The paper deals with a possibility of foreign language learning (FLL) intervention in older adults as a psychosocial rehabilitation method to improve the quality of life (QoL) in this age segment, i.e. the people who are over 55 years. FLL has been researched as a successful tool to maintain or even enhance cognitive functions in older age along with other intentional activities, such as engagement in any physical activity. FLL cannot dramatically improve memory and cognitive deterioration of older adults, however, it can improve QoL by increasing subjective happiness that is connected to improved wellbeing. The research was conducted in two groups of seniors who are engaged in FLL, specifically in the Czech Republic and Poland. The major premise of the research was based on the positive psychology concept, i.e., the subjective happiness leads to improved levels of QoL. Both groups consisted of about a hundred respondents whose opinions were researched by an online questionnaire. The major focus of this questionnaire was to evaluate the level of subjective happiness and then compare the results obtained from the respondents from these two geographically different regions. The findings clearly showed that those who had engaged in FLL had reached high levels of subjective happiness, therefore, their subjective wellbeing could be improved. These results might be important for psychosocial rehabilitation practices because they can create a framework for further non-pharmacological intervention to maintain healthy aging. FLL can thus be a very efficient tool for any psychosocial rehabilitation in older healthy adults who do not suffer from any cognitive pathological development but who are just experiencing negative side effects of natural aging process. The research into this topic is very scarce, and therefore, this paper could be an inspiration for further and larger-scale research.

• Klíčová slova
• Aging, Cognitive decline, FLL, Foreign language learning, Healthy aging, L2 acquisition, Psycholinguistics, Seniors, Successful aging, Wellbeing,
• MeSH
• kognice MeSH
• kvalita života * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• psychiatrická rehabilitace * MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• učení MeSH
• vývoj řeči MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

At present, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and related dementias cannot be cured. Therefore, scientists all over the world are trying to find a new approach to prolong an active life of patients with initial dementia. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological pathways are investigated to improve the key symptom of the disease, memory loss. In this respect, influencing the neuromodulator acetylcholine via muscarinic receptors, such as cevimeline, might be one of the therapeutic alternatives. The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of cevimeline on the cognitive functions of AD patients. The methodology is based on a systematic literature review of available studies found in Web of Science, PubMed, Springer, and Scopus on the research topic. The findings indicate that cevimeline has shown an improvement in experimentally induced cognitive deficits in animal models. Furthermore, it has demonstrated to positively influence tau pathology and reduce the levels of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptide in the cerebral spinal fluid of Alzheimer's patients. Although this drug has not been approved by the FDA for its use among AD patients and there is a lack of clinical studies confirming and extending this finding, cevimeline might represent a breakthrough in the treatment of AD.

• Klíčová slova
• AF102B, Alzheimer disease, SNI2011, cevimeline, cholinergic agonist, cognition, evoxac, memory, muscarinic receptors, neurodegeneration,
• MeSH
• agonisté muskarinových receptorů farmakologie   MeSH
• chinuklidiny farmakologie   MeSH
• kognitivní poruchy farmakoterapie   MeSH
• léčivé přípravky aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• neurodegenerativní nemoci farmakoterapie   MeSH
• neurofarmakologie * MeSH
• thiofeny farmakologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH
• Názvy látek
• agonisté muskarinových receptorů MeSH
• cevimeline MeSH Prohlížeč
• chinuklidiny MeSH
• léčivé přípravky MeSH
• thiofeny MeSH

At present, due to the demographic changes and the rise of senior population worldwide, there is effort to prolong an active life of these people by both pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. The purpose of this article is, on the basis of the literature review of recent clinical studies, to discuss one of such strategy, i.e., the effect of Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) on the cognitive functions among both the cognitively unimpaired and impaired elderly people. The methodology includes a literature review of full-text, peer-reviewed journal studies written in English and published in Web of Science and PubMed between 1 January 2016 and 28 February 2021. The findings indicate that the adherence to MedDiet has a positive effect on both cognitively impaired and unimpaired older population, especially on their memory, both in the short and long run. The results show that the higher adherence to MedDiet proves to have a better effect on global cognitive performance of older people. In addition, the adherence to MedDiet offers other benefits to older people, such as reduction of depressive symptoms, lowered frailty, as well as reduced length of hospital stays.

