Dementia risk reduction in the African context: Multi-national implementation of multimodal strategies to promote healthy brain aging in Africa (the Africa-FINGERS project).

Dementia prevention in Africa is critically underexplored, despite the continent's high prevalence of modifiable risk factors. With a predominantly young and middle-aged population, Africa presents a prime opportunity to implement evidence-based strategies that could significantly reduce future dementia cases and mitigate its economic impact. The multinational Africa-FINGERS program offers an innovative solution, pioneering culturally sensitive, multidomain interventions tailored to the unique challenges of the region.

Development of a Cognitive Training Support Programme for prevention of dementia and cognitive decline in at-risk older adults.

Background: Evidence for the beneficial effects of cognitive training on cognitive function and daily living activities is inconclusive. Variable study quality and design does not allow for robust comparisons/meta-analyses of different cognitive training programmes. Fairly low adherence to extended cognitive training interventions in clinical trials has been reported.

Elevated homocysteine is associated with increased rates of epigenetic aging in a population with mild cognitive impairment.

Elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) is associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. In this study, we report the relationship between tHcy and epigenetic age in older adults with mild cognitive impairment from the VITACOG study. Epigenetic age and rate of aging (ROA) were assessed using various epigenetic clocks, including those developed by Horvath and Hannum, DNAmPhenoAge, and with a focus on Index, a new principal component-based epigenetic clock that, like DNAmPhenoAge, is trained to predict an individual's "PhenoAge.

A multimodal precision-prevention approach combining lifestyle intervention with metformin repurposing to prevent cognitive impairment and disability: the MET-FINGER randomised controlled trial protocol.

Background: Combining multimodal lifestyle interventions and disease-modifying drugs (novel or repurposed) could provide novel precision approaches to prevent cognitive impairment. Metformin is a promising candidate in view of the well-established link between type 2 diabetes (T2D) and Alzheimer's Disease and emerging evidence of its potential neuro-protective effects (e.g.

The impacts of social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity levels of over 50-year olds: The CHARIOT COVID-19 Rapid Response (CCRR) cohort study.

Objectives: To quantify the associations between shielding status and loneliness at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and physical activity (PA) levels throughout the pandemic.

Methods: Demographic, health and lifestyle characteristics of 7748 cognitively healthy adults aged >50, and living in London, were surveyed from April 2020 to March 2021. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) short-form assessed PA before COVID-19 restrictions, and up to 6 times over 11 months.

Practice Effect of Repeated Cognitive Tests Among Older Adults: Associations With Brain Amyloid Pathology and Other Influencing Factors.

Background: Practice effects (PE), after repeated cognitive measurements, may mask cognitive decline and represent a challenge in clinical and research settings. However, an attenuated practice effect may indicate the presence of brain pathologies. This study aimed to evaluate practice effects on the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) scale, and their associations with brain amyloid status and other factors in a cohort of cognitively unimpaired older adults enrolled in the CHARIOT-PRO SubStudy.

Health, Lifestyle, and Psycho-Social Determinants of Poor Sleep Quality During the Early Phase of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Focus on UK Older Adults Deemed Clinically Extremely Vulnerable.

Several studies have assessed the impact of COVID-19-related lockdowns on sleep quality across global populations. However, no study to date has specifically assessed populations, particularly those at highest risk of complications from coronavirus infection deemed "clinically-extremely-vulnerable-(COVID-19CEV)" (as defined by Public Health England). In this cross-sectional study, we surveyed 5,558 adults aged ≥50 years (of whom 523 met criteria for COVID-19CEV) during the first pandemic wave that resulted in a nationwide-lockdown (April-June 2020) with assessments of sleep quality (an adapted sleep scale that captured multiple sleep indices before and during the lockdown), health/medical, lifestyle, psychosocial and socio-demographic factors.

Impact of social restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic on the physical activity levels of adults aged 50-92 years: a baseline survey of the CHARIOT COVID-19 Rapid Response prospective cohort study.

Objectives: Physical inactivity is more common in older adults, is associated with social isolation and loneliness and contributes to increased morbidity and mortality. We examined the effect of social restrictions to reduce COVID-19 transmission in the UK (lockdown), on physical activity (PA) levels of older adults and the social predictors of any change.

Design: Baseline analysis of a survey-based prospective cohort study.

Protocol of the Cognitive Health in Ageing Register: Investigational, Observational and Trial Studies in Dementia Research (CHARIOT): Prospective Readiness cOhort (PRO) SubStudy.

Introduction: The Cognitive Health in Ageing Register: Investigational, Observational and Trial Studies in Dementia Research (CHARIOT): Prospective Readiness cOhort (PRO) SubStudy (CPSS), sponsored by Janssen Pharmaceutical Research & Development LLC, is an Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarker enriched observational study that began 3 July 2015 CPSS aims to identify and validate determinants of AD, alongside cognitive, functional and biological changes in older adults with or without detectable evidence of AD pathology at baseline.

Methods And Analysis: CPSS is a dual-site longitudinal cohort (3.5 years) assessed quarterly.

Transition from physical to virtual visit format for a longitudinal brain aging study, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Operationalizing adaptive methods and challenges.

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated adaptations to standard operations and management of clinical studies, after lockdown measures put in place by several governments to reduce the spread of SARS-COV-2. In this paper, we describe our telehealth strategy developed for transitioning our dementia prevention clinical observational prospective study from face-to-face visits to virtual visits, to ensure the ongoing collection of longitudinal data. We share the lessons learned in terms of challenges experienced and solutions implemented to achieve successful administration of study assessments.