Kaat koort: Study protocol for a pragmatic randomized controlled trial of a multifactorial, multidisciplinary Aboriginal Health Practitioner-led Aboriginal dementia prevention intervention.

Background: Limited available data indicate that dementia prevalence rates among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter Aboriginal) peoples are 3-5 times higher than the overall Australian population. Effective, pragmatic and scalable interventions are urgently required to address this disproportionate burden of dementia in Aboriginal populations.

Methods: Kaat Koort is a pragmatic two-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial which will recruit a sample of 354 participants from two Aboriginal community-controlled health services in the south-west of Western Australia.

Evidence of COMT dysfunction in the olfactory bulb in Parkinson's disease.

Hyposmia is one of the most prevalent non-motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease and antecedes motor dysfunction by up to a decade. However, the underlying pathophysiology remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the mechanisms of dopamine metabolism in post-mortem olfactory bulbs from ten Parkinson's disease and ten neurologic control subjects.

Bacteria in the brain: do they have a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease?

Purpose Of Review: Worldwide efforts continue to unravel the complex pathological pathways that lead to Alzheimer's disease. The gut-brain-microbiome axis, a communication pathway between the gut, brain and microorganisms, is emerging as a potential mechanism involved in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. While the gut microbiome's role in Alzheimer's disease has gained significant attention, the brain microbiome remains relatively unexplored.

Differences in Medicare payment and practice characteristics for orthopedic surgery subspecialties.

Background: Medicare payment, practice, and patient characteristics give perspective on the lifestyle, challenges, and attractiveness unique to each orthopedic surgery subspecialty. Changes to Medicare reimbursement may also affect health care delivery, warranting policy change. We analyzed differences in orthopedic surgery subspecialty characteristics and Medicare payments.

Quantifying vitamin D intake among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia.

Background/objective: Vitamin D deficiency (serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration < 50 nmol/L) is prevalent among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. Alternative to sun exposure (the primary source of vitamin D), vitamin D can also be obtained from food (e.g.