• Klíčová slova
• Mediterranean diet, cognitive impairment, impact, older people,
• MeSH
• kognice * MeSH
• kognitivní dysfunkce prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• strava středomořská * psychologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

This study concerns aspects of positive psychology connected to foreign language learning (FLL) in an older healthy generation. The positive psychology perspective stresses the positive aspects of improved wellbeing in participants who engage in various activities, particularly mental and brain-training practices. Therefore, the aim of this study was to explore older people's subjective feelings connected to their FLL as one of the crucial ways to improve their quality of life (QoL). The objective of the research was to determine the subjective satisfaction level of the participants of a second language (L2) acquisition course. The research sample (experimental group) consisted of 105 respondents who were Czech citizens and 55+ years old. Two control groups were set up. The first (young control) consisted of 102 young adults (university students), also Czech citizens, aged between 19 and 23 years. The second control group (elderly control) consisted of 102 subjects older than 55 years, similar in age to the experimental group. A standardized online questionnaire survey was the principal research method, identical both for the experimental and control groups. The findings clearly showed that language training significantly improved the subjective positive feelings and wellbeing of the older participants, regardless of their objective progress in FLL itself. These results stood in opposition to the young control group and were different from the elderly control group. The results revealed that FLL is an effective tool for enhancing the overall wellbeing of older people, which was shown in their expression of their feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and positive motivation to learn an L2. In addition, FLL objectively affected their mental health in a positive way and expanded their social networks. Moreover, FLL was a meaningful activity for them, despite the weak objective learning outcomes due to the decline of cognitive functions, helping them find their general purpose of life, as well as life motivation as expressed in the survey. These findings are crucial, as it has already been proven that wellbeing is directly connected with good health and longevity. Therefore, national governments and all stakeholders dealing with the present issue of the aging population should pay undivided attention to the enhancement of older people's wellbeing by all possible intervention approaches, including FLL. There is limited research into the issue and the findings of this investigation could be an impetus for further research into the topic from the perspectives of cognitive science, psychology, and psycholinguistics.

• Klíčová slova
• FLL, L2 acquisition, brain health, education of seniors, foreign language learning, healthy lifestyle improvement, mental health, positive psychology, psycholinguistics, psychology of education, second language acquisition, wellbeing,
• MeSH
• dospělí MeSH
• jazyk (prostředek komunikace) * MeSH
• kvalita života * MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• psycholingvistika MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• učení * MeSH
• vývoj řeči MeSH
• Check Tag
• dospělí MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mladý dospělý MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

At present, there is a rapid increase in the number of older population. These demographic changes obviously bring about a number of economic and social issues, which are, for instance, reflected in a rising number of aging diseases, such as dementia, characterized by cognitive impairment. Since there is no effective pharmacological treatment, country's governments are looking for policies and strategies, which would delay the aging process, and thus prolong an active life of aging population. One of these policies appears to be the use of technologies, respectively mobile applications, by elderly people. The purpose of this article is to discuss the use of mobile applications in learning foreign languages, such as English, by elderly people, as well as their benefits. Overall, mobile apps for learning a foreign language appear to be one of the tools which can promote well-being of older people. The results reveal there are many benefits of learning a foreign language by seniors. These include, for example, improvement of their cognitive performance, positive impact on their psyche, reduction of anxiety, gaining self-confidence, development of new social ties and feeling of self-realization, as well as learning of a new foreign language. However, research in this area is very scare, which is due to the lack of such apps for the elderly and consequently, due to the lack of the experimental studies in this field.

• Klíčová slova
• EFL, benefits, mobile applications, older people, smartphones,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

At present, a healthy diet appears to be one of the suitable strategies in slowing down cognitive decline in the process of aging. A number of evidence-based studies confirm its efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness. The aim of this mini review is to evaluate and describe recent randomized clinical and cohort studies exploring the effect of healthy diet on cognitive performance among healthy seniors, as well as to update the existing information on this research issue. For these reasons, the authors reviewed full-text, peer-reviewed journal articles written in English and available in Web of Science and PubMed between September 2017 and February 2020. Altogether nine original studies were detected. The results indicate that healthy diet and healthy diet components generally have a positive impact on the enhancement of cognitive functions. Furthermore, the findings reveal that dietary patterns, as well as single nutrients might have a significant effect on specific cognitive domains, such as memory in general, episodic memory, or processing speed. It also seems that a strict adherence to the dietary patterns and a higher diet variety have a more significant effect on the improvement of cognitive functions. Nevertheless, there seem to be gender differences in dietary behavior. More recently, personalized dietary interventions started to be used in delaying cognitive decline among healthy seniors. Therefore, more randomized control trials or N-of-1 trials should be performed in this research area in order to detect the most suitable dietary pattern or nutrients, which would, together with other modifiable lifestyle factors, contribute to the improvement of quality of life of the aging population.

• Klíčová slova
• cognition, cognitive decline, diet, dietary patterns, nutrients, prevention, seniors,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

The purpose of this review study is to explore the existing research focusing on the impact of foreign language learning among healthy seniors on their cognitive functions from the positive psychology perspective. The methods are based on a literature review of available sources found on the research topic in two acknowledged databases: Web of Science and Scopus. The search period was not limited by any time period since there are not many studies on this topic. Altogether seven original studies were detected. The findings of this review study thus reveal that foreign language learning (FLL) has a positive impact on the maintenance and/or enhancement of cognitive abilities irrespective of age. In addition, the FLL courses seem to offer new opportunities for healthy seniors in the area of socializing and integration into society, which consequently may positively affect their overall well-being. Furthermore, the research shows that it is partly through the stimulation of social well-being that the cognitive effects of FLL might be observed. Cognitive aspects of older age are to be further investigated, including the importance of learning a foreign language, as basically all research conducted proves at least some maintenance or even improvement of cognitive functions of older people when starting intensive language training.

