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Biomedical subjects

M A Forciea

Publications and source records attributed to M A Forciea.

6 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

Muscle metabolism in older subjects using 31P magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

We used phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy to study the calf muscles of elderly normal (mean +/- SD) (80.0 +/- 5.12 years), elderly impaired (80.7 +/- 0.58 years), old normal (66.8 +/- 1.92 years), and young normal people (24.6 +/- 4.72 years). Relative levels of inorganic phosphate (Pi), phosphocreatine (PCr), and adenosine triphosphate were measured with a 1.9-tesla, 30-cm bore magnet at rest and following plantra flexon exercise. No differences were found at rest or during recovery from exercise in the elderly normal subjects with respect to gender or the presence of stable medical problems treated with medication. At rest there was an age-related decrease in the ratio of PCr/Pi. After exercise, the time constant of PCr recovery increased with age. A mild 7-week exercise regimen consisting of plantar flexion had no effect on time constant of PCr recovery in the elderly subjects. Four elderly impaired subjects had lower PCr/Pi ratios at rest and slower time constant of PCr recovery after exercise than normal elderly subjects. We conclude that gender and the presence of stable medical problems had no effect on muscle metabolism in the elderly and that the elderly recovered slower than young controls. This slower recovery was not corrected with a mild exercise program.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1990

Using DSM-III criteria to diagnose delirium in elderly general medical patients.

Studies of delirium in general medical populations have used criteria for delirium different from current DSM-III or DSM-IIIR criteria of the American Psychiatric Association, or have used DSM-III or DSM-IIIR criteria without operationalizing the components of these criteria. Therefore this prospective study was conducted to establish an approach to operationalizing DSM-III criteria and to determine the incidence and prevalence of delirium. Two hundred thirty-five consecutive subjects age 70 and over admitted to general medicine underwent daily standardized screening. Patients with low scores on screening tests or clinical evidence suggestive of any psychiatric disorder and controls were seen by a psychiatrist, who determined whether delirium was present by applying explicit operational definitions to each component of the DSM-III criteria for delirium. We conclude that the syndrome of delirium as defined by the American Psychiatric Association is prevalent on admission among elderly on general medical services, but the number of cases developing in the hospital is much less than often stated in the literature.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

Aging. Programmed change.

Is aging due to random change or to a developmental program? This fundamental question motivates much research in gerontology and focuses clinical geriatrics research in different directions, as well. If aging changes are random, the prevalence and natural history of disease in the elderly might be unpredictable. Alternatively, if a developmental program continues to operate in late life, physiologic changes could predispose to certain disease or influence therapy in predictable ways. This article argues that the physiology of aging does result from a genetic program that continues to operate in late life.

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Integrating residency training in geriatrics into existing outpatient curricula.

In recent years, the need for increasing the geriatrics component of residency training has been repeatedly addressed; however, there are still many programs that have been unable to meet this need. While alternative sites, such as geriatric evaluation units and nursing homes, may be the ideal sites to teach some aspects of geriatrics, this article argues that the ambulatory care program, required in all residency programs, is the appropriate setting for teaching many of the core skills needed to care for most older adults. Teaching geriatrics in the ambulatory setting, which eliminates the strategic and financial obstacles of developing non-hospital-based sites, can be accomplished with relatively modest additional resources. This article describes the methods used to integrate geriatrics into the ambulatory care component of one internal medicine residency program and the necessary faculty resources as well as the documentation, via chart audit, of the interns' compliance with recommended practice patterns in five categories. With the exception of vaccination status, interns documented 18% or less of possible pieces of information for their patients. While this assessment showed statistically significant improvement in interns' care of older patients after the program intervention, the overall level of performance was still low, underscoring the need for the integration of geriatrics principles in the ambulatory curriculum.

Ambulatory Care↗