Drug Development.

Background: ALZ-801 (valiltramiprosate), an oral brain-penetrant amyloid-oligomer inhibitor in Phase 3 testing in APOE4/4 homozygotes (APOLLOE4 trial). A 2-year Phase 2 biomarker study was completed evaluating ALZ-801 (265 mg BID) on plasma biomarkers, MRI, cognition, and clinical benefit in EAD APOE4 carriers. At trial end, subjects could enroll in a 1-year long-term extension with an ongoing biomarker and cognition analysis.

Drug Development.

Background: Aerobic exercise may positively affect brain health, although relationships with cognitive change are mixed. This likely is due to individual differences in the systemic physiological response to exercise. However, the acute effects of exercise on brain metabolism and biomarker responses are not well characterized in older adults or cognitively impaired individuals.

Drug Development.

Background: Lomecel-B is a novel cell-based therapy with potential to demonstrate clinical benefit on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and its progression. Here we present the results of a phase 2a proof-of-concept trial (n = 49) to further define the potential of Lomecel-B in patients with mild AD dementia.

Methods: This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled 45-week trial (ClinicalTrials.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Black/African American adults (B/AAs) are 64% more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD) than non-Hispanic White adults (NHWs), and risk factors, including non-biological determinants, are not fully delineated. Social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status and lifetime discrimination, are associated with cognitive decline and increased AD risk. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships of a perceived discrimination measure with sociodemographic characteristics and cognitive function in a racially diverse cohort of middle-aged adults with a parental history of AD.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: People living with dementia (PwD) experience progressive functional decline with increasing dependence on their caregivers. Advanced care planning (ACP) has the potential to promote quality of life, reduce iatrogenic harm, and minimize overutilization of healthcare resources, yet planning ahead in the context of dementia is challenging and requires consideration of numerous factors over an extended period of time. We examined caregivers' perceptions of current and end-stage medical care preferences in PwD and the impact of ACP-related discussions between caregivers and PwD.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Education is a recognized modifiable dementia risk factor. To boost cognitive reserve and reduce dementia risk in Brazil's vulnerable populations, we conceived a literacy program (PROAME trial) targeting low-educated adults, aiming to explore how executive function and individual differences influence program effectiveness.

Method: We screened 130 adults, with 108 meeting enrollment criteria.

Drug Development.

Background: Cardiometabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia or obesity, constitute major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, especially among middle-aged individuals. The increasing incidence and association with aging and lifestyle, render the cardiometabolic diseases a societal concern. This is further reinforced by their association with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases (namely dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD)).

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Evidence in adults without Down syndrome (DS) suggests that exercise during mid-life improves cognitive function and decreases risk of later life dementia. Studies supporting this relationship in adults with DS are limited. The purpose of this study was to examine changes in cognitive function after a 12-mo exercise intervention in adults with DS without dementia.

Drug Development.

Background: Irsenontrine (e2027) is a potent and selective PDE9 inhibitor that increases cellular cGMP which is important for glutamatergic synaptic function. Irsenontrine was investigated to improve cognition in Lewy Body Dementia (LBD; DLB and PDD), and recent phase 2 study data suggests that irsenontrine could be more effective in DLB patients without amyloid copathology. Here, we evaluated differential change from baseline levels in proteins associated with cGMP pathway in DLB participants without amyloid co-pathology (DLB A-) compared to DLB participants with amyloid co-pathology (DLB A+).

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Research on biomarkers for Alzheimer's pathology has progressed rapidly. We summarize the evidence and make recommendations about biomarkers for future clinical use.

Method: Our interdisciplinary, international, multicultural group of experts in the Lancet Commission on dementia adopted a triangulation framework, prioritizing systematic reviews and meta-analyses and agreed on the best evidence for recommendations.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Caregivers of individuals living with dementia frequently make medical decisions for care recipients, often without a clear understanding of those needs. Educational tools are needed to guide caregivers about when and how to raise the topic of advance care planning (ACP).

Method: Caregivers of individuals living with dementia (N = 130) were randomized into control (N = 64) (ACP verbal educational script) or intervention (N = 66) (ACP verbal educational script and video) groups.

Effect of low birth weight and preterm delivery on the development of childhood celiac disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis on observational studies.

Purpose Of Review: Whether low birth weight (LBW) and preterm delivery (PD) are associated with the risk of developing celiac disease (CD) in children remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between LBW and PD with CD development in children.

