Old age is a phenomenon where there is a gradual loss of complex networks a
person weaves throughout his working life. What leads to this gradual
severence of networks and the person's becoming withdrawn ? Something which
is also termed as old age depression.
References:
Lipsitz L.A, Gold Berger AL, Loss of complexity and aging: potential
applications of fractals and chaos theory to senescence. Jl Am Med Asso
1992;267:1806-9
Best of luck with your internship.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sarah Wilding" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, August 10, 2004 10:05 PM
Subject: Re: An email based research topic involving geriatric
medicalnarrative


Hi Rakesh,

I would be interested in helping out with this although I have only one
surviving grandparent.  I will ask around and see if anybody else is as
well.

What kind of things do you want to know in their biographies?  Is there
anything in particular that you are interested in in terms of functionality?

How are things going?  I have just started work as a PRHO (equivalent of
your interns).  Its a bit overwhelming but I am really enjoying it.
I hope that you and your family are all well.

Best wishes,

Sarah





>>> "Rakesh Biswas" <[log in to unmask]> 08/08/04 07:54 AM >>>
 I need your help in finding people who would be interested in doing
research collecting narrative data from people aged above 65. The narrative
data would consist in simply putting each individual's story on paper. Just
imagine who would be the most suited to write the biography of your
grandparents. Its their grandchildren off course. Can people around the
world be motivated to write the biographies of their grandparents and email
them to us so that we as physicians can analyse those narratives and find
out what could be the factors predisposing to reduction in geriatric(old
age) functionality. From our side we can ensure free health care
consultations for them in our geriatric clinic with home visits (if
necessary and feasible for people in and around Bangalore) along with
complete privacy protecting their stories from being recognized as their own
(unless desired).
The study can be even done just on the basis of emailed narratives from
around the world. Please mail this to others who  would be interested.
The following  article may give some idea of what constitutes narrative
based research in medicine.
Biswas R et al, Eubios Jl Asian Intl Bioethics(Tokyo) july 2002,vol 12(4)
143-147 click on:http://www.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp/~macer/EJ124/ej124j.htm
 Rakesh Biswas MD
Associate professor,
Dept of Internal Medicine,
Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre (VIMSARC)
Whitefield, Bangalore, India. PIN-560066
Phone: 0091-80-8412956, mob: 9845509341
Fax- 0091-80-28416199
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.vims.ac.in/