Drug Development.

Background: Oral ALZ-801 (valiltramiprosate), a brain-penetrant agent that inhibits amyloid-oligomer formation is being evaluated in a fully enrolled APOLLOE4 Phase 3 trial in APOE4/4 homozygotes with Early Alzheimer's disease (AD). ALZ-801 effects on plasma AD biomarkers were evaluated in a 104-week Phase 2 study in APOE4-carriers with CSF+ AD biomarkers. APOE4 is a major risk factor for amyloid-related imaging abnormalities (ARIA) in AD patients.

Drug Development.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder primarily associated with aging, but manifests as a complex interplay of multiple factors. Decline in sex-hormones, particularly 17-beta estradiol, is linked to the aging process. The risk for onset of AD significantly increases with aging and loss of estradiol.

Drug Development.

Lecanemab, a humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to amyloid-beta (Aβ) protofibrils, was formally evaluated as a treatment for early Alzheimer's disease in a phase 2 study (Study 201) and the phase 3 Clarity AD study. These trials both included an 18-month, randomized study (core) and an open-label extension (OLE) phase where eligible participants received open-label lecanemab for up to 30 months to date. Clinical (CDR-SB, ADAS-Cog14, and ADCS-MCI-ADL), biomarker (PET, Aβ42/40 ratio, and ptau181) and safety outcomes were evaluated.

Drug Development.

Background: Participant dropout from study treatment in a clinical trial can leave a trial underpowered, produce bias in statistical analysis, and limit interpretability of study results. Retaining participants in clinical trials for the full study duration is therefore as important as participant recruitment. This analysis aims to identify the baseline characteristics of participants who discontinued during the blinded phase of one of the first and largest preclinical AD trial completed to date, the Anti-Amyloid treatment in Asymptomatic AD (A4) Study.

Drug Development.

Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology is believed to involve various abnormalities, including those of amyloid beta (Ab) peptide and tau processing, inflammation, oxidative stress, and vascular risk factors. Aβ peptides exist in a dynamic continuum of conformational states from monomeric Aβ, to soluble progressively larger Aβ assemblies that include a range of low molecular weight oligomers to higher molecular weight protofibrils, and finally to insoluble fibrils (plaques). Various lines of evidence support the "amyloid hypothesis" that Aβ plays a central role in the pathogenesis of AD, and several immunotherapies have been developed to interact with this cascade in various different places which may reduce the number of soluble aggregates and insoluble Aβ fibrils deposited in the brain.

Drug Development.

Background: Protein misfolding is a key pathological phenomenon driving neurodegenerative diseases that affect millions of people. Visualizing this misfolding process with smart imaging probes would greatly facilitate early diagnosis, etiology elucidation, disease progression monitoring, and drug discovery of neurodegeneration. Although numerous probes have been reported, several unmet needs still exist.

Drug Development.

Up to date, there are no precise reports of the prevalence of dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) in Latin America. This can be explained by the lack of research studies and general little awareness about the disease. Notably, collaborative clinical studies are lacking, and DLB patients remain underrepresented despite their significant morbidity.

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: Loneliness has been linked to cognitive decline and an elevated risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Previous studies measured loneliness at a single point time, which may not accurately capture the longitudinal changes of different loneliness types (e.g.

Drug Development.

Anti-amyloid therapies are ideal candidates for prevention trials. Secondary prevention in those at risk of ADAD (DIAN-TU) has shown reduction of brain amyloid deposition leads to significant downstream biological change; early secondary prevention using a monoclonal antibody in sporadic AD (AHEAD 3-45) is ongoing and will provide critical information on whether treating earlier leads to greater clinical benefit. However, this is not preventing disease but delaying onset in those with presymptomatic disease.

Drug Development.

Background: Evidence suggests glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may have therapeutic potential in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cumulative evidence has indicated a potential reduction in cognitive decline in people with AD, while real-world evidence has shown decreased dementia risk in patients with type 2 diabetes. Non-clinical data reveal that GLP-1RAs impact neuroinflammation and other biological processes believed to be involved in AD pathophysiology, including effects on central and peripheral immune cells.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Using artificial intelligence approaches enable automated assessment and analysis of speech biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease, for example using chatbot technology. However, current chatbots often are unsuitable for people with cognitive impairment. Here, we implemented a user-centred-design approach to evaluate and improve usability of a chatbot system for automated speech assessments for people with preclinical, prodromal and early dementia.

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.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The progressive nature of dementia and the complex needs means that people living with dementia require tailored approaches to address their changing care needs over time. These include physical multimorbidity, psychological, behavioural, and cognitive symptoms and possible risks arising from these and helping family caregivers. However, provision of these interventions is highly variable between and within countries, partly due to uncertainty about their efficacy and scarce resources.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Effect and Safety of Electroconvulsive Therapy plus Usual Care for the Acute Management of Severe Agitation in Dementia (ECT-AD) is a multi-site NIA-funded FDA-regulated pioneering clinical trial to investigate the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in treating severe and treatment-refractory agitation and aggression among individuals with advanced dementia, a condition that has a profound negative impact on patient quality of life and caregiver burden. Here we present baseline demographics of the patient population in this ongoing trial.

Method: To date we have enrolled 18 participants, with a mean age of 74.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The National Institute on Aging (NIA) Imbedded Pragmatic Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Related Dementia (AD/ADRD) Clinical Trials (IMPACT) Collaboratory, in partnership with the Alzheimer's Association, convened a Lived Experience Panel (LEP), a group of 9-12 individuals, including people living with cognitive symptoms, proxies representing people with an advanced cognitive disorder or who are deceased, and care partners of a person living with dementia. The aim was for the LEP members to share their experiences with research, inform the development of research priorities, and provide input on conducting embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs) of dementia care interventions. Given the importance of providing a space for people with lived experiences to share their thoughts and recommendations, we continue to report on the final stage of LEP in its original design.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Mobile health applications have the potential to enhance dementia care and promote well-being among older adults living independently. This systematic review aims to synthesise and evaluate the existing evidence on the effectiveness of mobile applications developed to improve or maintain cognitive function among older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.

Method: A systematic search was conducted across major electronic databases, including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, and PsycInfo, to identify relevant studies published from 2012 to 2023.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: People with dementia of all ages have a human right to equal access to quality health care. Despite evidence regarding its effectiveness, many people living with dementia lack access to evidence-based rehabilitation for promoting function and quality of life. The aims of this study were to 1) explore barriers to access to dementia rehabilitation; and 2) identify solutions which improve access to rehabilitation.

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: 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: 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.

Exploring Compassion Fatigue in Pediatric Nursing: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: Compassion fatigue is a state of emotional and physical exhaustion that arises from frequent contact with people who have experienced trauma or stress, which may affect particularly those working in health care. This study aimed to elucidate the prevalence and determinants of compassion fatigue among pediatric nurses.

Methods: A survey was administered to pediatric nurses at a tertiary hospital in Jiangsu province, China.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a non-invasive emerging tool to modulate brain activities and functional connectivity in various neuropsychiatric disorders. rTMS combined with cognitive training (rTMS-COG) has been showing cognitive enhancing effects compared to those of placebo in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) in some previous studies. However, there is not much research to conclude how much each rTMS or COG contributes to therapeutic cognitive effects.

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.