This article adds to the conversation on sensory design in architecture and interior design, with a focus on acoustics in living and care environments for seniors and persons with memory decline. The demographic growth of aging populations and increases in dementia and memory disorders poses challenges for supply and design of appropriate care and living environments. We discuss the importance of understanding the role of senses, hearing in particular, in design and ultimately resident experience, functionality and quality of life. We argue that sensory design, especially aural environments, is not adequately taken care of in the design of many communal and care homes. We discuss the effects of aging and memory decline on hearing and its resultant challenges in cognitive behaviour and level of social inclusion and outline specific acoustical needs for this demographic. Through a case study of a seniorst' residence in Helsinki Finland, acoustical measurements of noise levels (reverberation times) were conducted, and the results analysed against current standards. Field results as well as a table of acoustical design considerations is presented at the end of the article.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/SHTI240942 | DOI Listing |
Brain
January 2025
Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia 22908, USA.
Seizures in people with dementia (PWD) are associated with faster cognitive decline and worse clinical outcomes. However, the relationship between ongoing seizure activity and postmortem neuropathology in PWD remains unexplored. We compared post-mortem findings in PWD with active, remote, and no seizures using multicentre data from 39 Alzheimer's Disease Centres from 2005 to 2021.
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January 2025
Department of Pathology and Pathophysiology, School of Medicine Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Nanjing China.
Creatine (Cr) is recognized for its role in enhancing cognitive functions through the phosphocreatine (pCr)-creatine kinase system involved in brain energy homeostasis. It is reversibly converted into pCr by creatine kinase (CK). A brain-specific isoform of CK, known as CK-BB, is implicated in the brain's energy metabolism.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIBRO Neurosci Rep
June 2025
Department of Anesthesiology, The Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai 200090, China.
Introduction: Perioperative neurocognitive dysfunction (PND) is a significant challenge for patients who need surgery worldwide. Morphine can trigger an intense inflammatory reaction in the central nervous system (CNS) at the same time as analgesia, thus adverse effects aggravating PND. Microglia polarization is closely involved in the regulation of neuroinflammation and the TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB signaling pathway.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra
December 2024
Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Tokyo Kasei University, Saitama, Japan.
Introduction: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between anxiety about the possibility of developing dementia (dementia onset anxiety) and subjective memory impairment in frail older individuals who require long-term care and are experiencing declining cognitive function.
Methods: This study included 30 frail older individuals requiring long-term care who completed the Everyday Memory Checklist (EMC), which was simultaneously performed by an occupational therapist (OT). Individuals were divided into two groups: with and without anxiety about dementia onset.
Brain Commun
January 2025
Department of Pharmacology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, S117600 Singapore, Singapore.
Brain serotonin dysregulation is associated with dementia and neuropsychiatric symptomology. However, the prognostic utility of circulating serotonin levels in detecting features of prodromal dementia including functional decline, cognitive impairment, mild behavioural impairment and brain atrophy remains unclear. In this prospective study of memory clinic subjects followed-up for ≤5 years, dementia-free subjects, classified as having no cognitive impairment or cognitive impairment, no dementia at baseline, underwent annual neuropsychological assessments including Montreal Cognitive Assessment, Global Cognition scores and Clinical Dementia Rating Scale Global Scores (where a ≥ 0.
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