Computer-based, cognitive training procedures aim to increase safety by improving skills related to driving, such as speed-of-processing and the Useful Field of View. The current study assessed the effectiveness of DriveSharp in training older drivers in a naturalistic class setting. Participants (n = 24) attended 10 hours of DriveSharp classes over 5 weeks. Pre- and post-testing sessions assessed improvements on a dynamic hazard perception test, Trails A and Trails B. A control group (n = 18) completed only pre- and post-testing sessions. In-class training times were lower than expected. Participants’ improvement in the games leveled off after the first assessment and the DriveSharp group did not demonstrate a significant improvement in performance compared to the control group. Among several usability issues, the most problematic were misunderstanding task goals and the difference between training and evaluation. There are several implications for those using DriveSharp to enhance older drivers’ safety.

Older women interact with physicians more frequently than older men and younger persons, yet knowledge and understanding of their experiences with physicians is limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate older women’s perceptions of their interactions with physicians and to identify what older women want from physicians. Findings from in-depth interviews with 30 older women reveal the majority want to be actively involved in their own health care. In the patient–physician relationship, the women typically give priority to physicians’ personal attributes and behavior towards the patient. For many of the women, the age and gender of the physician also matter.

The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between the quality of mastication and dietary intake among community-dwelling older adults (67-84 years). A secondary analysis of data collected upon entry of participants in the NuAge study was effected. Perceived masticatory efficiency (n=1793) was measured using a questionnaire inspired by the Oral Health Impact Profile. Direct assessment of masticatory efficiency was carried out in a subsample (n=94), using a validated clinical test (Swallowing Threshold Test Index, 0-100%). Dietary intake was calculated from three non-consecutive 24h recalls. Mean scores indicate good perceived masticatory efficiency (Men:26.22±0.19/28;Women:25.81±0.21/28), but weak assessed efficiency (Men:60.8% [CI(57.3-64.2)]; Women:61.2% [CI(57.7-64.7)]). Multivariate regression analysis, adjusting for confounding variables (age, sex, schooling, living alone, income, smoking, chronic conditions, functional autonomy), showed that masticatory efficiency (measured or perceived) was not associated with intake of fruits/vegetables, protein, vitamin C or folic acid.

Sentence repetition is part of the assessment tasks used to better characterise aphasic patients’ oral production. Moreover, impaired sentence and phrase repetition is a core feature of the logopenic variant of primary progressive aphasia. The aim of this study is to present the TEFREP (TEst Français de RÉpétition de Phrases), a French sentence repetition task that manipulates psycholinguistic variables known to affect the performance of aphasic patients. The final version of the TEFREP consists of 24 sentences in which length, semantic reversibility and type of sentence have been manipulated. The task shows good psychometric properties (validity and reliability). Norms according to age and education level have been developed from a sample of 80 healthy adults and older adults. In conclusion, the TEFREP fulfills the current need for a reliable assessment tool of sentence repetition in Canadian French-speaking populations and contributes to the differential diagnosis of language impairment.

Octogenarians living in the community are the fastest-growing demographic in Canada. Simultaneously, they have the highest prevalence of falls and nine times greater risk of injury due to a fall. To understand how to improve the safety of octogenarians’ aging-in-place, a systems approach is essential. Understanding how societal factors interact and affect the older adult can help care custodians identify and remove safety deficiencies that bring about falls. The purpose of this study was to identify system-wide factors contributing to falls in community-dwelling octogenarians. Eight falls were investigated using the systemic falls investigative method. Participants ranged in age from 83–90 years. Across-case analyses identified 247 contributing factors, grouped within four distinct themes: (a) everyday living has become risky; (b) supervision limitations; (c) health care system disconnects; and (d) poor fall risk identification and follow-up. This qualitative study provides systemic insights into how and why falls occur in community-dwelling octogenarians.

Memory assessment represents an important part of the clinical neuropsychologist’s duties in a geriatric context. In fact, in Canada, about one-third of seniors report memory complaints, with different causes. Based on the underlying etiology, different components of memory may be affected in older adults. Nonautobiographical retrograde memory (public or semantic) is an important aspect of memory to assess; nevertheless, there is currently no reliable and standardized clinical tool to evaluate this aspect of memory in the elderly Quebecer population. The aims of this research were therefore: (1) to develop a protocol specifically aimed at assessing non-autobiographical retrograde memory in this population, the PUB-40; (2) to obtain reference data among 105 healthy subjects; and (3) to develop a short version based on the items which discriminated a group of 20 patients with amnestic Mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from older healthy subjects.