Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors: a therapeutic option for controlling blood pressure associated with delayed cognitive processing speed.

Antihypertensive treatment (AT) is essential for preventing hypertension-related cognitive decline. The goals of this observational study were to compare cognitive performance (CP) between non-hypertensive (NH) volunteers and hypertensive patients and to evaluate the correlation between CP and antihypertensive drugs (AHD). Three groups were constituted: NH (n = 30) [group 1], hypertensive with systolic blood pressure (SBP) < 140 mmHg and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) < 90 mmHg (n = 54) [group 2] and hypertensive with SBP ≥ 140 or DBP ≥ 90 (n = 31) [group 3].

Improved Accuracy of the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised in the Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment, Mild Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia Using Mokken Scale Analysis.

Background: The Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) is an accessible cognitive tool that supports the early detection of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD).

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic efficacy of the ACE-R in MCI, AD, and bvFTD through the identification of novel coefficients for differentiation between these diseases.

Methods: We assessed 387 individuals: 102 mild AD, 37 mild bvFTD, 87 with amnestic MCI patients, and 161 cognitively unimpaired controls.

Age, but not education, affects social decision-making in the ultimatum game paradigm.

Background:  Social decision-making (SDM) is often studied through gaming paradigms, in which participants allocate resources among themselves and others based on predefined rules. In an adapted version of the ultimatum game (UG), SDM behavior was modulated in response to the degree of fairness of monetary offers and the social context of opponents, designed to generate either prosocial or punishing behaviors.

Objective:  To investigate whether SDM evaluated by the UG is affected by age and schooling, as it is relevant to know whether sociodemographic variables may bias UG results.

Low grip strength and gait speed as markers of dependence regarding basic activities of daily living: the FIBRA study.

Objective: Marincolo et al. showed that older adults without limitations in basic activities of daily living at baseline presented with an 11.7% concomitant presence of functional dependence, slow gait speed, and low muscle strength at follow-up.

Frailty and brain changes in older adults without cognitive impairment: A scoping review.

Little is known about changes in the brain associated with frailty, in particular, which brain areas could be related to frailty in older people without cognitive impairment. This scoping review mapped evidence on functional and/or structural brain changes in frail older adults without cognitive impairment. The methodology proposed by the JBI® was used in this study.

Frailty and functional status among older adults with cognitive impairment: data from the second wave of the FIBRA study.

Unlabelled: Frailty is defined as a recognizable state of increased vulnerability resulting from age-associated decline of function in various physiological systems, such that the ability to deal with acute or everyday stressors is compromised.

Objective: The aim of the study was to characterize the sample of older adults with cognitive impairment, according to the frailty status indirectly assessed by family members, other clinical and sociodemographic variables; and to assess the overlap of clinical conditions evaluated in this sample with cognitive impairment.

Methods: Data were extracted from the follow-up database of the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA) study (2016-2017).

Higher purpose in life and education were associated with better cognition among older adults.

Background:  With aging, some cognitive abilities change because of neurobiological processes. Cognition may also be influenced by psychosocial aspects.

Objective:  To describe the relationship between a measure of neuroticism, depression symptoms, purpose in life, and cognitive performance in community-dwelling older adults.

Cognitive impairment in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome: a scoping review.

Emerging studies indicate the persistence of symptoms beyond the acute phase of COVID-19. Cognitive impairment has been observed in certain individuals for months following infection. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the specific cognitive domains that undergo alterations during the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and the potential impact of disease severity on cognition.

Relationship between chronic pain, depressive symptoms, and functional disability in community-dwelling older adults: mediating role of frailty.

Background: Borim et al. showed that older adults with chronic pain exhibited more depressive symptoms and frailty components. Depressive symptoms were associated with more frailty components, and those with more depressive symptoms and frailty faced greater limitations in IADL performance.

The (in)visible Brazilians: A perspective review on the need for brain health and dementia research with Brazilian immigrants in the United States.

Introduction: The Brazilian population in the United States (U.S.), a Latinx subgroup, is rapidly growing and aging but remains underrepresented in U.

Predicting Dementia Due to Alzheimer's Disease and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia Using Algorithms with the Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised Subscores Combined with Sociodemographic Factors.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) are important causes of dementia with challenging differential diagnoses in many cases. Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) is a cognitive battery that may be useful to differentiate the two disorders.

Objective: The objectibe of this study is to investigate the value of the ACE-R combined with sociodemographic factors in the differential diagnosis between AD and bvFTD.

[Influence of multimorbidity patterns on the activities in the day-to-day lives of the elderly: nine-year follow-up of the Fibra Study].

The scope of this article was to evaluate the influence of multimorbidity and associated effects on the activities in the day-to-day lives of community-dwelling elderly individuals. It involved a cohort study with data from the FIBRA Study, the baseline (2008-2009) and follow-up (2016-2017). The basic activities in daily living (ADL) were evaluated using Katz's index, and the chronic diseases were classified as: (1) multimorbidity and multimorbidity patterns; (2) cardiopulmonary; (3) vascular-metabolic; and (4) mental-musculoskeletal.

Cognitive Impairment Predicts Sarcopenia 9 Years Later among Older Adults.

Objective: To assess the longitudinal association between cognitive impairment and sarcopenia in a sample of Brazilian community-dwelling older adults.

Design: Nine-year observational prospective study.

Setting And Participants: A total of 521 community-dwelling older adults from 2 Brazilian sites of the Frailty in Brazilian Older Adults (FIBRA in Portuguese) study.

Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS): Study design and harmonization.

Introduction: Latin American Initiative for Lifestyle Intervention to Prevent Cognitive Decline (LatAm-FINGERS) is the first non-pharmacological multicenter randomized clinical trial (RCT) to prevent cognitive impairment in Latin America (LA). Our aim is to present the study design and discuss the strategies used for multicultural harmonization.

Methods: This 1-year RCT (working on a 1-year extension) investigates the feasibility of a multi-domain lifestyle intervention in LA and the efficacy of the intervention, primarily on cognitive function.

Diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia: recommendations of the Scientific Department of Cognitive Neurology and Aging of the Brazilian Academy of Neurology.

"Frontotemporal dementia" (FTD) is a clinical syndrome characterized by the focal involvement of the frontal and/or temporal lobes. FTD has three clinical phenotypes: the behavioral variant and two linguistic subtypes, namely, non-fluent/agrammatic primary progressive aphasia (PPA-NF/A) and semantic PPA (PPA-S). FTD is the second most common cause of dementia in individuals under the age of 65 years.

Translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and validity of the Brazilian version of the Cognitive Function Instrument.

Unlabelled: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is defined as a self-perception of a progressive cognitive impairment, which is not detected objectively through neuropsychological tests. The Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study developed the Cognitive Function Instrument (CFI) to evaluate individuals with SCD. The CFI consists of two versions, namely, a self-report and a partner report.

Relationships between self-reported dyspnea, health conditions and frailty among Brazilian community-dwelling older adults: a cross-sectional study.

Context: Dyspnea is a symptom present in several chronic diseases commonly seen among older adults. Since individuals with dyspnea tend to stay at rest, with consequently reduced levels of physical activity, they are likely to be at greater risk of developing frailty, especially at older ages.

Design And Setting: Cross-sectional study at community level, Brazil.

Risk of all-cause mortality and its association with health status in a cohort of community-dwelling older people: FIBRA study.

This article aims to estimate the risk of death according to sociodemographic characteristics, chronic diseases, frailty, functional capacity, and social participation in older people as well as determine the median time of death in relation to health status and social participation. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted with older people (≥65 years) in 2008-09 and 2016-17 in the city of Campinas and the subdistrict of Ermelino Matarazzo in the city of São Paulo. Face-to-face interviews were conducted at community centers and the participants' homes.

Number of ideas in spontaneous speech predicts cognitive impairment and frailty in community-dwelling older adults nine years later.

Objective: To investigate the associations between linguistic parameters in spontaneous speech at baseline and cognitive impairment and frailty nine years later.

Methods: A prospective analysis was carried out on data of the Frailty in Brazilian Older People Study (FIBRA) Study, a population-based study on frailty. From a probabilistic sample of 384 individuals aged 65 and older at baseline (2008-2009), 124 aged 73 years and older at follow-up were selected, as they had scored above the cutoff values of cognitive screening for dementia adjusted by years of schooling at baseline and had answered to the question and had no frailty at baseline.

Impact of functional capacity on change in self-rated health among older adults in a nine-year longitudinal study.

The aims of the present study were to estimate the frequency of change in self-rated health (SRH) among community-dwelling older adults, between two measures taken at a 9-year interval; and determine factors associated with a decline and an improvement in SRH, in relation to aspects of physical/emotional health and subjective wellbeing. Data were derived from a community-based study on frailty among Brazilian elderly. Associations were investigated using Pearson's chi-square test and relative risk ratios were estimated using multinomial logistic regression analysis.

Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer's Disease: A 12-Month Follow-Up Study.

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are highly prevalent and may complicate clinical managements. To test whether the Neuropsychiatry Inventory (NPI) could detect change in neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver's distress in patients diagnosed with behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) from baseline to a 12-month follow-up and to investigate possible predictors of change in NPI scores. The sample consisted of 31 patients diagnosed with bvFTD and 28 patients with AD and their caregivers.

Brazilian Version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised in the Differential Diagnosis of Alzheimer'S Disease and Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia.

Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) and behavioral variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) are frequent causes of dementia and, therefore, instruments for differential diagnosis between these two conditions are of great relevance.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) for differentiating AD from bvFTD in a Brazilian sample.

Methods: The ACE-R was administered to 102 patients who had been diagnosed with mild dementia due to probable AD, 37 with mild bvFTD and 161 cognitively healthy controls, matched according to age and education.

Psychometric study of the Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) Short Scale translated to Portuguese, applied to Brazilian older adults.

Unlabelled: The concept Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) is defined as a person's awareness that their behavior, level of physical, cognitive and social performance, and ways of experiencing life have changed as a consequence of having grown older, and not because of disease.

Objective: A psychometric study investigating evidence of construct validity and internal consistency of the Portuguese version of the AARC Short Scale was carried out.

Method: A convenience sample of 387 individuals aged≥60 years with no deficit suggestive of dementia were recruited at venues frequented by older persons and at households.

The Figure Memory Test: diagnosis of memory impairment in populations with heterogeneous educational background.

Unlabelled: Diagnosis of cognitive impairment is usually difficult in low-educated individuals. The Brief Cognitive Screening Battery (BCSB) was designed as a screening tool for the evaluation of cognitive impairment in low-educated individuals, but it may also be used for evaluating individuals with high educational level.

Objectives: To perform a narrative review analyzing the origin of the BCSB, to report all studies that have used the Figure Memory Test (FMT) of the BCSB, and to demonstrate that it is a useful battery for regions where populations have heterogeneous educational background.