Drug Development.

Background: Dysregulated GABA/somatostatin (SST) signaling has been implicated in psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. The inhibition of excitatory neurons by SST+ interneurons, particularly through α5-containing GABAA receptors (α5-GABAAR), plays a crucial role in mitigating cognitive functions. Previous research demonstrated that an α5-positive allosteric modulator (α5-PAM) mitigates working memory deficits and reverses neuronal atrophy in aged mice.

Drug Development.

The most recent Alzheimer's clinical trials, including those which reported successful outcomes, use neuroimaging biomarkers of both amyloid and tau for screening participants and demonstrating a treatment effect on pathology. Some of these trials, notably Lecanemab, hint at a potential sex bias in treatment outcome, alluding to major implications for clinical practice when recommending treatment options. Sex differences in treatment response are not surprising given that women are at greater risk of progression to AD dementia, particularly if they carry APOEe4.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Over half of the 6 million persons living with dementia (PLWD) in the United States visit emergency departments (EDs) annually. Because EDs play a vital role in providing care to PLWD, there has been increased attention to improving the ED care experience. Yet, measures to evaluate the ED care experience for PLWD focus predominantly on care utilization or distal outcomes (e.

Evaluation of the Patient Global Impression of Symptom Severity (PGISS) Score as a Subjective and Objective Measure of Disease Activity in Chronic Rhinosinusitis.

Background: The Sino-nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) is a 22-question survey that is utilized to evaluate health-related quality of life of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). The Patient Global Impression Symptom Severity (PGISS) is a similar yet versatile instrument that combines features of both a Likert scale and a visual analog to assess symptom severity in CRS patients. While previous studies have evaluated the validity of SNOT-22 as an instrument to measure CRS patients' symptom severity, no studies have evaluated PGISS scale's ability to evaluate and guide treatment plans for CRS patients.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Care partners of hospitalized people living with dementia (PLWD) are particularly vulnerable in the hospital setting and may feel invisible during hospitalization of the PLWD they care for. Hospital initiatives for dementia friendly spaces emphasize providing a safe and supportive environment. However, literature is scarce regarding how the hospital's physical environment influences care partners' inclusion.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Intact awareness of impaired task performance can facilitate the adoption of cognitive strategies to support performance. However, most studies have not examined awareness of task performance (an element of metacognition) relative to complex everyday activities. The Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA) is a performance-based assessment of functional cognition that includes indicators of awareness during performance of a simulated complex instrumental activity of daily living (IADL).

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a treatment in which oxygen-enriched air (up to 100%) is administered to patients in a chamber at a pressure above one atmosphere absolute and is approved for the treatment of T2D ischemic wounds. Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a risk factor for dementia. Ischemia due to vascular pathology is hypothesized to be an underlying mechanism for this association.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Integrating blood biomarker testing for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) into clinical practice has the potential to transform AD care by enabling broadly accessible and accurate diagnosis, more precise prognostication, and timely initiation of disease-modifying therapy. While there are several scientific challenges to implementing blood biomarkers (e.g.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Caregiver burden, or the impact of caregiving, commonly occurs in caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD); however, prior research focused on caregiver burden in this population has not considered the impact of dysphagia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to measure dysphagia-specific burden in caregivers of PWD and examine its relationship to general caregiver burden, as well as the PWD's current diet level and dementia severity.

Method: Data were collected from PWD-caregiver dyads participating in a prospective, dysphagia-focused clinical trial at the initial study visit.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Latinx individuals bear a disproportionate burden of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), with higher risk, underdiagnosis, and limited access to quality care. Primary care providers (PCPs) are crucial for early detection and management, yet organizational and policy factors significantly impact their ability to provide culturally competent and equitable ADRD care for this community. This study explores PCP perspectives to inform the development of accessible models that improve early diagnosis, preventive care, and quality of life for Latinx individuals with ADRD.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: People living with dementia (PLWD) are high utilizers of acute illness and emergency care, with over 50% of the more than 6 million people with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease related dementia (ADRD) visiting an emergency department (ED) annually. While the ED plays an important role meeting the urgent and acute needs of PLWD and their caregivers, presence of ADRD is often not well recognized and ED visits are associated with significant adverse outcomes for PLWD. Despite these factors, research on the emergency care needs of PLWD is extremely limited.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Video interfacing is increasingly being used in research and health care. The 'VCog' Study seeks to determine whether remote research cognitive assessments are reliable and valid by directly comparing results from in-person administration of a standardized cognitive battery to the same battery administered remotely by video. The study also assesses technology use and comfort amongst participants of varying levels of cognitive impairment.

Dementia Care Practice.

