Forskningsartikler

Abstract

Hand grip strength (HGS) is a key indicator of intrinsic capacity and has shown good predictive ability for morbidity and mortality. Reference values from normative populations are valuable, and such data from the Norwegian population are scarce. Normative values for the digital Jamar+ dynamometer are largely lacking. HGS was assessed in the Norwegian Tromsø study, survey 7 in 2015-2016 for 7824 participants (9324 invited) aged 40+ using a Jamar+ digital dynamometer, and three measurements for each hand were performed following the Southampton protocol. To account for non-response, full Tromsø population data, by age, education and sex, were collected from registry data from microdata.no, a service from Statistics Norway, and were then used as post-stratification weights, to provide standardized HGS values. HGS was higher in men than in women and inversely associated with age. Men and women with a history of non-communicable diseases had lower HGS than those without these conditions, while osteoarthritis was associated with lower HGS only among men. Lower height was associated with lower HGS, especially at younger ages in men. This article provides up-to-date references values for HGS in the community-dwelling population aged 40+ with or without osteoarthritis or non-communicable diseases, in Tromsø, Norway. These reference values will guide clinicians and researchers.

Odd-Einar Svinøy, Gunvor Hilde, Astrid Bergland, Bjørn Heine Strand

Background: High levels of occupational physical activity (PA) have been linked to an increased risk of dementia. We assessed the association of trajectories of occupational PA at ages 33–65 with risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) at ages 70+.

Methods: We included 7005 participants (49.8% were women, 3488/7005) from the HUNT4 70+ Study. Group-based trajectory modelling was used to identify four trajectories of occupational PA based on national registry data from 1960 to 2014: stable low (30.9%, 2162/7005), increasing then decreasing (8.9%, 625/7005), stable intermediate (25.1%, 1755/7005), and stable high (35.2%, 2463/7005). Dementia and MCI were clinically assessed in 2017–2019. We performed adjusted multinomial regression to estimate relative risk ratios (RRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dementia and MCI.

Findings: 902 participants were diagnosed with dementia and 2407 were diagnosed with MCI. Absolute unadjusted risks for dementia and MCI were 8.8% (95% CI: 7.6–10.0) and 27.4% (25.5–29.3), respectively, for those with a stable low PA trajectory, 8.2% (6.0–10.4) and 33.3% (29.6–37.0) for those with increasing, then decreasing PA; while they were 16.0% (14.3–17.7) and 35% (32.8–37.2) for those with stable intermediate, and 15.4% (14.0–16.8) and 40.2% (38.3–42.1) for those with stable high PA trajectories. In the adjusted model, participants with a stable high trajectory had a higher risk of dementia (RRR 1.34, 1.04–1.73) and MCI (1.80, 1.54–2.11), whereas participants with a stable intermediate trajectory had a higher risk of MCI (1.36, 1.15–1.61) compared to the stable low trajectory. While not statistically significant, participants with increasing then decreasing occupational PA had a 24% lower risk of dementia and 18% higher risk of MCI than the stable low PA group.

Interpretation: Consistently working in an occupation with intermediate or high occupational PA was linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairment, indicating the importance of developing strategies for individuals in physically demanding occupations to prevent cognitive impairment.

Ekaterina Zotcheva, Bernt Bratsberg, Bjørn Heine Strand, Astanand Jugessur, Bo Lars Engdahl, Catherine Bowen, Geir Selbæk, Hans-Peter Kohler, Jennifer R. Harris, Jordan Weiss, Sarah E. Tom, Steinar Krokstad, Teferi Mekonnen, Trine Holt Edwin, Yaakov Stern, Asta Kristine Håberg, Vegard Skirbekk

Sammendrag

Hensikt: Studien belyser hvilke erfaringer fysioterapeuter har med å gi fysioterapibehandling til beboere med langtidsopphold i norske sykehjem, og hvordan fysioterapeutene er involvert i behandlingen av beboere i livets sluttfase.

Design, materiale og metode: Artikkelen er basert på eksplorerende kvalitative intervjuer med seks fysioterapeuter som jobber i sykehjem. Intervjuene var semistrukturerte og datamaterialet ble analysert med systematisk tekstkondensering.

