Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Currently ∼50% of people with dementia experience behavioural symptoms linked to unmanaged distress. Effective and safe management of these symptoms is critical to maintain the quality of life and overall care of people with dementia. Technological solutions have the potential to help with research into these symptoms.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Mealtimes are a fundamental part of life; eating and drinking well is vital for health well-being. People living with dementia are at increased risk of eating and drinking difficulties, and may experience difficulties at mealtimes due to the cognitive component of this condition. Such difficulties are prevalent in care homes, where people living with dementia are often dependent on carers at mealtimes.

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: Long-term care (LTC) home residents may be isolated or lonely. Social connection is important for their physical, mental and cognitive health, quality of life and care. However, measuring social connection in LTC residents is challenging and there are no existing measures with adequately established psychometric properties.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The recruitment of individuals for Alzheimer's disease (AD) genetic studies particularly those with low socioeconomic status, and living in rural areas remains a challenge in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), due to stigma-related cultural beliefs that hinder their participation. The Recruitment and Retention of Alzheimer's Disease Diversity Genetic Cohorts in the ADSP (READD - ADSP) project is a case-control genetic epidemiological study involving individuals who are living with AD and disease - free healthy control individuals. The aim is to build a resource that greatly expands Alzheimer's disease genetic studies in the currently underrepresented African ancestry populations and Hispanic/Latinx individuals.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Data from high-income countries (HICs) suggest a decline in age-specific incidence rates of dementia. However, this has happened primarily in HICs, with low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) facing two main challenges: a higher burden of risk factors and, in general, a faster ageing population. Most people with dementia live in LMICs, and this is set to increase, thus requiring urgent and robust action to prevent, treat and support people with dementia and their families.

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: Our authors from around the world met to summarise the available knowledge, decide which potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia have compelling evidence and create the most comprehensive analysis to date for potentially modifiable risk factors to inform policy, give individuals the opportunity to control their risks and generate research.

Method: We incorporated all risk factors for which we judged there was strong enough evidence. We used the largest recent worldwide meta-analyses for risk factor prevalence and relative risk and if not available the best data.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The Promoting Independence Through quality Care at Home (PITCH) project aimed to improve outcomes for people with dementia and their carers via a co-designed training intervention for home care workers (HCWs). The results of the primary efficacy analysis of the successful stepped-wedge cluster RCT (n = 172 HCWs in 18 clusters in 7 Australian service providers) were presented at AAIC 2023.

Method: This presentation goes beyond efficacy and discusses the implementation science (process evaluation and behavioural change) and health economic analysis of the intervention.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The 2020 Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention and care estimated that up to 40% of dementia cases could be prevented by tackling 12 potentially modifiable risk factors, namely less education, hearing loss, hypertension, physical inactivity, diabetes, social isolation, excessive alcohol consumption, air pollution, smoking, obesity, traumatic brain injury, depression. As more evidence on risk factors emerges, the Lancet standing commission on dementia met to update evidence on established dementia risk factors and to consider the evidence for other risk factors.

Method: We used a lifecourse approach to understand how to reduce risk or prevent dementia, as many risks operate at different timepoints in the lifespan.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are prevalent complications of ageing with treated HIV, disproportionally affecting sub-Saharan Africa. Causal HAND treatments are lacking worldwide; therefore, reversible factors are important to explore. Sleep duration and quality are frequently associated with risk of cognitive impairments.

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.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Responses to individualized music in people living with dementia can be indicated by both verbal and non-verbal cues. Evidence suggests that elevated pupil dilation responses to familiar vs. unfamiliar music are preserved in people living with typical Alzheimer's disease (tAD), and to an extent in people with its atypical 'visual' variant (Posterior Cortical Atrophy; PCA) (Brotherhood et al.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) are cornerstones in the symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and are also prescribed for vascular dementia (VD). Despite their widespread use, patterns of prescribing ChEIs are not fully understood.