Community Health Workers (CHWs), also known as Promotores de Salud expand health equity to underserved and hard-to-reach communities by providing increased access to healthcare and support services for caregivers and persons living with dementia (PLWD). CHWs have been particularly useful in supporting Hispanic/Latino communities, who are 1.5 times more likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias than non-Hispanic whites and are less likely to access support services due to language and cultural barriers.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: The majority of persons living with moderate to severe dementia live in their homes despite the challenges of increasing care needs as dementia progresses. Caregivers are not prepared to understand and manage common medical concerns, such as incontinence, dehydration, and impaired mobility. Health care clinicians need training and tools to better prepare caregivers for these responsibilities.

Dementia Care Practice.

Background: Care partners commonly support patients living with dementia (PLWD) during and post-hospitalization, however, they frequently report feeling excluded from care and unprepared for their caregiving tasks. While the evidence-informed and validated Care Partner Hospital Assessment Tool (CHAT) was designed to better include and prepare family members and friends, it has not yet been adapted for the growing number of care partners supporting PLWD.

Objective: To adapt and finalize the CHAT for care partners of hospitalized PLWD.

Dementia Care Practice.

Current joint practice guidelines (PG) on genetic counseling and testing for Alzheimer's disease (AD), published in 2011 by the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) and American College of Medical Genetics), recommend against clinical APOE genetic testing. These recommendations were largely followed, as seen in a survey of AD Research Centers in 2019 where only 7% of centers reported disclosure of APOE to research participants. However, because the risk of amyloid related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) associated with anti-amyloid therapy is increased for those with one or two copies of APOE e4, the FDA now endorses APOE testing for those considering this treatment.

Dementia Care Practice.

Hmong and Cambodian Americans, minoritized Asian American subgroups, are underrepresented in research, and prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in these communities is unknown. However, our community partners in the Madison, Wisconsin area, who have served Hmong and Cambodian elders in the community for over 20 years, informed us in the fall of 2021 that they have encountered cases of dementia among elders they serve. They expressed a need for educational materials on dementia that could aid their community work.

Dementia Care Practice.

Older adults use the emergency department (ED) as an important source of acute illness care, making over 20 million visits annually. Persons living with dementia are twice as likely to use the ED and 1.5 times more likely to have an avoidable visit.

Dementia Care Practice.

Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and dementia are at greater risk for mental health conditions including depression and anxiety than those without cognitive impairments. Non-pharmacological interventions are considered first-line to address these problems, but access to psychotherapy services for these groups remains limited. Adapted evidence-based therapy approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) are effective for treating comorbid mental health conditions in populations with cognitive impairments.

Technology and Dementia Preconference.

Background: The National Institutes of Health Toolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function (NIHTB) was developed to address the need for a brief yet comprehensive instrument to facilitate more uniform assessment in large-scale research studies. Here, we investigated whether the cognitive measures of the NIHTB detect cognitive decline in biomarker-confirmed Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Method: We used data from N = 178 participants (age 76.

Small molecule probes for peroxynitrite detection.

Peroxynitrite (ONOO/ONOOH) is a short-lived but highly reactive species that is formed in the diffusion-controlled reaction between nitric oxide and the superoxide radical anion. It can oxidize certain biomolecules and has been considered as a key cellular oxidant formed under various pathophysiological conditions. It is crucial to selectively detect and quantify ONOO to determine its role in biological processes.

Manubriosternal Morphology of Anthropoid Primates.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to examine the proportions of the manubrium and sternebrae across anthropoid primates to explore variation hypothesized to be related to thoracic shape and locomotor specialization, and to determine whether the sternoclavicular joint orientation in hominoids reflects hypothesized differences in shoulder joint positioning relative to the thorax.

Materials And Methods: Metric data and sternoclavicular joint orientation data were collected from calibrated photographs of manubria and sternebrae from a large sample (n = 244) of extant anthropoid primates, as well as a small sample of fossil taxa. Manubriosternal and rib cage metric data were also collected from CT scans of an additional 52 extant anthropoid torsos.

Connectome-Based Predictive Modeling of Trait Mindfulness.

Trait mindfulness refers to one's disposition or tendency to pay attention to their experiences in the present moment, in a non-judgmental and accepting way. Trait mindfulness has been robustly associated with positive mental health outcomes, but its neural underpinnings are poorly understood. Prior resting-state fMRI studies have associated trait mindfulness with within- and between-network connectivity of the default-mode (DMN), fronto-parietal (FPN), and salience networks.

Flood-driven survival and growth of dominant C grasses helps set their distributions along tallgrass prairie moisture gradients.

Premise: Five C grasses (Bouteloua curtipendula, Schizachyrium scoparium, Andropogon gerardii, Sorghastrum nutans, Spartina pectinata) dominate different portions of a moisture gradient from dry to wet tallgrass prairies in the Upper Midwest of the United States. We hypothesized that their distributions may partly reflect differences in flooding tolerance and context-specific growth relative to each other.

Methods: We tested these ideas with greenhouse flooding and drought experiments, outdoor mesocosm experiments, and a natural experiment involving a month-long flood in two wet-mesic prairies.