Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: A large body of research supports the benefits of older adults engaging in physical activity outdoors. However, a paucity of research explores factors associated with the frequency of older adults going outdoors. The aim of this study was to explore how factors including cognition, neighborhood characteristics, and physical ability were associated with community-dwelling older adults' outdoor frequency.

Dementia Care Practice.

Alzheimer's disease significantly impacts decision-making abilities, potentially increasing risk-taking behaviors and complicating the process of aging-in-place, particularly in cases of anosognosia (self-awareness impairment). To understand how this affects patient and caregiver perspectives, we conducted a qualitative study to identify arguments used by older patients with Alzheimer's disease and their family caregivers about aging-in-place. We included 18 dyads, each comprising an older adult living at home with mild dementia and their family caregiver.

Dementia Care Practice.

Dementia Dialogue is a podcast produced by the Alzheimer Society of Ontario that provides people with lived experience (people living with dementia and care partners) a way to share their stories with each other and the broader community. Listeners who have dementia and care partners gain insight and strengthen their adaptive skills. Listeners who work with people living with dementia and care partners as well as community members at large, develop an understanding of what it means to live with dementia and how these individuals can be supported, thereby increasing awareness about the experience of dementia and decreasing stigma.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Multispecialty Interprofessional Team (MINT) Memory Clinics build capacity for dementia care within primary care. This presentation will provide an overview of the MINT care model and results of a process evaluation of the implementation of the model in three provinces in Canada using the Research Medical Council framework for evaluating complex interventions.

Methods: 178 healthcare providers (HCP) were trained to establish 10 MINT clinics across three Canadian provinces.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) of dementia are a heterogenous group of non-cognitive symptoms and behaviors that occur in up to 90% of individuals with the condition. Characterizing NPS is a major issue and current methods are unreliable as they rely on subjective observations. Automatic identification of behaviors using central and peripheral physiological markers may be helpful to detect behaviors, allow for early intervention, and prevent critical incidents in patients with dementia.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: The Medication Review in Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (MedRevCiD) checklist is a new tool designed to assist health care professionals in optimizing medication use in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. It consists of 6 domains, each of which addresses a specific medication use issue such as medication management and adherence. The primary objective of this study was to compare the mean number of drug-related problems (DRPs) identified with MedRevCiD Checklist to the Medication Appropriateness Index (MAI) in older adults attending a primary care-based memory clinic.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: The use of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) in older adults with dementia and/or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) has been associated with increased adverse events, drug-related problems (DRPs), prolonged hospitalization, risk of falls, and increased length of stay. This study aimed to identify which explicit tool, Beers criteria 2023 or Screening Tool of Older Persons Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) 2023, identifies more PIM use among older adults with MCI or dementia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a Multispecialty Interprofessional Team-based (MINT) memory clinic.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: A critical need to increase Alzheimer's disease (AD) screening exists given rising incidence, new disease-modifying treatments, and ill-equipped primary care settings. This study assessed the feasibility of a novel, community-based AD screening program to increase cognitive and retinal-based assessments.

Methods: An observational study, supported by the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative, assessed the utility of leveraging community-based settings to increase rates of cognitive assessment (conducted by Alzheimer Society (AS) social workers [SWs]) and RetiSpec's AI-based eye test in optometry settings to detect biologic signatures of AD (plus participant survey).

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Occupational therapists (OTs) play a crucial role in rehabilitation, aiming to improve the lives of individuals with sensory impairment and an increased risk of cognitive decline. Despite being responsible for cognitive screenings on occasion, they have expressed limited confidence in performing these with their clients with visual and/or hearing impairments (VI/HI). To improve this situation, OTs should gain expertise in collaborative sensory rehabilitation.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Assistive technology (AT) plays a crucial role in empowering people living with dementia (PLWD) to perform tasks independently, enhancing their autonomy and dignity. To build on this foundation, our proposal introduces a home-based reminder system designed to further support PLWD in their daily lives.

Hypothesis: Memory aid technology, in particular reminder systems, can be developed to prospectively provide PLWD with autonomy and independence, to alleviate responsibilities and time commitments of caregivers and clinicians, and to enable remote behavioral monitoring.

Dementia Care Practice.

Engagement of People with Lived Experience of Dementia (EPLED) was a new cross-cutting program introduced as part of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA) for their second 5-year phase (from 2019 to 2024). The initiative was supported by the Alzheimer Society of Canada as part of their commitment to the CCNA. EPLED had three objectives: (1) support persons with dementia and care partners to be actively involved in the CCNA research process; (2) work with CCNA research Teams, Cross-cutting Programs and Partners to develop novel mechanisms and formats to further this collaboration; and, (3) advance the methods of patient engagement in research by embedding evaluation.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Up to 30% of hospitalizations in older adults living with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia are attributed to drug-related problems (DRPs), including adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use, and medication non-adherence. This study categorizes the identified DRPs according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) Classification for DRPs version 9.1.

