Growing empathy through art therapy, life story, and relationships: experiential learning in adult day services.

Introduction: Empathy is a fundamental element of high-quality healthcare, though it has been shown to be in decline among medical students and residents. Appeals have therefore been made for the development of evidence-based empathy-enhancing experiential learning and training models. Bringing Art to Life (BATL) is a service-learning program designed within experiential learning pedagogy for psychology and pre-healthcare students.

The POINTER Imaging baseline cohort: Associations between multimodal neuroimaging biomarkers, cardiovascular health, and cognition.

Introduction: The U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.

Intracranial atherosclerotic disease and neurodegeneration: a narrative review and plausible mechanisms.

Introduction: Intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) of the large cerebral arteries, a leading cause of stroke worldwide, is increasingly implicated in cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration among the general population; however, the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms in this relationship remain unknown.

Methods: In this narrative review, we aim to provide an overview of the epidemiology and pathophysiology of ICAD, the evidence that relates ICAD to neurodegeneration, putative mechanisms, and future research directions. We synthesized available evidence on PubMed up to August 2024.

Healthy Lifestyle and Cognition in Older Adults With Common Neuropathologies of Dementia.

Importance: A healthy lifestyle is associated with better cognitive functioning in older adults, but whether this association is independent of the accumulation of dementia-related pathologies in the brain is uncertain.

Objective: To determine the role of postmortem brain pathology, including β-amyloid load, phosphorylated tau tangles, cerebrovascular pathology, and other brain pathologies, in the association between lifestyle and cognition proximate to death.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study used data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a longitudinal clinical-pathologic study with autopsy data from 1997 to 2022 and up to 24 years of follow-up.

Vascular Cognitive Impairment: A Little Bit of Good News for Women or Bad News for Men?

In a recent issue of the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, Zinman et al. investigated the role of sex in the risk of cognitive impairment in 5,969 patients with a stroke or transient ischemic attacks. Using a short validated clinical screening tool, they noted that men had a 34% higher risk of screening positive for post-stroke cognitive impairment after adjusting for age, education, and stroke severity compared to women.

Trial of the MIND Diet for Prevention of Cognitive Decline in Older Persons.

Background: Findings from observational studies suggest that dietary patterns may offer protective benefits against cognitive decline, but data from clinical trials are limited. The Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, known as the MIND diet, is a hybrid of the Mediterranean diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet, with modifications to include foods that have been putatively associated with a decreased risk of dementia.

Methods: We performed a two-site, randomized, controlled trial involving older adults without cognitive impairment but with a family history of dementia, a body-mass index (the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters) greater than 25, and a suboptimal diet, as determined by means of a 14-item questionnaire, to test the cognitive effects of the MIND diet with mild caloric restriction as compared with a control diet with mild caloric restriction.

Sex and gender considerations in dementia: a call for global research.

Studies have identified sex and/or gender differences in Alzheimer’s disease, but few have examined other dementias. We highlight sex and gender differences in other dementias, discuss sociocultural factors and provide a framework for future global studies.

Sex Differences in Alzheimer's Disease.

Reviewing the research presented in this article, it is evident that from an epidemiological perspective, it is important to evaluate the extent to which findings of sex and gender differences in Alzheimer's dementia (AD) are due to differences in longevity, survival bias, and comorbidities. Medical, genetic, psychosocial, and behavioral factors, in addition to hormonal factors, can differentially affect the risk and progression of AD in women versus men. Further, evaluation of sex differences in AD progression and the trajectory of change in cognitive function, neuroimaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and blood-based biomarkers of AD is needed.

Association of Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay and Mediterranean Diets With Alzheimer Disease Pathology.

Background And Objectives: Diet may reduce Alzheimer dementia risk and slow cognitive decline, but the understanding of the relevant neuropathologic mechanisms remains limited. The association of dietary patterns with Alzheimer disease (AD) pathology has been suggested using neuroimaging biomarkers. This study examined the association of Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) and Mediterranean dietary patterns with β-amyloid load, phosphorylated tau tangles, and global AD pathology in postmortem brain tissue of older adults.

Serum neurofilament light chain, brain infarcts, and the risk of stroke: a prospective population-based cohort study.

Neurofilament light chain (NfL), a neuron-specific protein, has been related to several neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, elevated levels of NfL have also been observed in patients admitted to the hospital for stroke, suggesting that NfL as a biomarker may extend well beyond neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, using data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), a population-based cohort study, we prospectively investigated the association of serum NfL levels with incident stroke and brain infarcts.

Predicting age at Alzheimer's dementia onset with the cognitive clock.

Introduction: Intervention of Alzheimer's dementia hinges on early diagnosis and advanced planning. This work utilizes the cognitive clock, a novel indicator of brain health, to develop a dementia prediction model that can be easily applied in broad settings.

Methods: Data came from over 3000 community-dwelling older adults.

Sex-based disparities and in-hospital outcomes of patients hospitalized with atrial fibrillation with and without dementia.

Study Objective: We sought to evaluate the sex-based disparities and comparative in-hospital outcomes of principal AF hospitalizations in patients with and without dementia, which have not been well-studied.

Design: This is a non-interventional retrospective cohort study.

Setting And Participants: We identified principal hospitalizations of AF in the National Inpatient Sample in adults (≥18 years old) between January 2016 and December 2019.

Incorporation of concussion history as part of the LIfestyle for BRAin Health (LIBRA) modifiable factors risk score and associations with cognition in older former National Football League players.

