varied the degree of evidence supporting their use. This study focuses on the most recent survey and efficacy of noninvasive methods to prevent and detect colorectal cancer (CRC).

Abstract Keeping in mind the relationship between the basal metabolic rate and the change in weight in the aging process, we propose to verify the holographic description of the same. For this we set ourselves the following objectives: Verify the correlation between total energy dissipation and energy dissipation per unit body mass, and verify the correlation between the total energy dissipation and the body mass. As a result of the data analysis, we obtained a coherent representation of our proposal. A high degree of correlation between the total energy dissipation in an organism and the basal metabolic rate/dry kg was found. Such a condition implies that the stated biological system satisfies the Holographic Principle.

Abstract Background: Many older adults fall while turning. During the turning maneuver, rotation of the head precedes the rest of the body, creating a spatial frame of reference. Limitations of the neck rotation, may interfere with the turning mechanism, affect stability, and lead to recurrent falls. However, the association between the range of the neck rotation and turning stability was not explored yet. Purpose: To compare the impact of restricting the neck rotation by a brace, on the turning stability of adults with and without a history of falls. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional study consisting of 59 adults (average age 76 ± 6.9). A group (N = 29) with at least 2 falls (FL) in the last year and a group (N = 30) without a history of falls in the last year (NFL). All participants performed three tests: Timed up and Go (TUG), 180˚ Turn Test (180 TT) and 360˚ Turn Test (360 TT) with and without a neck brace. Results: All the scores of the FL were lower than those of the NFL (p < 0.01). Application of the brace worsened the performance of the 180 TT and the 360 TT of both groups (p < 0.05) but there was no interaction between group and bracing. The TUG score of only the NFL was affected by the brace (p < 0.004). Interestingly, only the range of the right neck rotation was correlated with balance tests and number of falls (r = 0.272; p < 0.05). Conclusions: Restricting of the neck mobility worsened the turning stability of both groups but without interaction. The study reinforces the need of considering the neck range of motion when addressing adult stability. A decrease in the range of right neck rotation was identified as a risk factor for loss of balance.