dementias

OBJECTIVE: Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) is a prevalent but often underdiagnosed and undertreated condition among individuals aged 50 and above. It is associated with various sociodemographic factors and health risks including dementia, depression, cardiovascular disease, and falls. While the causes of ARHL and its downstream effects are well defined, there is a lack of priority placed by clinicians as well as guidance regarding the identification, education, and management of this condition...

BACKGROUND: Distress behaviors in dementia (DBD) likely increase sympathetic nervous system activity. The aim of this study was to examine the associations among DBD, blood pressure (BP), and intensity of antihypertensive treatment, in nursing home (NH) residents with dementia. METHODS: We identified long-stay Veterans Affairs NH residents with dementia in 2019-20 electronic health data. Each individual with a BP reading and a DBD incident according to a structured behavior note on a calendar day (DBD group) was compared with an individual with a BP reading but without a DBD incident on that same day (comparison group)...

INTRODUCTION: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) includes a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized clinically by behavioral disturbances and by neurodegeneration of brain anterior temporal and frontal lobes, leading to atrophy. Apart from symptomatic treatments, there is, at present, no disease-modifying cure for FTD. AREAS COVERED: Three main mutations are known as causes of familial FTD, and large consortia have studied carriers of mutations, also in preclinical Phases...

BACKGROUND: The CSF amyloid to tau ratio can isolate cognitively healthy participants into normal Aβ42 /tau (CH-NAT) or a pathological Aβ42 /tau (CH-PAT) with a low or high risk of cognitive decline, respectively. We aim to determine if plasma Aβ42 /tau ratios can differentiate CH-NAT from CH-PAT participants. METHOD: Study participants (> 65 years of age) were recruited, and demographic, neurological, and neuropsychological data were obtained in an ongoing HMRI Brain Aging study...

INTRODUCTION: Previous studies have reported a decreased risk of dementia with herpes zoster vaccination. Given this background, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between herpes zoster vaccination and the risk of dementia. METHODS: We searched five databases until November 2023 for case-control, cross-sectional, or cohort studies investigating the association of herpes zoster vaccination and dementia. Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were pooled in the meta-analysis...

INTRODUCTION: Genome-wide association studies have identified over 70 genetic loci associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD), but few candidate polymorphisms have been functionally assessed for disease relevance and mechanism of action. METHODS: Candidate genetic risk variants were informatically prioritized and individually engineered into a LOAD-sensitized mouse model that carries the AD risk variants APOE ε4/ε4 and Trem2*R47H. The potential disease relevance of each model was assessed by comparing brain transcriptomes measured with the Nanostring Mouse AD Panel at 4 and 12 months of age with human study cohorts...

Experimental laboratory research has an important role to play in dementia prevention. Mechanisms underlying modifiable risk factors for dementia are promising targets for dementia prevention but are difficult to investigate in human populations due to technological constraints and confounds. Therefore, controlled laboratory experiments in models such as transgenic rodents, invertebrates and in vitro cultured cells are increasingly used to investigate dementia risk factors and test strategies which target them to prevent dementia...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and increasing the risk of death, stroke, heart failure, and dementia. Over the past two decades, there have been significant breakthroughs in AF risk prediction and screening, stroke prevention, rhythm control, catheter ablation, and integrated management. During this period, the scale, quality, and experience of AF management in China have greatly improved, providing a solid foundation for the development of the guidelines for the diagnosis and management of AF...

OBJECTIVES: As symptoms emerge and worsen in people living with dementia, their spouses can benefit from behavioral interventions to support their adjustment as a care partner. The Wish Outcome Obstacle Plan (WOOP) intervention improves the well-being of spouses of people living with dementia early in the disease course, but intervention mechanisms and opportunities for improvement are unclear. The present study gave voice to spouses who participated in a trial of WOOP, describing how WOOP was incorporated into their lives and how it could be improved for future implementation...

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia, although multiple pathologies are found in nearly half of the cases with clinically diagnosed AD. Prion diseases, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), are rare causes of dementia and typically manifest as a rapidly progressive dementia, where symptom onset to dementia most often occurs over the course of months. In this brief report, we describe a patient's typically progressive dementia with a precipitous decline at the end of their life who, on neuropathological evaluation, was found to have multiple neurodegenerative proteinopathies as well as spongiform encephalopathy due to CJD...

