OBM Geriatrics is an Open Access journal published quarterly online by LIDSEN Publishing Inc. The journal takes the premise that innovative approaches – including gene therapy, cell therapy, and epigenetic modulation – will result in clinical interventions that alter the fundamental pathology and the clinical course of age-related human diseases. We will give strong preference to papers that emphasize an alteration (or a potential alteration) in the fundamental disease course of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular aging diseases, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, skin aging, immune senescence, and other age-related diseases.
Geriatric medicine is now entering a unique point in history, where the focus will no longer be on palliative, ameliorative, or social aspects of care for age-related disease, but will be capable of stopping, preventing, and reversing major disease constellations that have heretofore been entirely resistant to interventions based on “small molecular” pharmacological approaches. With the changing emphasis from genetic to epigenetic understandings of pathology (including telomere biology), with the use of gene delivery systems (including viral delivery systems), and with the use of cell-based therapies (including stem cell therapies), a fatalistic view of age-related disease is no longer a reasonable clinical default nor an appropriate clinical research paradigm.
Precedence will be given to papers describing fundamental interventions, including interventions that affect cell senescence, patterns of gene expression, telomere biology, stem cell biology, and other innovative, 21st century interventions, especially if the focus is on clinical applications, ongoing clinical trials, or animal trials preparatory to phase 1 human clinical trials.
Papers must be clear and concise, but detailed data is strongly encouraged. The journal publishes research articles, reviews, communications and technical notes. There is no restriction on the length of the papers and we encourage scientists to publish their results in as much detail as possible.
Archiving: full-text archived in CLOCKSS.
Rapid publication: manuscripts are undertaken in 8 days from acceptance to publication (median values for papers published in this journal in 2020, 1-2 days of FREE language polishing time is also included in this period).
Special Issue
Got Aging? Examining Later-life Development from a Positive Aging Perspective
Submission Deadline: October 31, 2018 (Open)
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Guest Editor
Lisa A. Hollis-Sawyer, PhD
Gerontology Program Coordinator, Associate Professor of Psychology, Department of Psychology, Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL, USA
Website | E-Mail
Research Interests: Aging workforce and retirement issues; elder care; older learners

About This Topic
The focus of the special issue will be the examination of positive aging processes and outcomes across different fields/disciplines and research approaches. The general theme of the special issue will be on the aging field's shift in focus from increasing older adults' quantity of years to increasing their quality of years. Topics will cover issues of later-life adaptation, resiliency, positive mental and physical health, and optimized person-environment "fit" in living environments, among other research topics.
Publication
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
Forgiveness may serve as an essential positive resource to help individuals cope emotionally with stressful events, ultimately influencing health. Examination of how individuals forgive within the context of close relationships can provide useful information about positive aging. In this study, we e [...]
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
(1) Background: In the light of recent changes in the discourse on positive ageing approaches, we take a closer look at the way “quality ageing” is understood, expressed and dealt with in technology assessment (TA) that investigates desirable frameworks and futures for an ageing society from a citiz [...]
Abstract
This research review intended to examine the patterns of engagement in advance care planning (ACP) and utilization of end-of-life (EoL) care treatment services including, but not limited to hospice care, in distinct older Asian American ethnic groups. The research analysis suggested evidence that st [...]
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
Background: The present study examined the efficacy of two self-guided interventions, which aimed at enhancing adults’ wellbeing through the cultivation of forgiveness skills.
Methods: A total of 11 men and 31 women aged 34-80 years were involved (M = 56.57, S.D. = 13.44). The participants were asked [...]
Open Access
Original Research
Abstract
The main objective of this empirical study was to investigate subjective aging in late life among ethnic minorities in the United States. Specifically, this study examined age identity, or how old one feels, in relation to psychological well-being (PWB) and functional health. The aims were trifold: [...]
Open Access
Original Research
Abstract
(1) Background: The purpose of this study was to examine discrepancies in self-proxy agreement of biopsychosocial factors and the influence of objective well-being and psychosocial resources influence self and proxy appraisals of subjective well-being in older care recipients.
(2) Methods: Seventy-t [...]
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
Promoting a good quality of life for the oldest members of society has become a top priority as evidenced in UK policy. The ‘household’ model is a departure from traditional approaches to care provision since it offers person-centred support - combing health and social care - to older people in spec [...]
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
Background: Research has shown that positive psychology interventions can enhance subjective well-being and reduce depression, however, the efficacy of these programs with older adult populations has not been widely examined. The present study studied the short and long term impact of an interventio [...]
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
Background: Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) could have a lot of potentialities to promote healthy aging and to increase the quality of life of elderly people. Several barriers like access, performance, psychological, and privacy issues still exist against fully deploying ICT soluti [...]
Abstract
Active aging is a concept used to describe and promote lifestyles that contribute to successful aging. However, these lifestyles vary widely, and the concept of active aging encompasses many activities. This paper considers two axes to classify the range of activities that can contribute to active a [...]
Open Access
Research Article
Abstract
(1) Background: Wisdom and curiosity require greater attention in the lifelong learning literature pertaining to older adulthood. Lifelong learning can assist older adults in amalgamating wisdom and pursuing their curiosities, but how wisdom is amalgamated and how curiosity is pursued in older adul [...]
Abstract
With rapidly aging populations worldwide there will be an increasing need to focus attention on the expected increase in disability with advancing age. Drawing upon established literature this paper aims to highlight the contribution of anthropology including selected research findings and contempor [...]
Open Access
Original Research
Abstract
Abstract
Background: This study investigated the influence of positive psychological predictors, religiosity and forgiveness, on subjective and objective successful aging outcomes among incarcerated males.
Methods: Male prison inmates (N=261), aged 45 to 82 and incarcerated in eight state-managed [...]
Abstract
Japan is a steadily aging society, and the number of hospitalized elderly patients have been increasing. Elderly people are vulnerable with regard to poor health, and the number of hospitalized elderly patients has been increasing rapidly. A marked increase of elderly patients may weaken the economy [...]
Open Access
Original Research
Abstract
Background: Minimal research investigates negative and positive perspectives of wellbeing in families, when a member with dementia is limited in their speech, or speech is absent.
Methods: Seeking to explore this phenomenon further, semi-structured interviews sought negative and positive subjecti [...]
Abstract
This narrative review is based on literature searches of PubMed and PsycINFO using the terms online dating in older adults. The papers that met inclusion criteria include content analyses of online dating profiles and interviews with online dating individuals. The issues that emerged from this liter [...]
Abstract
Background: Given the stigma and fear associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), many presume the diagnosis of AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to be a negative experience. Aims: To assess the psychological impact of a diagnosis of MCI or early dementia on positive well-being. Methods: Individua [...]