Recent Findings: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases based on the Mesh terms to find observational studies that investigated the association of LBW and PD with CD development in children up to July 18, 2024.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Aging associates with decreased functional connectivity between brain regions linked to musical rhythm perception. Producing rhythmic music may result in strengthened functional connectivity of these regions, but more evidence is needed to support intervention design. Currently, few studies directly contrast younger and older adults' rhythmic music performance to understand brain-behavior relationships.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Understand individuals' self-perception of aging is crucial for promoting a positive aging experience, better health with good quality of life, addressing activities participation, and can help by advocating policies and interventions that support the diverse needs of an aging population. This study aims to examine the validity and reliability of the Chinese version of BAPQ (C-BAPQ) for the healthy older people by assessing the content validity, test-retest reliability, and correlational analyses with mental health by Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), quality of life by the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and activity participation by the Model of Human Occupation Screening Tool (MOHOST). Moreover, to study the factor structure of the Chinese version of BAPQ (C-BAPQ) by using exploratory factor analysis.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: To understand the current situation of the care burden of elderly caregivers in the community and explore the influencing factors.

Method: 100 family caregivers in community were assessed using the General information questionnaire and Home Caregiver Burden Scale (CBI) in Ningbo City In China.

Results: The care burden's average scores of 100 family caregivers in community was 52.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Proper name anomia is a common experience that can become amplified in patients with a diagnosis of dementia (PWD). The Gotcha! app aims to provide practice-based therapy for PWD to relearn the names of key people in their lives. It has been developed according to the principles of errorless learning, which have previously been shown to improve the remembering the familiar people's names and benefit the relationship between the PWD and their loved ones.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Dementia, including its younger-onset variant, increasingly challenges diverse workplaces, affecting both employees living with dementia and their employers. With a growing global trend of individuals extending their working years, it becomes crucial to understand the specific challenges and implications for those with dementia within various employment contexts. This review delves into the cognitive, interpersonal, and organizational challenges faced by employees living with dementia across a broad range of workplaces, reflecting the evolving dynamics of today's work environment.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Increasing findings have proven that virtual reality (VR) is a promising approach for improving knowledge, self-efficacy, and empathy in educational programs (Dhar, DigitHealth. 2023). The purpose of an ongoing randomised clinical trial is to enhance mental wellbeing of dementia patients' informal caregivers (iCGs) by including a VR-based empathy training into an online psychoeducation program.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: MATCH (Music Attuned Technology - Care via eHealth) is a music and health application that supports caregivers of people living with dementia to use music strategically to better manage care through virtual training and intuitive music technology. This study trialled a prototype version of the MATCH app with family caregivers and people with dementia residing in the community.

Method: 16 Dyads trialled the prototype MATCH app.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Research on the relationship between self-efficacy and symptoms of depression and anxiety among individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) has been limited. Furthermore, few studies have explored this relationship within the context of dyadic couples (patient/care partners) rather than focusing solely on individuals. The purpose of this study was to examine the associations between self-efficacy in patient/care partner couples dealing with mild cognitive impairment and their symptoms of depression and anxiety using a dyadic analysis approach.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Within the dementia space, many caregivers lack understanding of hospice care and may not be well prepared for transition to hospice. Nonetheless, few studies have explored hospice transition specifically from the perspective of caregivers for persons with dementia and how it impacts their mental health. In this study, we aimed to examine caregivers' mental health indicators and their correlation structure based on the timing of hospice transition.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: In the last decade, virtual reality has become a popular tool for rehabilitation. It is quite useful in spatial rehabilitation for Alzheimer's disease (AD) as it allows safe navigation in a virtual environment which looks realistic. However, a drawback of virtual reality is cybersickness.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: With the advent of new media, more people - possibly including caregivers of persons with dementia - are turning to social media platforms to share their thoughts and emotions related to personal life experiences. This may potentially serve as an opportunity to leverage on social media to gain insights into the key issues faced by dementia caregivers. We examined salient concerns of dementia caregivers through Twitter posts, aiming to shed light on how to better support and engage such caregivers.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Despite data showing nutritional interventions high in antioxidant/anti-inflammatory properties (anthocyanin-rich foods such as blueberries/elderberries) may decrease risk of memory loss and cognitive decline, evidence for such effects in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients is limited. Therefore, we examined preliminary effects of American elderberry (Sambucus nigra canadensis) juice on cognition and inflammatory markers in MCI patients in a double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Method: MCI patients (N =  24, M =  76.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Understanding how caregivers perceive their own aging process is essential for addressing their well-being and the quality of care they provide. This study aimed at exploring the relationship between caregivers' self-perception of ageing in relation to their strain experienced in caregiving, and their perceived physical and mental health symptoms. Moreover, to examine if the strain experience and perceived health condition were key predictors to their self-perception of ageing.