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Purpose: Cognitive-communication intervention for subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is based on the profile of task performances. The purpose of this study was to identify performances in cognitive-communication and quality of life, to provide the correlation and predictive tasks of communication among subjects with SCD.Methods: SCD group (n = 19) aged 65 and over performed subtasks for the 3 domains, compared with other amnestic mild cognitive impairment (n = 22) and control (n = 24) groups.Results: The main outcomes were as follows. Firstly, the SCD and other two groups had significant differences in performances of executive function (planning/activating) and subjective communication. Secondly, semantic performances in the SCD group were significantly correlated with all cognitive tasks, and reasoning was the strongest predictor of communication. Lastly, discourse had significant correlations with all cognitive tasks in the SCD group. Reasoning (deductive/inductive) and executive function (planning) were also found to be the best predictors of communication.Conclusion: Current study provides a cognitive-communication profile to reduce the risk to develop neurological disease. These results also facilitate the preventive intervention for SCD, warranting its effect.

Purpose: This study intends to analyze the current status and characteristics of the hearing impaired by analyzing ‘actual survey data for the disabled’ from 2005 to recent, and to use them as basic data for establishing rehabilitation and welfare service policies for the hearing impaired.Methods: Among the items related to hearing impairment in the survey data, longitudinal, and meaningful areas such as general characteristics, hearing aid and communication, education and welfare services of the hearing impaired were mainly analyzed.Results: The prevalence of hearing impairment was 0.65% to 0.66% and the age distribution of the hearing impaired increased rapidly after the age of 50, and the proportion of over 65 years old increased by about 17.9% from 55.3% in 2008 to 73.2% in 2017. The rate of acquired factors (5.2% as of 2017) was higher than that of congenital factors as the cause of hearing impairment. The rate of people with hearing impairment who did not attend school increased as they went up from elementary school to high school, and the rate was the highest among the major areas of disability. Among the welfare needs of the hearing impaired, income security (40.4% as of 2017) was the highest.Conclusion: If research that reflects the various characteristics of hearing impairment is expanded in addition to periodic actual surveys for the disabled in the future, the current results is expected that it can be used as basic data for mid- to long-term welfare policies for the hearing impaired.

Purpose: The “oldest-old” is the heterogeneous population compared with the younger-old in several cognitive-communication aspects. Accordingly, it is necessary to intervene in them discriminately. This study aimed to suggest the performance profiles by cognitive-communication tasks for intervention in oldest-old.Methods: Sixty-four oldest-old subjects aged 80 or older years performed 16 subtasks for the five cognitive-communication domains. And the performance profiles of group I (84.00 ± 2.62 years) and II (93.38 ± 1.61 years) were analyzed.Results: The main findings were as follows. Firstly, two groups had significant differences in performances of most tasks including working memory, reasoning, word fluency, and subjective communication. Secondly, five communication tasks were significantly correlated with all cognitive tasks and were predicted by the reasoning tasks like similarity in group I. Thirdly, word fluency and pragmatic expression tasks were significantly correlated with all cognitive tasks. Tasks including verbal problem solving were found to be the best predictors of confrontation naming in group II.Conclusion: Current study provides evidence-based information to support cognitive-communication intervention for the oldest-old. These results also can contribute to increase the efficacy of the cognitive-communicative intervention.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the sign of dementia, and is critical for prediction and preventing its progressions. This study aimed to review literature on cognitive communication intervention of MCI patients systematically, and propose the evidence-based data, including their effect sizes using a meta-analysis method. Thirty-eight researches published since 2012, meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were entered into this analysis. They were analyzed in qualitative aspects, and their effect sizes were calculated in a level of mean and each domain. Outcome measures included the domains of 10 cognitions and 4 communications. The main findings were as follows. Firstly, the general target population for studies was MCI over the age of 50, and intervention programs were designed diversely in a session or mode. Secondly, several domains, including attention, memory, and executive function held a large portion of the intervention programs. Thirdly, the average effect size of interventions was large. Lastly, processing speed and word fluency were very effective and significant among domains in the results of treatment. Current study provides evidence-based information to support cognitive-communication intervention for individuals with MCI. These results also can contribute to diversify intervention approaches and verify their efficacies. Given this, it is possible to facilitate the cognitive-communication intervention for MCI in clinical settings.

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the preclinical stage and sign of dementia. It is also important for guidance in the prevention and intervention of neurological disease. The purpose of this study was to review literatures on cognitive/communicative and other predictors of MCI patients systematically, and to propose the evidence-based data including effect sizes of them using a meta-analysis method. Fifty-seven researches published since 2010, meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria, were entered into the analysis. They were analyzed in a methodological and content level, and the effect sizes were calculated by 3 predictors. Predictive values were pooled from cognitive (10 domains), communicative (9 domains), and other (3 domains). The main findings were as follows. Firstly, the general target population for studies was older adults over the age of 55, and most studies included at least 2 types of predictors. Secondly, average effect sizes of 3 predictors in MCI were all significant. Thirdly, cognitive predictors like memory and general cognition had significant and high-level effect sizes. Fourthly, communicative predictors including comprehension and word fluency had moderate-level effect sizes significantly. Lastly, all demographic and neuropsychological (age, education, depression) predictors had significant and moderate-level effect sizes. Our results provide the evidence-based information to predict MCI. Especially, specific cognitive and communicative predictors may contribute to increase the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in MCI. This study is also expected to present clinically available data and increase the effect in intervention for MCI.

