No abstract

Objective: Cycling Without Age is a global initiative in which trained volunteers take adults living in care homes or supported housing environments out on specially designed trishaws. Despite its global success, there is limited research on the effect the initiative has on the older adults taking part. The current study therefore assessed changes in mood and wellbeing to determine whether there were short-term benefits of participation. Methods: Forty-nine older adults (69% female; 67–100 years old ( M = 84.1, SD = 7.6)) living in care homes and supported housing environments were recruited; 35 participants completed all measures and comprise the analytical sample. Participants completed the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist immediately before a ride (baseline); they repeated the measures on completion of the ride (follow-up). Participants also completed baseline and follow-up measures on a day in which they did not go on a ride. Mixed ANOVA compared differences in baseline and follow-up mood and wellbeing scores on ride and no ride days. Results: For all mood and wellbeing measures, there were significant interactions between day (ride or no ride) and measurement occasion (baseline or follow-up). Analyses revealed significant improvement in mood and wellbeing at follow-up on ride days versus no ride days. Conclusion: Short-term positive changes in mood and wellbeing were reported as a result of participation in the Cycling Without Age initiative for older adults in care home and supported living environments. Further research is needed to explore the longevity of benefits and longer-term changes.

During the normal course of aging, perception of speech-on-speech or “cocktail party” speech and use of working memory (WM) abilities change. Musical training, which is a complex activity that integrates multiple sensory modalities and higher-order cognitive functions, reportedly benefits both WM performance and speech-on-speech perception in older adults. This mini-review explores the relationship between musical training, WM and speech-on-speech perception in older age (> 65 years) through the lens of the Ease of Language Understanding (ELU) model. Linking neural-oscillation literature associating speech-on-speech perception and WM with alpha-theta oscillatory activity, we propose that two stages of speech-on-speech processing in the ELU are underpinned by WM-related alpha-theta oscillatory activity, and that effects of musical training on speech-on-speech perception may be reflected in these frequency bands among older adults.

Objective: Through Cycling Without Age, trained volunteers use specially designed trishaws to provide rides for older adults living in care homes and other supported living environments. Qualitative and quantitative research suggests benefits in terms of improvements in mood and wellbeing. Those studies have predominantly been interviews with participants reflecting on previous rides, or as pre-/post-assessments. To assess emotional experiences during a ride, the current study adopted a participatory action research approach.Methods: Twelve older adults (50% female; 67-92 years old (M=81.8, SD=7.4)) living in care homes or supported living environments were recruited. During a Cycling Without Age ride, participants were filmed using an action camera mounted to the trishaw. Recordings were rated using the Facial Expression Coding System by two researchers to assess the frequency, duration and intensity of positive and negative emotions.Results: On average, 23.7 positive emotional expressions were observed per ride, significantly higher than negative emotions (0.4). As well as more frequent, positive emotions were observed over a longer duration in total (139.5 seconds versus 1.3) and rated as more intense (1.9 versus 0.3).Conclusion: The study supported the value of assessing emotional responses during this cycling-based initiative directly, including minimising the input required from participants. The predominantly positive emotional expressions observed were consistent with both qualitative and quantitative assessments of Cycling Without Age, and suggests a potential pathway by which those benefits manifest. Future studies might adopt a triangulated approach, using in-activity monitoring, quantitative assessments and participant reflections.