Funn: Deltakerne inntar i stor grad en tradisjonell fysioterapeutrolle med fokus på trening. De anerkjenner at fysioterapeuter har kunnskap og ferdigheter som er relevante for beboerne i livets sluttfase, men er i liten grad involvert i det tverrfaglige teamet rundt den døende.

Konklusjon: Fysioterapeutene som jobber i langtidsavdelinger i sykehjem bruker mesteparten av arbeidstiden sin på tradisjonell fysioterapi. De er ikke er involvert i lindrende behandling og omsorg i livets sluttfase, men mener at de har relevant kunnskap – og således er en ubrukt ressurs. Mangelen på fysioterapeuter i det tverrfaglige palliative teamet er et resultat av at fysioterapeutene selv ikke gir uttrykk for at de ønsker å bidra, samtidig som leger og sykepleiere ikke etterspør deres kunnskap på dette området. Organiseringen av fysioterapitjenesten i sykehjem ser også ut til å kunne påvirke det tverrfaglige samarbeidet.

Kristine Bjorheim Bøe, Tone Dahl-Michelsen & Elisabeth Wiken Telenius

Background: Mobility impairments, in terms of gait and balance, are common in persons with dementia. To explore this relationship further, we examined the associations between mobility and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) core biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease (AD).
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included 64 participants [two with subjective cognitive decline (SCD), 13 with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 49 with dementia] from a memory clinic. Mobility was examined using gait speed, Mini-Balance Evaluation Systems test (Mini-BESTest), Timed Up and Go (TUG), and TUG dual-task cost (TUG DTC). The CSF biomarkers included were amyloid-β 42 (Aβ42), total-tau (t-tau), and phospho tau (p-tau181). Associations between mobility and biomarkers were analyzed through correlations and multiple linear regression analyses adjusted for (1) age, sex, and comorbidity, and (2) SCD/MCI vs. dementia.
Results: Aβ42 was significantly correlated with each of the mobility outcomes. In the adjusted multiple regression analyses, Aβ42 was significantly associated with Mini- BESTest and TUG in the fully adjusted model and with TUG DTC in step 1 of the adjusted model (adjusting for age, sex, and comorbidity). T-tau was only associated with TUG DTC in step 1 of the adjusted model. P-tau181 was not associated with any of the mobility outcomes in any of the analyses.
Conclusion: Better performance on mobility outcomes were associated with higher levels of CSF Aβ42. The association was strongest between Aβ42 and Mini-BESTest, suggesting that dynamic balance might be closely related with AD-specific pathology.

Gro Gujord Tangen, Karen Sverdrup, Kristin Taraldsen, Karin Persson, Knut Engedal, Peter Bekkhus-Wetterberg and Anne-Brita Knapskog

Objective: To study the association between hearing loss severity, hearing aid use, and subjective memory complaints in a large cross-sectional study in Norway.

Methods: Data were drawn from the fourth wave of the Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT4 Hearing, 2017–2019). Hearing threshold was defined as the pure tone average of 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz in the better ear. The participants were divided into five groups: normal hearing or slight/mild/moderate/severe hearing loss. Subjective self-reported short-term and long-term memory complaints was measured by the nine-item Meta-Memory Questionnaire (MMQ). The sample included 20,092 individuals (11,675 women, mean age 58,3 years) who completed both hearing and MMQ tasks. Multivariate analysis of variance (adjusted for covariates of age, sex, education, and health cofounders) was used to evaluate the association between hearing status and hearing aid use (in the hearing-impaired groups) and long-term and short-term subjective memory complaints.

Results: Multivariate analysis of variance, followed by univariate ANOVA and pairwise comparisons showed that hearing loss was associated only with more long-term subjective memory complaints and not with short-term subjective memory complaints. In the hearing-impaired groups, the univariate main effect of hearing aid use was only observed for subjective long-term memory complaints and not for subjective short-term memory complaints. Similarly, the univariate interaction of hearing aid use and hearing status was significant for subjective long-term memory complaints and not for subjective short-term memory complaints. Pairwise comparisons, however, revealed no significant differences between hearing loss groups with respect to subjective long-term complaints.

