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.
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The quality and level of evidence supporting each theme varied.
Why it matters
This 2017 review pulled together 41 studies (5,539 people in total) on what is linked to the quality of life of family members caring for someone with dementia. It grouped these factors into ten themes: demographics, the carer–patient relationship, dementia characteristics, the demands of caring, the carer's health, emotional well-being, support received, independence, self-efficacy, and the future. The authors note that "the quality and level of evidence supporting each theme varied." The review shows links, not causes, and does not test any treatment for dementia or any support for carers.
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SEE MCKAY AND FURL DOI101093/AWW323 FOR A SCIENTIFIC COMMENTARY ON THIS ARTICLE: Focal brain injury can sometimes lead to bizarre symptoms, such as the delusion that a family member has been replaced by an imposter (Capgras syndrome).
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Treatment with the PARO robot decreased stress and anxiety in the treatment group and resulted in reductions in the use of psychoactive medications and pain medications in elderly clients with dementia.
Why it matters
In this 12-week randomized study of 61 patients in secure dementia units, interacting with the PARO robotic pet was linked to lower pulse rate and less pain and psychoactive medication use compared with standard activities. It is about managing behavioral symptoms and comfort, not about treating, curing, or preventing Alzheimer's disease.
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Studies varied widely in size and quality and therefore we must be circumspect in our conclusions.
Why it matters
This systematic review examined environmental risk factors for dementia across categories such as air quality, heavy metals, and occupational exposures. It assessed the strength and consistency of evidence and suggests future research could focus on a short list of environmental risk factors, but it does not identify a treatment, cure, or proven prevention.
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The present systematic review critically examines the available scientific literature on risk factors for malnutrition in the older population (aged ≥65 y).
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The analytic cohort included 2488 black and white older adults with repeated depressive symptom assessments from baseline to year 5 who were free of dementia throughout that period.
Why it matters
In 2488 older adults, a high and increasing trajectory of depressive symptoms was associated with increased risk of dementia, while a moderate and increasing trajectory was not. This is an observational link between symptom patterns and dementia risk, not evidence that treating depression prevents dementia.
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The use of APs by patients with dementia in the general population is associated with increased mortality, but whether this risk extends to patients with PD remains unknown.
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Among participants in the Framingham Heart Study, the incidence of dementia has declined over the course of three decades.
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Antipsychotic initiation and use were common during hospitalization, most often for delirium, and individuals were frequently discharged on these medications.
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Older adults with less than a secondary education are at elevated risk of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
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Non-pharmacological therapies, such as physical activity interventions, are an appealing alternative or add-on to current pharmacological treatment of cognitive symptoms in patients with dementia.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials found that physical activity interventions had a positive overall effect on cognitive function in patients with dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. It supports physical activity as a way to improve cognition in people who already have dementia, but does not show it cures or prevents the disease.
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Menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is the most effective treatment for vasomotor symptoms and other symptoms of the climacteric.
Why it matters
This clinical practice guideline states that current evidence does not justify the use of menopausal hormone therapy to prevent dementia. It reports no treatment or cure for Alzheimer's disease.
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Cognitive impairment is present in approximately 30% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and, especially when severe, has a negative impact on survival and caregiver burden.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis of cognitive studies in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis found significant effect sizes in all cognitive domains except visuoperceptive functions compared with controls. It concerns cognitive impairment in ALS, not the treatment, cure, or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
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69/100
If the associations we observed are causal, then air pollution from traffic might be an important risk factor for vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Why it matters
In this 15-year study of 1,806 participants, those with the highest traffic-related air pollution exposure were more likely to be diagnosed with dementia, Alzheimer's disease, or vascular dementia. The authors state that if the associations are causal, traffic air pollution might be an important risk factor, but this does not establish a treatment or cure.
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It is hypothesised that exercise and Mediterranean diet interventions, both individually and in combination, will result in improvements in cognitive performance compared with controls.
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It is unclear to what extent poor social relationships are related to the development of dementia.
Why it matters
This meta-analysis found that low social participation, less frequent social contact, and more loneliness were each associated with incident dementia, while the results for social network size were inconsistent and low satisfaction with social network showed no statistically significant association. It identifies social relationship factors linked to dementia risk but does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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69/100
Personality is associated with cognitive decline in older adults, with effects comparable to established clinical and lifestyle risk factors.
Why it matters
This study and meta-analysis found that higher Neuroticism was linked to worse cognitive performance and greater memory decline, while higher Conscientiousness and Openness were linked to better memory and less decline. These associations were modest and do not show that personality change can treat or prevent Alzheimer's disease.
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Family members of persons with advanced dementia may be asked to make complex treatment decisions without having adequate knowledge regarding the risks and benefits.
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In male physicians aged 65 years or older, long-term use of a daily multivitamin did not provide cognitive benefits.
Why it matters
In this randomized trial of 5,947 male physicians aged 65 or older followed for up to 12 years, long-term multivitamin supplementation showed no difference from placebo in mean cognitive change over time or in mean cognition at any of the four assessments. The result was null for both the global composite score and the verbal memory score.
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Higher "vegetables-fruits" and "snacks-drinks-milk products" pattern scores were associated with reduced risk of cognitive impairment in Chinese older women in Hong Kong.
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In the absence of clinical stroke, people with incident atrial fibrillation are likely to reach thresholds of cognitive impairment or dementia at earlier ages than people with no history of atrial fibrillation.
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This pilot study aimed to compare the effect of companion robots (PARO) to participation in an interactive reading group on emotions in people living with moderate to severe dementia in a residential care setting.
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In Hong Kong, the evidence for cognitive-training programs in fighting against memory complaints is lacking.
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In our large population-based sample, frailty syndrome was a short-term predictor of overall dementia and VaD.
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The intent-to-treat analysis indicated a favorable effect of GHRH on cognition (P=.03), which was comparable in adults with MCI and healthy older adults.
Why it matters
In this controlled trial, growth hormone-releasing hormone showed a favorable effect on cognition in adults with mild cognitive impairment and healthy older adults, with a similar pattern in the completer analysis. This is a cognitive finding in a small trial and does not show that the treatment cures or prevents Alzheimer's disease.
From across this topic
10 of the 7,967 studies in this topic, picked by a fixed rule (a hash of each study's address), not by score or date; each page of this list shows a different 10. The same 10 appear here every time.
- Robots in Nursing Homes: Helping Nurses Detect and Prevent Falls
- Medicare Advantage Has Become Notorious for Prior Authorization—CMS and Lawmakers Are Taking Action
- Socially inclusive infrastructure for disaster risk reduction in urban planning: insights from the SADC region
- Left/right asymmetry of atrophy in semantic dementia: behavioral-cognitive implications
- Effects of clinical stage, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, and living arrangement on social distance towards people with dementia
- Characterizing bidirectional transitions in mild cognitive impairment and post‐reversion based on longitudinal neuroimaging and cognitive assessments
- Consequences of physical inactivity in older adults: A systematic review of reviews and meta-analyses
- Recommended best practices for construct-centered adaptation of the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol
- Abdominal obesity and the risk of young-onset dementia in women: a nationwide cohort study
- High-dimensional mapping of the hippocampus in depression