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This article summarizes the presentations and recommendations of the tenth annual American Geriatrics Society and National Institute on Aging Bench-to-Bedside research conference, "Sensory Impairment and Cognitive Decline," on October 2-3, 2017, in Bethesda, Maryland. The risk of impairment in hearing, vision, and other senses increases with age, and almost 15% of individuals aged 70 and older have dementia. As the number of older adults increases, sensory and cognitive impairments will affect a growing proportion of the population. To limit its scope, this conference focused on sensory impairments affecting vision and hearing. Comorbid vision, hearing, and cognitive impairments in older adults are more common than would be expected by chance alone, suggesting that some common mechanisms might affect these neurological systems. This workshop explored the mechanisms and consequences of comorbid vision, hearing, and cognitive impairment in older adults; effects of sensory loss on the aging brain; and bench-to-bedside innovations and research opportunities. Presenters and participants identified many research gaps and questions; the top priorities fell into 3 themes: mechanisms, measurement, and interventions. The workshop delineated specific research questions that provide opportunities to improve outcomes in this growing population. J Am Geriatr Soc 66:2052-2058, 2018.

The article highlights the U13 Bench-to-Bedside (B2B) conference series, a collaborative effort by the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the National Institute on Aging. Topics include the transition of the AGS/National Institute on Aging (NIA) U13 B2B conference series from 2004 to 2017, progressive exploration of key issues in geriatrics reflected in the series of conferences, and an overview of the conferences in the series from 2018 to 2023.

ObjectivesTo evaluate the association between six nondisease-specific problems (problems that cross multiple domains of health) and mortality in middle-aged and older adults.DesignProspective, observational cohort.SettingU.S. population sample.ParticipantsParticipants included 23,669 black and white U.S. adults aged 45 and older enrolled in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.MeasurementsNondisease-specific problems included cognitive impairment, depressive symptoms, exhaustion, falls, impaired mobility, and polypharmacy. Age-stratified (

There is limited research examining the impact of visual impairment (VI) on older adults while considering the complexities of aging, leaving gaps in our understanding of how health consequences of VI might be averted. We created a framework integrating concepts from disability, geriatrics, and ophthalmology that conceptualizes how VI challenges successful aging. Here, VI influences multiple functional domains, and increases the risk of negative health outcomes. This model acknowledges that common causes, such as risk factors that affect eyes and other systems simultaneously, may also drive the relationship between VI and health outcomes. Finally, the model highlights how the impact of VI on aging outcomes can be addressed at multiple intervention points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To prioritize research topics relevant to the care of the growing population of older adults with multiple chronic conditions ( MCCs). Design Survey of experts in MCC practice, research, and policy. Topics were derived from white papers, funding announcements, or funded research projects relating to older adults with MCCs. Setting Survey conducted through the Health Care Systems Research Network ( HCSRN) and Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers ( OAICs) Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure and Network Growth Initiative, a joint endeavor of the HCSRN and OAICs. Participants Individuals affiliated with the HCSRN or OAICs and national MCC experts, including individuals affiliated with funding agencies having MCC-related grant portfolios. Measurements A 'top box' methodology was used, counting the number of respondents selecting the top response on a 5-point Likert scale and dividing by the total number of responses to calculate a top box percentage for each of 37 topics. Results The highest-ranked research topics relevant to the health and healthcare of older adults with MCCs were health-related quality of life in older adults with MCCs; development of assessment tools (to assess, e.g., symptom burden, quality of life, function); interactions between medications, disease processes, and health outcomes; disability; implementation of novel (and scalable) models of care; association between clusters of chronic conditions and clinical, financial, and social outcomes; role of caregivers; symptom burden; shared decision-making to enhance care planning; and tools to improve clinical decision-making. Conclusion Study findings serve to inform the development of a comprehensive research agenda to address the challenges relating to the care of this 'high-need, high-cost' population and the healthcare delivery systems responsible for serving it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To describe the relationship between symptom scores and mobility function measures, assess whether symptom scores and disease scores are similarly associated with mobility function, and identify clusters of symptoms that are most strongly associated with functional status in older adults. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from three cohorts. SETTING: Academic medical center. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred ninety-five community-dwelling subjects with poor flexibility or cardiorespiratory fitness (fitness cohort), 211 female retirement community residents with vertebral fractures (VF cohort), and 61 subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD cohort). MEASUREMENTS: Twenty-item self-reported symptom scale, 17-item self-reported disease scale, Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36) Physical Functioning Scale, 5-item Nagi Disability scale, 10-m walk time, supine to stand time. RESULTS: Symptom scores correlated with mobility function measures (Spearman correlation coefficients ranged from 0.222 to 0.509) at least as strongly as, if not more strongly than, did disease scores. Symptom scores remained associated with functional outcomes after controlling for disease score and demographic variables. Adding symptom scores to models that contained disease scores significantly increased the association with functional outcomes. In the fitness cohort, muscle weakness was the most explanatory single symptom, associated with an average decrease of 17.8 points on the Physical Functioning Scale. A model that included only muscle weakness, pain, and shortness of breath accounted for 21.2% of the variability in the Physical Functioning Score. CONCLUSION: Symptoms represent useful indicators of disability burden in older adults and are promising targets for interventions to improve function in medically complex patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]