Objective: Examine the prevalence, timing, and types of ChEI prescriptions before and after dementia diagnosis including prescribing patterns by patient sex and race.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: An estimated ∼40% of dementia cases are due to modifiable risk factors which can be targeted in lifestyle interventions. Effective interventions employ face-to-face delivery, making them resource-intensive and burdensome. Digital interventions offer scalability, accessibility and cost-effectiveness.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Dementia awareness and education are currently limited among healthcare workers and the general public, contributing towards the generation and propagation of stigma and discrimination against people with dementia worldwide. It is crucial to promote evidence-based anti-stigma interventions with a focus on stigma reduction.

Method: This is a randomized and controlled feasibility trial of a group intervention aimed at improving knowledge and reducing stigma related to dementia among Community Health Workers (CHWs) (Trial Registration: RBR-10xp637m).

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Dysphagia is an important feature of neurodegenerative diseases and potentially life-threatening in primary progressive aphasia (PPA), but remains poorly characterised in these syndromes. We hypothesised that dysphagia would be more prevalent in nonfluent/agrammatic variant (nfv)PPA than other PPA syndromes, predicted by accompanying motor features and associated with atrophy affecting regions implicated in swallowing control.

Methods: In a retrospective case-control study at our tertiary referral centre, we recruited 56 patients with PPA (21 nfvPPA, 22 semantic variant (sv)PPA, 13 logopenic variant (lv)PPA).

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: How people affected by non-memory-led and inherited dementias (NMLDs) interact with online health resources is poorly understood. We conducted the world's largest survey exploring 'digital access in non-memory-led dementias' to learn directly from people with NMLD, their care partners and NMLD Healthcare Professionals (HCPs) about the NMLD experience interacting with web-based health resources.

Method: Four surveys [for individuals diagnosed with NMLD, care partners, care partner proxy for person with NMLD, HCP proxy] were co-developed with people with NMLD experience.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: We investigate perceptions of soft robotics in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases (NDD) from diverse communities. Soft robotics is made from soft, flexible materials to make it safer for users. It is a fast-emerging medical field with applications ranging from diagnosis to rehabilitation practices.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Marital status and living status are components of social isolation (SI), a modifiable factor thought to impact cognitive resilience, which has the potential to impact cognition throughout the course of Alzheimer's and related dementia (ADRD) diagnosis. Electronic health records (EHRs) offer access to large scale clinical data, capable of longitudinal analyses.

Method: Cognitive function measurement - Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) - data, demographic (including marital and living status as SI proxies) data and ADRD diagnosis data from patients aged 50+ years from Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (UK) were extracted using natural language processing algorithms from EHRs dated 1995 to 2022.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Literature often focuses on loneliness as a risk factor for dementia. However, loneliness among those living with dementia (PLWD) is yet to be further explored.

Method: Secondary analysis of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Changes in sleep patterns are common in Alzheimer's disease and impact the quality of life of both people living with Alzheimer's (PLWA) and their caregivers. Longitudinal recordings and assessment of night-to-night variations in sleep and physiology can improve our understanding of how sleep influences clinical outcomes and caregiver wellbeing.

Method: We collected sleep diary and contactless sleep technology data (Withings sleep analyser, WSA) in community dwelling PLWA (N = 16, Age = 72.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The increasing significance of self-management in dementia care arises from earlier diagnosis, improved understanding of patient-modifiable factors, and advancements in treatments. The growing acceptance of patient care planning, especially self-management, is further supported by health professionals and public health initiatives aimed at extending healthspan.

Method: This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of self-management tools in enhancing the quality of life for adults with dementia and mitigating undesirable behaviours associated with the condition.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Approximately 944,000 people are living with dementia in the UK (∼0.8% of the population). The World Health Organisation consider dementia a public health priority.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Familial frontotemporal dementia is an autosomal dominant heritable form of frontotemporal dementia, a form of dementia characterised by changes in personality, behaviour and communication which typically onsets in mid-life. Children of an affected parent are at 50% risk of inheriting the responsible genetic mutation and developing frontotemporal dementia themselves. Individuals living at-risk have high psychological morbidity, for example they report struggling with guilt and anxiety about risk to themselves and their children, decisions about whether to get tested, uncertainty about onset of symptoms, and see their risk as a barrier in life.