Dementia Care Practice.

Purpose: For youth walking with a parent's younger-onset dementia diagnosis, our voices are the softest, yet our journey is often the hardest. We are helping to open the shades and bring light. We are telling the stories of our Mother's and our Father's.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Universities can play a very important role in providing post-diagnosis dementia education and support to the community. The McGill University Dementia Education Program was founded in 2017 by Claire Webster, a former care partner and dementia care consultant with this aim. Mrs.

Dementia Care Practice.

Care Partners (family and friends) providing direct care to people living with dementia are 1.6 times more likely to report distress if the person they are supporting is experiencing behaviour changes according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. These carers are a critical part of the care team and yet they are often not provided education needed to support high quality care and more effectively contribute to the care team.

Technology and Dementia Preconference.

Background: Anti-amyloid therapy appears to have an increased effect on reducing cognitive decline in amyloid- and tau-positive individuals. However, clinical trials inclusion criteria require solely amyloid positivity. Herein, we developed a machine-learning prediction model to identify tau positivity in amyloid-positive individuals using clinical variables.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Dementia is the seventh leading cause of death worldwide, impacting cognitive abilities and memory loss among aging populations. With the increasing prevalence of dementia, it is crucial to understand the distinct barriers and possibilities in providing care. Although there have been significant studies on dementia care, there is a lack of research that primarily focuses on the perspectives and worldviews of healthcare professionals, especially in the northern and rural regions of Ontario.

Dementia Care Practice.

Introduction: Leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI-1) antibody encephalitis is a rare subtype of autoimmune limb encephalitis (ALE), which is marked by rapid neuropsychiatric decline. This report details a comprehensive approach to its diagnosis and management.

Assessment: In this case, a 68-year-old man presented with aggressive behaviors, cognitive decline, and seizure-like episodes.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Behavioural and psychological symptoms in dementia (BPSD) are common, can be distressing for persons living with dementia (PLWD), and challenging for caregivers and clinicians. There are few updated clinical practice guidelines available to assist clinicians with the assessment and management of BPSD, including deprescribing of medications. The Canadian Coalition for Seniors' Mental Health (CCSMH) developed Canadian clinical practice guidelines on the assessment and management of BPSD to address these needs.

Combination Antithrombotic Therapy for Reduction of Recurrent Ischemic Stroke in Intracranial Atherosclerotic Disease.

Background: Stroke secondary to intracranial atherosclerotic disease (ICAD) is associated with high recurrence risk despite currently available secondary prevention strategies. In patients with systemic atherosclerosis, a significant reduction of stroke risk with no increase in intracranial or fatal hemorrhage was seen when rivaroxaban 2.5 mg twice daily was added to aspirin.

BACE-1 and ADAM-10 as Potential Peripheral Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease.

Amyloid beta (Aβ) dyshomeostasis is considered the main biological aberration in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) pathology. The interplay between Aβ formation and clearance is predominantly modulated by a disintegrin and a metalloproteinase 10 (ADAM10, α-secretase) and β-site APP Cleaving Enzyme 1 (BACE1), the two pivotal enzymes in both non-amyloidogenic/amyloidogenic and amyloidolytic pathways. Emerging evidence suggests that aberrations in ADAM10 and BACE1 expression, activity, and function in the brain of AD patients also manifest in peripheral fluids, suggesting their potential as blood-based biomarkers for AD diagnosis.

Technology and Dementia Preconference.

Background: Commercially available exercise video games ('exergames') can be used by people with dementia with the right (human) prompting and support. However, more information is needed about what makes these systems and games technologically accessible for this population, considering their cognitive difficulties. This study explores what works and doesn't work for people with dementia when introducing new exergame systems and games to broaden opportunities for physical activity.

Technology and Dementia Preconference.

Background: Screen failure due to amyloid negativity is yet a problem in clinical trials for anti-amyloid drugs. In this context, clinical characteristics of patients presenting with cognitive decline may decrease the screen failure ratio by increasing the odds of selecting individuals with brain amyloid pathology. Herein, we aimed at estimating amyloid and tau positivity in individuals using clinical variables in a machine learning model of prediction.

Technology and Dementia Preconference.

Background: Walking is a key facilitator of healthy ageing and may reduce risk of cognitive decline in older adults. To develop suitable, accessible interventions, we must objectively consider the socio-ecological factors which influence participation in walking activities. For example, walking may be influenced by the volume and type of activities one's partner participates in (i.

The Index of Cannabis Equivalence (ICE): A User-Centered Approach to Standardization of Cannabis Dose-Response.

The increasing acceptance of cannabis use, and policy changes in several jurisdictions has led researchers and public health experts to call for a standard cannabis dose. Standard dosing units are useful tools for regulation, substance use guidelines, data collection, consistency of research, as a means of communicating low-risk recommendations and dose-related effects, and for self-monitoring. Efforts to standardize cannabis dose have focused on cannabinoid content without considering tolerance or mode.