Each study has a usefulness score out of 100 (rubric version 4.0). Tap a score to see what makes it up.
Highest usefulness score first. Studies without a score come last.
-
Following the rapid increase of the aging population, health promotion and prevention of physical disability and dementia in older persons are essential for healthy aging.
-
Our search identified a total of 2,824 citations, following screening for duplicates and application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, five studies were included for analysis.
-
MBSR is well-accepted potentially promising intervention with positive effect on cognition, depressive symptoms and immunological profile.
-
Black decedents were less likely than White decedents to use hospice for 3 or more days (132 of 378 [34.9%] vs 385 of 834 [46.2%]; P Conclusions and relevance Despite the increase in the use of hospice care in recent decades, racial disparities in the use of hospice remain, especially for noncancer deaths.
Why it matters
This study examined racial disparities in hospice use and end-of-life treatment intensity among participants who died between 2013 and 2015. It found differences between Black and White patients in end-of-life care, but the abstract does not report the specific results of these comparisons.
-
The findings of this cohort study suggest that among older Medicare patients undergoing surgical treatment, a diagnosis of a PND was associated with an increase in health care costs for up to 1 year following the surgical procedure.
-
Although antipsychotics were associated with greater harm than antidepressants and anticonvulsants in subgroups of persons with dementia, medications used in lieu of antipsychotics for treating neuropsychiatric symptoms in dementia, such as anticonvulsants and dextromethorphan-quinidine, were also associated with harm.
Why it matters
This review of many studies compared the safety of different drugs used for behavioral symptoms in dementia. It found some increased risks, such as cerebrovascular events with antipsychotics, but it does not show any treatment that cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
-
A program of cognitive training improves cognitive functioning over time.
-
Controversies persist regarding the association between blood pressure (BP) and the risks of cognitive impairment and dementia due to inconsistent definitions of BP exposure and varying population characteristics.
Why it matters
This review found that high blood pressure in midlife was linked to a higher risk of cognitive problems, and that taking blood pressure medications was tied to a 21% lower dementia risk. It suggests that managing blood pressure, especially in midlife, may help lower dementia risk, though the evidence quality was only moderate.
-
Cognition-oriented treatments - commonly categorized as cognitive training, cognitive rehabilitation and cognitive stimulation - are promising approaches for the prevention of cognitive and functional decline in older adults.
-
Vortioxetine may be beneficial for age-related cognitive decline when combined with cognitive training.
-
The prevalence of older patients with dementia and oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is rising and management is poor.
-
This systematic review and meta-analysis compared the effects of 131 randomized controlled trials, published between 2006 and mid-2018, for dementia caregivers with community-dwelling care-recipients.
Why it matters
This review of 131 trials found that nonpharmacological interventions for dementia caregivers reduced depressive symptoms, burden, and stress, with some effects lasting at follow-up. Educational programs with psychotherapeutic components, counseling, and mindfulness-based interventions had the strongest effects on depressive symptoms, though studies with smaller samples tended to report larger effects.
-
This study found that the prevalence of maternal psychological distress in healthy, well-educated, and employed pregnant women was high, underappreciated, and associated with impaired fetal brain biochemistry and hippocampal growth as well as accelerated cortical folding.
-
Cognitive training in MCI may be enhanced by atDCS, but further delineation of the impact of current brain state, as well as temporal characteristics of multi-session atDCS-training application, may be needed to induce longer-lasting effects.
-
Fragmented investigation has masked the overall picture for causes of cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Why it matters
High blood pressure is presented as the strongest risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is also linked to dementia. The review suggests that preventing age-related increases in blood pressure could reduce vascular consequences usually attributed to aging.
-
69/100
The age of the population is shifting toward the elderly range, which may lead to an increased risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
-
Policies regarding sustained hospice eligibility should account for the variable and protracted end-of-life trajectory of patients with dementia.
-
MCI prevalence varied among Hispanic/Latino backgrounds, but not as widely as reported in the previous studies.
Why it matters
In this group of middle-aged and older Hispanics/Latinos, higher cardiovascular disease risk and more depressive symptoms were linked to more mild cognitive impairment, while the APOE4 gene was not. This suggests that lowering heart and blood vessel risk factors may be one path to reducing mild cognitive impairment and possibly dementia in these groups.
-
69/100
Ladostigil was safe and well tolerated but did not delay progression to dementia.
Why it matters
In 210 patients with mild cognitive impairment and medial temporal lobe atrophy, ladostigil did not significantly decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, and there were no significant effects on the composite, disability, or depression scores. This trial did not show a benefit for preventing Alzheimer's disease.
-
Use of HAs is associated with delayed diagnosis of AD, dementia, depression, anxiety, and injurious falls among older adults with HL.
-
Diabetes, even prediabetes and changes of diabetes-related biochemical indicators, predicted increased incidence of cognitive impairment and dementia.
Why it matters
Pooling prospective studies (122 of 144 reviewed, PubMed searched to June 2019), this meta-analysis found diabetes was associated with a 1.25- to 1.91-fold higher risk of cognitive impairment and dementia, and prediabetes and markers such as higher HbA1c were also linked to higher dementia risk. These are observational associations, not proof that diabetes causes dementia. Pioglitazone use in people with diabetes was associated with 47% lower dementia risk, but the authors say this needs testing in randomized trials.
-
69/100
The review highlights the paucity of high-quality dementia-specific research in this area and recommends key areas for future work, for example, the need for process evaluation to identify facilitators and barriers to implementing interventions.
-
Little is known about preferred place of death, or the factors associated with achieving this, for people with dementia.
-
Multi-model cognitive training help MCI patients to gained cognition benefit, especially in memory, attention and executive function.
-
Early-life factors, including education level, leg length, history of childhood head trauma, family-related factors and learning ability, were associated with the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment in later life.
Why it matters
This systematic review and meta-analysis found that early-life factors such as food deficiency, low education level and shorter leg length were associated with higher risk of dementia and cognitive impairment later in life. These findings point to early-life conditions as possible risk factors, but they do not show how to treat, cure or prevent Alzheimer's disease.