Conclusion: This cross-sectional study indicates an association between hearing loss and subjective long-term memory complaints, but not with subjective short-term memory complaints. In addition, an interaction between hearing status and hearing aid use for subjective long-term memory complaints was observed in hearing-impaired groups, which calls for future research to examine the effects of hearing aid use on different memory systems.

Shahram Moradi, Bo Lars Engdahl, Aud Johannessen, Geir Selbæk, Lisa Aarhus og Gro Gade Haanes

Background:
The spread of the coronavirus in spring 2020 led to a lockdown of physical activity (PA) offers. The aim of this study was to investigate how PA, as well as general and mental health, in community-dwelling older adults were affected by the COVID-19 restrictions in Norway.

Methods:
Invitation to participate in the study was sent via Facebook and the Norwegian Pensioners’ Association. Inclusion criteria were being ≥ 65 years old and living at home. Participants completed a questionnaire either digitally or on paper in June–August 2020. The questionnaire included questions on PA, general health, and mental health both before (13th of March) and during lockdown.

Results:
We included 565 participants (mean age 74 ± 5.3 years, 60.4% female); almost 60% had a university degree, 84% reported performing PA more than once per week, and 20% reported a fall in the previous 12 months. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test indicated that the corona lockdown significantly reduced activity level (Z = -4.918, p < 0.001), general health (Z = -6,910, p < 0.001) and mental health (Z = -12.114, p < 0.001). Those who were less active during lockdown had higher odds of experiencing worse health than those who maintained their activity level, odds ratio: 9.36 (95% CI = 4.71–18.58, p < 0.001) for general health and 2.41 (95% CI = 1.52–3.83, p < 0.001) for mental health. Those who attended organized exercise offers before lockdown had higher odds of being less active during lockdown compared to those who did not exercise in an organized setting, odds ratio: 3.21 (95% CI = 2.17–5.76, p < 0.001).

Conclusion:
In a relatively highly educated and active group of older participants, COVID-19 restrictions still negatively affected level of activity as well as general and mental health. These short-term decreases in activity level and health suggest that preventive actions and increased focus on measures to support older adults in maintaining an active lifestyle are needed.

Arnhild J Nygård, Kristin Taraldsen, Randi Granbo, Geir Selbæk, Jorunn L Helbostad

Background: Population-based studies on physical performance provide important information on older people’s health but rarely include the oldest and least-healthy segment of the population. The aim of this study was to provide representative estimates of physical performance by age, sex, and educational level based on recent data from a population-based health study in Norway that includes older people with a wide range in age and function.

Methods: In the fourth wave of the Trøndelag Health Study (2017-2019), all participants aged 70 + were invited to an additional examination of physical performance assessed by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), either by attending a testing station or by visits from ambulatory teams. The distribution and variation in SPPB total and subscores, as well as gait speed, are presented by sex, age, and educational level.

Results: The SPPB was registered in 11,394 individuals; 54.8% were women; the age range was 70-105.4 years, with 1,891 persons aged 85 + . SPPB scores decreased by 0.27 points (men) and 0.33 points (women) for each year of age, and gait speed by 0.02 m/sec (men) and 0.03 m/sec (women). Using a frailty cut-off for gait speed at < 0.8 m/sec, the proportion of participants categorized as frail increased from 13.9% in the 70-74 years cohort to 73.9% in participants aged 85 + . Level of education [Formula: see text] 10 years corresponded to 6 years (men) and 4 years (women) earlier onset of frailty (SPPB [Formula: see text] 9) compared to education [Formula: see text] 14 years.

Conclusion: We found that the SPPB captured a gradual decline and wide distribution in physical performance in old age. The results provide information about physical performance, health status, and risk profiles at a population level and can serve as reference data for clinicians, researchers, and healthcare planners.

