No abstract

The elderly population of the world is growing fast. The aging phenomenon causes changes in the body’s systems, leading to mental and emotional disorders. Dementia is established as one of the most important challenges associated with the aging process. In this respect, the Montessori-based cognitive rehabilitation program is an increasingly popular choice in dementia care. Therefore, we decided to conduct a review study on the effect of Montessori therapy on different psychological aspects of the elderly with dementia. This narrative review was performed using narrative synthesis. An extensive literature search was performed in databases of ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge using OR, AND, and NOT operators and the selected keywords. Only studies published in journals between March 2010 and March 2022 were used for this purpose. The articles chosen in this study were those that have studied the effect of a Montessori-based cognitive rehabilitation program on the elderly with dementia. Studies that involved the Montessori program on other neurological disorders were excluded. Finally, 32 articles were selected from the final evaluation. It can be concluded that the Montessori program effectively reduces anxiety, destructive behavior, and agitation, increases pleasure, hope, optimism, job satisfaction, social skills, and cognitive function, and improves the quality of life and feeding capacity.

A balance disorder is one of the most common disorders in older people that leads to falls and endangers the health of the elderly. Falls can result in both physical injuries and psychological problems. Many economic burdens are also imposed on individuals, their families, and the community. One way to increase balance, decrease falls, and thereby enhance the health of the elderly is through dance-based therapies. This study aims to review articles using different dance-based interventions such as yoga, Pilates, tai chi and aerobics on balance improvement and fall prevention in elderly individuals. This narrative review was performed using narrative synthesis. An extensive literature search was performed in databases of Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, and ISI Web of Knowledge using OR, AND, and NOT operators and the selected keywords. Only studies written in English and published in journals between 2010 and May 2022 were used for this purpose. The articles chosen in this study were those that have studied the effect of dance-based interventions on balance and fall prevention in the elderly. Studies that involved other disabilities that upset the balance and caused falls and that examined the effect of other interventions on balance and falls in these people were also excluded from the study. Finally, 22 articles were selected from the final evaluation. Yoga, Tai Chi, Aerobics, and Pilates were among the dance-based interventions examined in these trials. The results of this study demonstrated that all dance-based interventions could enhance balance and hence decrease falls in the elderly. Older people may also benefit more from longer training sessions and more intense activity. We can conclude that these interventions can help older adults improve their balance and decrease their risk of falling. Consequently, they might be viewed as promoting this population's health.

Aims: Infection is one of the most serious complications of joint replacement surgeries. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels are widely used for the evaluation of acute infections after joint replacement surgeries. The aim of our study is to determine normal changes in these inflammatory mediators after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Methodology: In our study, we enrolled 100 patients with mean age of 68 y/o (57–77) and the diagnosis of primary osteoarthritis who underwent joint replacement surgery. ESR and CRP serum levels were measured before surgery, as well as one, three, and five days after surgery and then again 14, 42, and 90 days after surgery. The results were compared in two groups of TKA and THA, and patients who had undergone THA were further divided into cemented and uncemented groups. Results: The CRP serum level increased rapidly and reached its maximum level (130.47) on the third day after surgery and returned to its pre-surgery level at the end of three months in all patients. The ESR serum level reached its peak (142.65) on the fifth day after surgery and then decreased; however, it was still slightly higher than the pre-surgery levels at the end of three months. CRP showed faster and more remarkable level changes following surgery compared to ESR, and this elevation was unrelated to the pre-surgery levels. No significant difference was observed between the cemented and uncemented groups. Conclusion: Changes in CRP and ESR levels after TKA and THA surgeries are reliable indicators for assessment of prosthetic infections. In cases with an elevated CRP serum level on the third day of surgery, a strong suspicion of infection seems completely rational.