A systematic review of loneliness and social isolation scales used in epidemics and pandemics.

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened social isolation and loneliness. There is a lack of consensus on rating scales to measure these constructs. Our objectives were to identify commonly used loneliness and social isolation scales over the last two decades and test their user characteristics.

Effects of a 14-day healthy longevity lifestyle program on cognition and brain function.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a 14-day healthy longevity lifestyle program on cognition and cerebral metabolism in people with mild age-related memory complaints.

Methods: Seventeen nondemented subjects, aged 35-69 years (mean: 53 years, standard deviation: 10) with mild self-reported memory complaints but normal baseline memory performance scores were randomly assigned to 1) the intervention group (N = 8): a program combining a brain healthy diet plan, relaxation exercises, cardiovascular conditioning, and mental exercise (brain teasers and verbal memory training techniques); or 2) the control group (N = 9): usual lifestyle routine. Pre- and postintervention measures included self-assessments of memory ability, objective tests of cognitive performance, and determinations of regional cerebral metabolism during mental rest with [fluorine-18]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET).

Perceived loss of memory ability and cerebral metabolic decline in persons with the apolipoprotein E-IV genetic risk for Alzheimer disease.

Context: Concerns about age-related memory loss are greater in persons who have the apolipoprotein E-IV (APOE4) genetic risk for Alzheimer disease, but the correlation between the degree of concerns and future cerebral metabolic decline is unknown.

Objective: To investigate whether the degree of self-perceived memory loss is associated with regional cerebral metabolic decline.

Design: Longitudinal study.