Purpose: Higher order cognition (HOC) is commonly impaired in neurological disease including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia of Alzheimer’s type (DAT). The impact of this deficit is particularly prominent in communication. The purpose of this preliminary study was to investigate the correlation between HOC and communication in MCI and DAT using Brief test of Cognitive-Communication Disorders (BCCD), and to demonstrate subdomains of communication as predictors of HOC.Methods: Healthy controls (n = 40), persons with MCI (n = 31) and DAT (n = 40) completed the subtests of HOC and communication in BCCD. HOC and communication tests consisted of 9 (organization/reasoning/problem solving/executive function) and 12 (comprehension/expression/reading & writing/pragmatic language) items respectively.Results: The main findings were as follows. Firstly, there was a significant difference among three groups in most subdomains and total scores of HOC and communication. Secondly, HOC was significantly associated with comprehension and total score in MCI. A significant relationship between HOC and all domains of communication was also observed in DAT. Thirdly, expression, pragmatic language, and total score were predictors of HOC in MCI, while only total score of communication predicted HOC for individuals with DAT.Conclusion: This study is expected to present clinically available data in assessment and intervention for cognitive-communication disorders. Specific communication measures as powerful indicators of HOC may contribute to increase the diagnostic and prognostic accuracy in MCI and DAT.

Purpose: Subjective cognitive-linguistic test is used to supplement various objective tests and increase a diagnostic accuracy. The purpose of this preliminary study was to develop and standardize the Informant-report Scale on Cognitive-Linguistic abilities of the Elderly (ISCOLE), and investigate the correlation between ISCOLE and objective test in individuals with neurological disease. Methods: People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) (n = 30) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (n = 32) completed the objective cognitive-linguistic test. Informants of these patients (n = 62) and controls (n = 35) provided ratings of ISCOLE. Results: The main findings were as follows. Firstly, there was a significant difference among three groups in all subdomains and total score of ISCOLE. Secondly, several domains like attention, higher-order cognition, and language of ISCOLE were significantly associated with the objective performances in tow groups. Thirdly, memory, language, and total score of ISCOLE were a predictor of memory in MCI group. AD’s higher-order cognition was also predicted by attention, language and higher-order cognition of ISCOLE. Conclusion: This study is expected to help confirm the overall correlations between ISCOLE and objective test, and present the predictors of objective cognitive-linguistic performances in MCI and AD. The findings have implications for the use of ISCOLE in clinical settings. We also showed evidence that the ISCOLE is an informant-based measure of cognitive-linguistic decline providing a relevant contribution to the diagnostic and prognostic investigation of patients with MCI and AD.

Purpose: Working memory training for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients may yield everyday cognitive- linguistic benefits by facilitating transfer effects in multiple domains. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of working memory intervention and differences on transfer effects in type of intervention paradigm like core training (CT) and strategy training (ST).Methods: A total of 24 patients with mild and moderate AD were divided into CT and ST group (n = 12, respectively). After CT and ST interventions, we assessed their transfer effects on linguistic abilities including reading comprehension, figurative language, word fluency, and discourse production. Results: There were three main findings. Firstly, CT group improved significantly in figurative language, word fluency, and discourse production. Secondly, ST group showed the significant intervention gains in figurative language and discourse production. Thirdly, CT group had higher transfer effects in figurative language and discourse production than ST group, while both were similar in other transfer effects.Conclusion: This study proves that effects of working memory intervention for AD patients are different in type of paradigm, and thereby presents a roadmap for increasing the efficacy and utilization of working memory intervention in clinical settings.

Purpose: In general, aging factor or neurological disease degrades a function of working memory, leading poor word fluency. The purpose of this study...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the degree of coherence and efficiency in the discourse production of cognitively healthy middle-old...

비만이란 라틴어 obestias에서 유래한 것으로 어원은 ‘먹어치 웠다(eaten away)’, ‘걸신들린 듯 먹었다(devoured)’의 ‘obesus’에 서 유래된 것으로 섭취한 에너지량에 비해 소모된 에너지량이 적어 잉여 에너지가 발생하게 되고, 이 상태가 오래 계속되어 나타난 영양장애로 볼 수 있다. 비만은 성인병을 유발시키는 촉 진제가 될 뿐 아니라 심장병, 간질환, 당뇨병, 고혈압, 동맥경화 증을 15~40% 증가시킨다. 또한 체중이 뼈와 관절에 부담을 주 게 되어 골격 이상을 초래할 수 있다. 궁극적으로 비만으로 인 한 질병은 공적 건강보험의 재정 악화와 의료비 부담 증가에 부 딪히게 되어 국가의 사회경제적 비용 부담 증가로 이어질 수 있 다.

한 통계에 의하면 유치원에 다니는 어린이 중 약 3분의 1 이상이, 초등학생의 약 절반 이상이 머리가 아픈 적이 있다고 보고하고 있으며 대부분의 경우 어지럼증이 함께 동반 됨으로써 학교생활과 일상생활에서 삶의 질을 약화시키고 있다.2) 특히 아동에서의 어지럼증은 매우 흔한 증세로써 일 차 진료를 하는 의사를 찾는 원인 중 두통 다음으로 많은 원인으로 알려져 있다. 어지럼증을 호소하는 소아들의 경우 대부분 성인 어지럼증과는 다른 다양한 원인과 양상을 갖고 있어 세심한 주의가 요청된다. 이들이 어지럼증을 호소 할 때는 두통, 청력감소 등의 증상들을 함께 유발할 수 있 는 다양한 원인질병을 갖고 있는데 관련 연구에 의하면 어