BACKGROUND: The increasing aging and frailty of the population make the management of acute limb ischemia (ALI) more difficult, with decision-making far from being guided by evidence. The aim of the study was to evaluate the characteristics and results of ALI treatment in nonagenarians. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of a consecutive series of nonagenarian patients with ALI attended at our institution between 2008 and 2021. The primary outcomes of the study were 1-year limb salvage and survival rates...

In pragmatic clinical trials (PCTs), the intervention is carried out by participating sites instead of research staff. In this paper, we evaluate study sites' implementation adherence during a pilot PCT of home-delivered meals for older adults with dementia. Participants at three home-delivered meal programs were randomized to receive either (1) meals delivered daily or (2) frozen meals mailed every two weeks; participants' outcomes were tracked for six months. Using the adherence domains from the Framework for Implementation Fidelity, we identified six metrics to assess adherence, with a total possible adherence score ranging from 6 (low adherence) to 18 (high adherence); all three sites scored within the top quartile of adherence...

Mild cognitive impairment(MCI)has a high risk of progressing to dementia,with no recommended therapies.Recent studies have shown that meditation has huge potential to improve the cognitive function,with low cost and high safety,being suitable to be applied in the treatment of neurological and psychotic disorders.This paper reviews the application and prospects of meditation in treating MCI from the concept,clinical efficacy,and mechanism of meditation,aiming to provide reference for future clinical studies.

BACKGROUND: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric condition that commonly occurs in medical settings, especially among older individuals. Despite the lack of strong evidence in the literature, haloperidol is considered the first-line pharmacological intervention. Unfortunately, its adverse effects can be severe, and psychiatrists are considering the use of alternative drugs targeting dopamine and serotonin domains (atypical antipsychotics). Among them, aripiprazole is considered to have one of the safest pharmacological profiles...

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common and serious form of elderly dementia, but early detection and treatment of mild cognitive impairment can help slow down the progression of dementia. Recent studies have shown that there is a relationship between overall cognitive function and motor function and gait abnormalities. We recruited 302 cases from the Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to National Rehabilitation Aids Research Center and included 193 of them according to the screening criteria, including 137 patients with MCI and 56 healthy controls (HC)...

OBJECTIVE: According to the World Alzheimer's Disease Report in 2015,there were 9.9 million new cases of dementia in the world every year. At present, the number of patients suffering from dementia in China has exceeded 8 million, and it may exceed 26 million by 2040.Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) refers to the pathological state of pre-dementia with the manifestation of the progressive decline of memory or other cognitive functions but without decline of activities of daily life. It is particularly important to prevent or prolong the development of MCI into dementia...

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the difference in anxiety levels between patients undergoing gastroscopy only and those subjected to both gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Despite known preoperative anxiety impacts, no prior research has compared these specific patient groups. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 150 patients were divided equally into two groups: Group I, undergoing gastroscopy only, and Group II, undergoing gastroscopy and colonoscopy. Inclusion criteria were patients in the age range 18-70 years and having an ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) physical status classification of I-III...

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates educational inequalities in dual functionality, a new concept that captures a combination of physical and cognitive functioning, both of which are important for independent living and quality of life. METHODS: Using data from the Health and Retirement Study and the National Health Interview Study Linked Mortality Files, we define a measure of dual functionality based on the absence of limitations in activities of daily living and dementia...

AIM: To map evidence of the existing virtual reality-based dementia educational programmes and the effects of these educational programmes on dementia formal and informal caregivers. DESIGN: A scoping review. METHODS: A comprehensive search of nine databases was conducted to find studies from the inception of the databases to October 2023. Two authors independently screened the titles and abstracts related to the eligibility criteria. Full texts of potentially relevant studies were read by one author and checked by a second...

Symptomatic HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND) is a complication of HIV (cognitive impairment, difficulties with everyday functioning). If detected early, interventions assist with optimizing care, avoiding rapid decline and enhancing coping. There remains inconsistency surrounding screening/diagnosis information within Australian healthcare professionals and community settings. A scoping review of academic literature, government policies and non-government organisations (NGOs) was conducted to map existing screening/diagnosis information using the guidelines of Joanna Briggs Institute...