Faculty members spearhead innovative projects to improve the lives of the elderly
随着65岁或以上的美国人人数预计到2035年将达到7800万，休斯敦Uthealth的Cizik护理学院已经探索了改善老年人生活的方法。
研究系的两名教职员工 -beplay苹果手机能用吗Seema Aggarwal, PhD, RN, AGNP-C, assistant professor and PARTNERS Research Scholar, andCarina Katigbak，RN博士，ANP-BC，FAH，副教授 - 每人最近获得了40,000美元的研究奖。beplay苹果手机能用吗这些补助金用于跨专业团队在护理学校的智能公寓中进行研究，这是一项测试适合年龄的技术，以帮助老年人安全，独立地beplay苹果手机能用吗生活。资金来自玛丽亚·C（Maria C.beplay苹果手机能用吗康斯坦斯·约翰逊, PhD, RN, FAAN, and the UTHealth Houston Consortium on Aging.
此外，Katigbak从临床和翻译科学中心（CCTS）获得了30,000美元的赠款，该研究与老年人及其护理人员感知技术有关。
利用虚拟游戏改善中风幸存者的生活
Aggarwal got the idea for her project, "The Feasibility, Usability, and Acceptability of Using the Oculus Virtual Gaming Reality in Stroke Survivors for Upper Extremity and Cognitive Rehabilitation,” from her teenage son.
"My son kept asking me to play a game with him on his virtual reality gaming system. I resisted but eventually relented. After playing it for just a few minutes, I began to wonder how patients recovering from a stroke might benefit from games that simulate real-life activities," said Aggarwal.
她将测试消费级虚拟现实（VR）系统的有效性，作为提供门诊中风康复的经济选择，尤其是对于居住在农村地区或缺乏运输或足够保险的患者。
VR游戏不是帮助中风幸存者的新方法。已显示它可以改善临床环境中的功能结果。耳机是沉浸式和高度交互式的；但是，先前在研究中使用的大多数设备都很昂贵 - 至少$ 1,000，并带有所需的计算机和固定墙壁传感beplay苹果手机能用吗器。
"Consumer-level VR gaming systems can cost as little as $400, making them an accessible option for patients needing therapy that can be done in their homes. In addition, it may be more effective than telerehabilitation, which is less interactive. While appropriate in some settings, telerehabilitation can lead to a lack of motivation and patient satisfaction over time," said Aggarwal.
在受伤的前六个月内，有一半以上经历中风的患者会出现手臂的弱点和认知障碍，而五分之一的患者患有痴呆症。因此，中风幸存者需要上肢和认知疗法，以防止关节畸形和认知能力下降。
Aggarwal将使用Oculus VR系统进行专门研究，以提供遥远的上肢和认知康复。患者将沉浸在3D游戏环境中，模拟日常活动，这些活动结合了运动和认知康复，称为“双重任务”。双重任务鼓励多个大脑区域之间的神经刺激和相互作用，这被认为可以促进神经可塑性，大脑发展神经元连接的能力，这可能会改善功能恢复。
该研究的主要目的是测试系统在六个月至中风后六个月至中度损害的患者六个月至一年的认知和肢体康复的可行性，可用性和可接受性。
Aggarwal说：“智能公寓是进行这项研究的理想场所，因为它是试点技术的实验室。”beplay苹果手机能用吗
该项目的次要目标是定性地探索让护理人员通过结构化的访谈来支持患者的康复以及这种参与对中风幸存者和看护者关系的影响。
Helping stroke survivors and their families is a topic that hits home for Aggarwal. Her father experienced a stroke in 1992 and recovered with fewer motor and cognitive deficits than other patients who experienced a similar stroke.
"My dad had access to the right type of rehabilitation and care, which is why he had a good outcome. But, unfortunately, many other patients are not that lucky, which is why I'm so passionate about finding an accessible, affordable way for stroke patients to receive the therapy they need," she said.
Katigbak是Aggarwal与McGovern医学院的Mary Russell，Do和医学博士的Sean Savitz一起研究的Aggarwal共同投资者之一；Uthealth Biomedical Informatics学院的Jiang Xiaoqian博士；SLP的Heather Smith和UT医生的OT Emily Stevens。
Measuring heart rate as an indicator of stress in caregivers
Katigbak is using her Aging-in-Place grant for her project "Care Matters: Using Ecological Momentary Assessment & Heart Rate Variability Monitoring to Identify the Timing and Experience of Caregivers' Stress."
卡蒂格巴克说：“慢性压力会对看护人的整体身心健康产生负面影响。”“这被认为是心血管疾病最严重的危险因素之一，这是家庭居住老年人护理人员的主要死亡原因。”
She added that research surrounding chronic stress or stress reactivity – how people emotionally and physically respond to stressors – has typically only been measured in controlled laboratory settings.
卡蒂格巴克说：“尽管这些信息提供了一些有价值的见解，但它并不能准确反映日常生活的压力活动和自然环境中的人们的压力活动。”
Caregivers participating in Katigbak's study will wear small, unobtrusive sensors that provide automated electrocardiography (ECG) analysis and will be asked to answer a series of survey questions via phone app throughout the day for seven days. Combining both types of data may provide Katigbak and her team with information on how a caregiver's physical surroundings and daily activities might contribute to their overall stress.
该团队将使用Cizik护理学院的智能公寓来实现研究的参与者，以便他们在自己的环境中感到自在。
"The results of this study are pivotal to connecting care priorities of older adults and their families and promoting aging in place. In addition, the data we collect may help us develop tailored technology-driven interventions for caregivers, so we are well-positioned to address consequences of chronic stress," said Katigbak.
该项目的共同投资者是休斯顿生物医学信息学学校的萨希蒂·米尼尼（Sahiti Myneni）博士；以及麦戈文医学院的医学博士Jessica Lee。该小组还与Harris Health LBJ House Call计划合作。
Exploring how technology can support aging in place
Katigbak’s CCTS study, "In Tandem: Exploring Homebound Older Adults' and Caregivers' Perspectives on Technology to Support Caregiving and Aging in Place," will take a deep dive into how homebound older adults and caregivers perceive technology. Specifically, her research will examine any barriers to usage and how technology may enhance the quality of life for homebound older adults and help caregivers carry out their various roles and responsibilities.
Katigbak说：“家里老年人及其护理人员面临各种挑战，以满足各种情感和信息需求。”“近年来，已经出现了许多与健康相关的技术 - 促进体育锻炼，压力管理和营养跟踪等行为的技术，这可能对该人群有益；但是，对于家庭的工作和护理人员如何接受这些行为，知之甚少工具。”
Katigbak和她的团队将与位于休斯顿的组织Carepartners合作，为家庭护理人员提供支持，教育，资源和喘息的护理，以了解技术如何改善家庭生活的老年人及其护理人员的健康状况。通过一系列焦点小组和对参与者的横截面的深入访谈，包括老年人的成年人，他们的护理人员，社区利益相关者和临床医生，他们希望能够清楚地了解技术如何在整个老龄化的整个老龄化中提供帮助就地过程。
"The work we will do through this study is critical to developing accessible and sustainable theory-driven, interventions to address caregiver and homebound older adults' needs in real-time," said Katigbak. "We look forward to the findings of our research, which may help senior citizens as they age and ease some of the burdens of caregivers."
Collaborating with Katigbak on the CCTS project are Lee; Padmavathy Ramaswamy, PhD, of Cizik School of Nursing; and Kathrin Milbury, PhD, of MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Laura Frnka Davis