Kjerstin N. Melsæter, Gro G. Tangen, Håvard K. Skjellegrind, Beatrix Vereijken, Bjørn H. Strand and Pernille Thingstad

Background and objectives: Impaired spatial navigation is considered an early sign in many neurodegenerative diseases. We aimed to determine if spatial navigation was associated with future dementia in patients with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and to explore associations between spatial navigation and biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and neurodegeneration.

Methods: The study included memory clinic patients without dementia in the longitudinal BioFINDER cohort. The Floor Maze Test (FMT) was used to assess spatial navigation at baseline. Conversion to dementia were evaluated at 2- and 4-year follow-ups. At baseline, amyloid-β 42/40 ratio, phosphorylated-tau (p-tau) and neurofilament light (NfL) were analysed in CSF. Cortical thickness and volume of regions relevant for navigation, and white matter lesion volume were quantified from MRI. The predictive role of the FMT for conversion to all-cause dementia was analysed using logistic regression analyses in two models; 1) controlled for age, sex and education, and 2) adding baseline cognitive status and MMSE. Associations between FMT and biomarkers were adjusted for age, sex, and cognitive status (SCD or MCI).

Results: 156 patients with SCD and 176 patients with MCI were included. FMT total time was associated with progression to all-cause dementia in model 2 at 2-year (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04, 1.16) and at 4-year follow-up (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.04, 1.16), i.e., a 10 % increase in odds of developing dementia per every 10 sec increase in FMT. In the adjusted analyses, P-tau and NfL was associated with FMT total time, as well as hippocampal volume, parahippocampal and inferior parietal cortical thickness. Amyloid-β 42/40 ratio was not associated with FMT total time.

Discussion: Impaired spatial navigation was associated with conversion to dementia within 2 and 4 years, and with key CSF and MRI biomarkers for AD and neurodegeneration in patients with SCD and MCI. This supports its use in early cognitive assessments, but the predictive accuracy should be validated in other cohorts.

Classification of evidence: This is a Class 1 prospective cohort study demonstrating association of baseline markers of spatial recognition with development of dementia in patients with SCD or MCI at baseline.

Gro Gujord Tangen, Maria H Nilsson, Erik Stomrud, Sebastian Palmqvist, Oskar Hansson

Introduction
Quality of life (QoL) and function are important outcomes for older adults with cancer. We aimed to assess differences in trends in patient-reported outcomes (PROs) during radiotherapy (RT) between (1) groups with curative or palliative treatment intent and (2) groups defined according to the number of geriatric impairments.
Materials and Methods
A prospective observational study including patients aged ≥65 years receiving curative or palliative RT was conducted. Geriatric assessment (GA) was performed before RT, and cut-offs for impairments within each domain were defined. Patients were grouped according to the number of geriatric impairments: 0, 1, 2, 3, and ≥ 4. Our primary outcomes, global QoL and physical function (PF), were assessed by The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality-of-Life Core Questionnaire (EORTC) (QLQ-C30) at baseline, RT completion, and two, eight, and sixteen weeks later. Differences in trends in outcomes between the groups were assessed by linear mixed models.
Results
301 patients were enrolled, mean age was 73.6 years, 53.8% received curative RT. Patients receiving palliative RT reported significantly worse global QoL and PF compared to the curative group. The prevalence of 0, 1, 2, 3 and ≥ 4 geriatric impairments was 16.6%, 22.7%, 16.9%, 16.3% and 27.5%, respectively. Global QoL and PF gradually decreased with an increasing number of impairments. These group differences remained stable from baseline throughout follow-up without any clinically significant changes for any of the outcomes.
Discussion
Increasing number of geriatric impairments had a profound negative impact on global QoL and PF, but no further decline was observed for any group or outcome, indicating that RT was mainly well tolerated. Thus, geriatric impairments per se should not be reasons for withholding RT. GA is key to identifying vulnerable patients in need of supportive measures, which may have the potential to improve treatment tolerance.

Guro Falk Eriksen, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth, Bjørn Henning Grønberg, Siri Rostoft, Lene Kirkhus, Øyvind Kirkevold, Line Merethe Oldervoll, Asta Bye, Anne Hjelstuen, Marit Slaaen