• Klíčová slova
• aging, cognitive functions, foreign language learning, older adults, positive psychology,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• systematický přehled MeSH

The aim of this review is to systematically review the evidence whether proper nutrition has a positive impact on the prevention or decline of depressive symptoms among elderly people. In addition, possible connections between nutrition, microbiome, and serotonin molecules and its tryptophan precursor are discussed. The methodology follows the PRISMA guidelines, including the PRISMA flow chart. The authors systematically reviewed peer-review, English-written articles published in Web of Science and PubMed between 2013 and 2018. The findings of six original articles, detected on the set inclusion and exclusion criteria, indicate that there is an association between nutrition and depressive symptoms in the target group, i.e., that proper nutrition has a positive impact on the prevention or reduction of depressive symptoms among elderly people. The findings also reveal that there is a considerable correlation between the intakes of vitamin B and a decrease in the prevalence of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, sufficient nutrient intake of tryptophan appears to be an important factor in terms of nutrition and serotonin levels in the body. The authors consider it important to explore associations between the overall dietary intake and depression since diets are not consumed as individual nutrients. Returning to preventive approaches seems to be a rational way to promote the mental health of seniors. Future studies thus need to include interdisciplinary collaboration: from a good diagnosis of the disease by a psychiatrist, through an analysis of the need for nutrient metabolism by a biochemist to the development of a nutritional plan by a nutritional therapist. The limitations of this review consist in a relatively small number of the studies on this topic, including just few randomized controlled trials, which are a guarantee of efficacy and objectivity in comparison with cross-sectional studies.

• Klíčová slova
• depression, elderly, gut-brain axis, microbiome, nutrition, serotonin, tryptophan, vitamin,
• MeSH
• deprese farmakoterapie   etiologie   metabolismus   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• fyziologie výživy seniorů * MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• nutriční stav fyziologie   MeSH
• nutriční terapie MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• serotonin metabolismus   MeSH
• střevní mikroflóra fyziologie   MeSH
• tryptofan aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• vitamin B komplex aplikace a dávkování   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři nad 80 let MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• systematický přehled MeSH
• Názvy látek
• serotonin MeSH
• tryptofan MeSH
• vitamin B komplex MeSH

The purpose of this mini-review is to investigate if there are any cognitive benefits of computer-based foreign language training for healthy older individuals aged 55+ years. The author conducted a literature search of peer-reviewed English written research articles found in Pub Med, Web of Science and Scopus. The findings of this mini-review reveal that the research on the cognitive benefits of computer-based foreign language training for healthy older individuals is small-scale. The limited research findings of only three relevant studies indicate that these computer-based foreign language training programs may bring cognitive benefits for healthy elderly people, especially as far as the enhancement of their cognitive functions such as working memory are concerned. In addition, the authors of these studies suggest that foreign language learning is a useful activity for healthy older adults since it has the benefits of being meaningful (an advantage over other cognitive training approaches) and provides the chance for acquiring important skills that can benefit other aspects of life, such as travel or communication. In conclusion, the author of this mini-review also provides several implications for practice and future research.

• Klíčová slova
• benefits, cognitive functions, computer-based training, foreign language learning, seniors,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

BACKGROUND: Present demographic trends show a considerable rise in elderly populations with aging disorders, such as dementia. The current article focused on the exploitation of e-learning as an informal support for caregivers of people with dementia and considered its benefits and limitations to provide proper and relevant care for this target group of people as well as maintain the quality of life of their caregivers. METHODS: The methodology of this study is based on a literature review of accessible peer-review articles from three recognized databases: Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The findings of the selected studies were compared and evaluated. RESULTS: The findings showed that e-learning educational programs/courses helped caregivers feel more confident about dementia care, reduced their perceived stress and enhanced their feelings of empathy, understanding and concern. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study reveal that the exploitation of e-learning as a support tool, especially for informal caregivers, in the management of dementia may be a promising method, but its implementation requires professional training of informal caregivers in the use of this technology. More evidence-based studies are needed on this topic.

• Klíčová slova
• Benefits, Caregivers, Dementia, E-learning, Limitations,
• MeSH
• demence terapie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• osoby pečující o pacienty výchova   psychologie   MeSH
• počítačem řízená výuka * MeSH
• randomizované kontrolované studie jako téma MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• systematický přehled MeSH