Virtual cognitively enhanced tai chi program improves cognition and executive function in older adults with mild cognitive impairment

A study of more than 300 older adults experiencing mild cognitive impairment or self-reported memory concerns found that cognitively enriched tai ji quan, also known as tai chi, was superior to standard tai ji quan or stretching for improving global cognition and reducing walking interference associated with dual tasking. The authors note that the virtual, home-based exercise program also had high fidelity and adherence, suggesting that it could be a feasible, acceptable exercise-based therapy for older adults concerned about cognitive impairment. The findings are published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The Signs of Dementia and What Can Be Done to Stave It Off

Brent Forester, the Dr. Frances S. Arkin Chair of Psychiatry at Tufts University School of Medicine and psychiatrist-in-chief and chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Tufts Medical Center, focuses his research on geriatric psychiatry and neurocognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, late-life depression, and older adult bipolar disorder.

Majority of older adults with cognitive impairment still drive

The majority of older adults with cognitive impairment are still driving, despite concerns raised by caregivers and others, a study finds. Researchers say it’s best for caregivers to start conversations surrounding driving earlier while the care recipient is able to understand and actively participate in the discussion.

Can Mediterranean Diet Help People with MS Preserve Thinking Skills?

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who follow a Mediterranean diet may have a lower risk for problems with memory and thinking skills than those who do not follow the diet, according to a preliminary study released today, March 1, 2023, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 75th Annual Meeting being held in person in Boston and live online from April 22-27, 2023.

FSU psychologist receives $3.7 million grant to combat anxiety in older adults with Alzheimer’s, cognitive impairment

For the more than 6 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease, related dementias, or mild cognitive impairment, anxiety is often an accompanying challenge. A Florida State University psychologist has received a five-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institute on Aging to study intervention techniques that aim to combat anxiety in these groups and improve quality of life.

$11M NIH Grant Will Support Evaluation of Alzheimer’s Screening Tool in Primary Care Settings

Investigators at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, Regenstrief Institute, and Indiana University School of Medicine have received an $11 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate an Einstein-developed test for assessing cognitive impairment and dementia.

Mount Sinai Researchers Use Artificial Intelligence to Uncover the Cellular Origins of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Cognitive Disorders

Deep learning models represent “an entirely new paradigm for studying dementia”

JMIR Aging | Using Twitter to Examine Stigma Against People With Dementia During COVID-19

JMIR Publications recently published “Using Twitter to Examine Stigma Against People With Dementia During COVID-19: Infodemiology Study” in JMIR Aging which reported that during the pandemic, there has been significant social media attention focused on the increased COVID-19 risks and impacts for people with dementia and their care partners.

Assessing Cognitive Function at Hospital Discharge Helps Identify Post-ICU Needs

Researchers at Montefiore Medical Center found that about 30% of ICU survivors could not complete a simple screening assessment for cognitive impairment at hospital discharge. About 47% of those who were able to complete the assessment scored at a level consistent with severe cognitive impairment.

Study Identifies How COVID-19 Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease-like Cognitive Impairment

A new Cleveland Clinic-led study has identified mechanisms by which COVID-19 can lead to Alzheimer’s disease-like dementia. The findings, published in Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, indicate an overlap between COVID-19 and brain changes common in Alzheimer’s, and may help inform risk management and therapeutic strategies for COVID-19-associated cognitive impairment.

Professional Athletes May Not Suffer More Severe Cognitive Impairment Than Others, Study Indicates

DALLAS – Nov. 11, 2020 – Even though repeated hits to the head are common in professional sports, the long-term effects of concussions are still poorly understood. While many believe that professional athletes who experience multiple concussions will end up with severe cognitive impairment later in life, a UT Southwestern study suggests that may not necessarily be the case.

Cognitive decline distorts political choices, UCI-led study says

Irvine, Calif., Oct. 29, 2020 — Identification along the liberal/conservative spectrum may last a lifetime, but cognitive decline distorts our political choices, according to the first-of-its-kind study led by the University of California, Irvine. For those who are cognitively impaired, identifying as being liberal or conservative loses its relationship to their political decision-making.

FAU Receives $5.3 Million NIH Grant to Detect Cognitive Change in Older Drivers

Testing a readily and rapidly available, discreet in-vehicle sensing system could provide the first step toward future widespread, low-cost early warnings of cognitive change in older drivers. The use of an advanced, multimodal approach involves the development of novel driving sensors and integration of data from a battery of cognitive function tests, eye tracking and driving behaviors and factors. These in-vehicle technologies could help detect abnormal driving behavior that may be attributed to cognitive impairment.

UChicago Medicine selected as Chicago’s only official NIH network site researching stroke and dementia

About 30% of stroke patients develop dementia, yet researchers understand very little about why. UChicago Medicine joins a NIH-led national network of institutions working to better understand the risk factors that lead to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), early stroke recovery and approaches to prevention.

Students Who Up Their Cannabis Use Face Increased Risk of Alcohol Problems

Cannabis use can worsen some consequences of alcohol use among young adult drinkers over time, according to a new study which tracked the frequency of cannabis use and negative drinking outcomes among college students over three years. More than one in five young drinkers use cannabis, often (but not always) at the same time as drinking alcohol. This is a concern because the effects of cannabis might combine with those of alcohol to increase negative outcomes of drinking, such as impaired driving or developing an alcohol use disorder Although previous research has suggested a link between cannabis use and alcohol consequences, there have been few long-term evaluations of the impact of fluctuations in cannabis use on alcohol consequences over time. The latest study, published in the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research, was conducted by researchers in Toronto, Ontario, and Buffalo, New York.