Objective: Investigate associations between the LIfestyle for BRAin Health (LIBRA) risk score with odds of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis and cognitive function, incorporating concussion history.

Methods: Former National Football League (NFL) players (N = 1050; mean age = 64.8 ± 9.

A Qualitative Examination of Knowledge, Experiences, and Considerations of PET Brain Scan Participation Among Older Black and Latino Adults.

Background: Biological biomarkers yielded from positron emission tomography (PET) brain scans serve as a pathway to understanding Alzheimer's disease pathology. PET brain scan data remain limited for populations traditionally under-included in aging research.

Objective: The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine participant-identified barriers to PET brain scan consent and characterize participant-informed elements of educational materials needed to facilitate PET brain scan participation among older Black and Latino adults.

Longitudinal Changes in Blood Biomarkers of Clinical Alzheimer Disease in a Biracial Population Sample.

Background And Objectives: Recent studies suggest the utility of blood biomarkers in detecting changes in neurodegenerative disorders. The objective of our research was to test the hypothesis that the longitudinal changes in total tau (t-tau), neurofilament light chain (Nf-L), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) are associated with structural MRI and the development of clinical Alzheimer disease (AD) and cognitive decline.

Methods: Data came from a population-based sample with serum concentrations of t-tau, Nf-L, and GFAP and cognitive characteristics measured over 17 years.

Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities in the DIAN-TU-001 Trial of Gantenerumab and Solanezumab: Lessons from a Trial in Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Disease.

Objective: To determine the characteristics of participants with amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) in a trial of gantenerumab or solanezumab in dominantly inherited Alzheimer disease (DIAD).

Methods: 142 DIAD mutation carriers received either gantenerumab SC (n = 52), solanezumab IV (n = 50), or placebo (n = 40). Participants underwent assessments with the Clinical Dementia Rating® (CDR®), neuropsychological testing, CSF biomarkers, β-amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to monitor ARIA.

The Advisory Group on Risk Evidence Education for Dementia: Multidisciplinary and Open to All.

The brain changes of Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative dementias begin long before cognitive dysfunction develops, and in people with subtle cognitive complaints, clinicians often struggle to predict who will develop dementia. The public increasingly sees benefits to accessing dementia risk evidence (DRE) such as biomarkers, predictive algorithms, and genetic information, particularly as this information moves from research to demonstrated usefulness in guiding diagnosis and clinical management. For example, the knowledge that one has high levels of amyloid in the brain may lead one to seek amyloid reducing medications, plan for disability, or engage in health promoting behaviors to fight cognitive decline.

Lifestyle and Cognitive Decline in Community-Dwelling Stroke Survivors.

Background: Patients with stroke are at a higher risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease dementia.

Objective: To quantify the role of lifestyle pre-stroke, post-stroke, and changes in lifestyle before and after stroke with cognitive decline in community-dwelling stroke survivors.

Methods: Utilizing data from the Chicago Health and Aging Project, a population-based cohort study, we studied 1,078 individuals with stroke (662 incident and 416 prevalent) who underwent cognitive testing during the study period.

Self-reported fraud victimization and objectively measured blood pressure: Sex differences in post-fraud cardiovascular health.

Background: Over 5 million older Americans are victims of financial exploitation, schemes, and/or scams per year. Such victimization is associated with increased hospitalizations, admittance to skilled nursing facilities, and lower 5-year all-cause mortality survival rates. Despite this, associations with medical comorbidities like elevated blood pressure (BP) have not been examined.

Including General Audiences in a Virtual Scientific Dementia Conference: Will They Get Anything From It?

Background: Study participants, patients, and care partners are key stakeholders in research and have asked for greater inclusion in the dissemination of scientific learning. However, the participation of general audiences in scientific conferences dedicated to Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related dementias (AD/ADRD) is not widely supported or studied.

Objective: Our objectives were to evaluate the interest, level of engagement, and impact of including general audiences in a virtual dementia conference.

Pelargonidin and Berry Intake Association with Alzheimer's Disease Neuropathology: A Community-Based Study.

Background: An anthocyanidin, pelargonidin, primarily found in berries, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and is associated with better cognition and reduced Alzheimer's dementia risk.

Objective: This study investigated if pelargonidin or berry intake is associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) neuropathology in human brains.

Methods: The study was conducted among 575 deceased participants (age at death = 91.

Cardiology clinic patient attitudes toward and potential personal utility of genetic testing: Findings from a unique multiracial clinical sample.

As more is understood about the hereditary nature of disease risk, the utility of genetic testing within cardiovascular medicine is increasingly being explored. Although testing may afford more personalized risk stratification, there is a paucity of information regarding patient knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs toward genetic testing among cardiology patients. Participants (n = 530) recruited primarily from a cardiology clinic filled out a 41-item written questionnaire assessing knowledge, beliefs, and attitudes toward genetic testing, motivators and detractors for considering genetic testing, and perceived likelihood for behavior change after hypothetical genetic testing risk stratification.

Healthy lifestyle and life expectancy with and without Alzheimer's dementia: population based cohort study.

Objective: To determine the impact of lifestyle factors on life expectancy lived with and without Alzheimer's dementia.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: The Chicago Health and Aging Project, a population based cohort study in the United States.

Consideration of sex and gender in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders from a global perspective.

Sex or gender differences in the risk of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) differ by world region, suggesting that there are potentially modifiable risk factors for intervention. However, few epidemiological or clinical ADRD studies examine sex differences; even fewer evaluate gender in the context of ADRD risk. The goals of this perspective are to: (1) provide definitions of gender, biologic sex, and sexual orientation.