| 1. |
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| 2. |
- Feng, Lei, et al.
(författare)
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Marital Status and Cognitive Impairment among Community-Dwelling Chinese Older Adults : The Role of Gender and Social Engagement
- 2014
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Ingår i: Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Extra. - Basel : S. Karger. - 1664-5464. ; 4:3, s. 375-384
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims: To examine the association between marital status and cognitive impairment among community-dwelling Chinese older adults. Methods: We analyzed data from 2,498 Chinese aged 55 and older from the Singapore Longitudinal Aging Study cohort. Cognitive impair- ment was defined as a Mini-Mental State Examination total score of 23 or below. Odds ratios of associations were reported and adjusted for potential confounders in logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 12.2% (n = 306). Being single was associated with about 2.5 times increased odds of cognitive impairment compared to be- ing married (adjusted OR = 2.53, 95% CI: 1.41–4.55). The association between marital status and cognitive impairment was much stronger in men compared to that in women, and was indeed statistically significant only for men. Among the single and widowed persons social engagement was associated with a lower risk of cognitive impairment. Compared with sub- jects in the lowest tertile of social engagement scores, the odds of having cognitive impair- ment was lowered by 50% for subjects in the second and the third tertile. Conclusion: Being single or widowed was associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment compared to be- ing married in a cohort of older Chinese men but not women.
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| 3. |
- Feng, Nicole C., et al.
(författare)
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Feasibility of an at-home, web-based, interactive exercise program for older adults
- 2019
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Ingår i: Alzheimer’s & Dementia. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 2352-8737. ; 5:1, s. 825-833
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: Increased physical exercise is linked to enhanced brain health and reduced dementia risk. Exercise intervention studies usually are conducted at facilities in groups under trainer supervision. To improve scalability, accessibility, and engagement, programs may need to be structured such that individuals can execute and adjust routines in their own homes.Methods: One hundred eighty-three healthy older adults from two sites (the United States and Sweden) were screened. One hundred fifty-six subjects (mean age 73.2), randomly assigned to one of four interventions (PACE-Yourself physical exercise program, mindfulness meditation, or Cogmed® adaptive or nonadaptive computerized working memory training) began the study. All interventions were structurally similar: occurring in subjects' homes using interactive, web-based software, over five weeks, ∼175 minutes/week. In the PACE-Yourself program, video segments presented aerobic exercises at different pace and intensity (P&I). The program paused frequently, allowing subjects to indicate whether P&I was "too easy," "too hard," or "somewhat hard." P&I of the subsequent exercise set was adjusted, allowing subjects to exercise at a perceived exertion level of "somewhat hard." Program completion was defined as finishing ≥60% of sessions.Results: A high percentage of participants in all groups completed the program, although the number (86%) was slightly lower in the PACE-Yourself group than the other three. Excluding dropouts, the PACE-Yourself group had a lower adherence rate of 93%, compared with the other three (∼98%). Over the five weeks, PACE-Yourself participants increased exercising at the highest intensity level, consistent with augmented aerobic activity over time. The number of exercise sessions completed predicted the postintervention versus preintervention increase in self-reported level of physical activity.Discussion: This study supports the feasibility of a home-based, subject-controlled, exercise program in which P&I is regulated via real-time participant feedback, which may promote self-efficacy. Further study is needed to determine if similar results are found over longer periods and in more diverse populations.
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| 4. |
- Hagman, Göran, et al.
(författare)
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Midlife hopelessness and white matter lesions two decades later : A population-based study
- 2010
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's & Dementia. - : Elsevier. - 1552-5260 .- 1552-5279. ; 7:4, Supplement, s. 595-595
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Hopelessness has been associated with increased cardiovas- cular disease mortality and morbidity, subclinical atherosclerosis and meta- bolic syndrome. This study investigates the relation between midlife hopelessness and white matter lesions (WMLs) 20 years later in a Finnish population of men and women. Methods: Participants of the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) study in Finland were derived from random, population-based samples previously surveyed in 1972,1977, 1982 or 1987. In 1998, 1449 (73%) individuals aged 65-79 years participated in the re-examination. A subgroup (n1⁄4112, including 39 dementia cases, 31 mild cognitive impairment (MCI) cases and 42 con- trols) underwent 1.5T MRI scanning at re-examination, and WMLs were as- sessed from FLAIR-images using a semi-quantitative visual rating scale. Hopelessness was measured by 2 questionnaire items (expectations about future and reaching goals). Results: Subjects with increased hopelessness had a significantly higher risk of developing more severe WMLs two de- cades later. OR (95% CI) was 4.35 (1.36-13.46) in ordinal regression anal- yses adjusted for age, sex education, follow-up time, presence of the APOEe4 allele, systolic blood pressure, BMI, history of stroke, heart infarct, smoking and level of midlife leisure physical activity. Conclusions: Higher levels of hopelessness at midlife seem to be related to more severe WMLs later in life. Since WMLs may contribute to late-life cognitive impairment, lifestyle management of midlife vascular risk factors (which also increase the risk of dementia and cognitive impairment) may have better effects if people’s expectations are more thoroughly discussed.
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| 5. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Association between mid-life marital status and cognitive function in later life : population based cohort study
- 2009
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Ingår i: The BMJ. - : BMJ. - 1756-1833 .- 0959-8138 .- 1468-5833. ; 339:July, s. Article number: b2462-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives To evaluate whether mid-life marital status is related to cognitive function in later life. Design Prospective population based study with an average follow-up of 21 years. Setting Kuopio and Joensuu regions in eastern Finland. Participants Participants were derived from random, population based samples previously investigated in 1972, 1977, 1982, or 1987; 1449 individuals (73%), aged 65-79, underwent re-examination in 1998. Main outcome measures Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Results People cohabiting with a partner in mid-life (mean age 50.4) were less likely than all other categories (single, separated, or widowed) to show cognitive impairment later in life at ages 65-79. Those widowed or divorced in mid-life and still so at follow-up had three times the risk compared with married or cohabiting people. Those widowed both at mid-life and later life had an odds ratio of 7.67 (1.6 to 40.0) for Alzheimer's disease compared with married or cohabiting people. The highest increased risk for Alzheimer's disease was in carriers of the apolipoprotein E e4 allele who lost their partner before mid-life and were still widowed or divorced at follow-up. The progressive entering of several adjustment variables from mid-life did not alter these associations. Conclusions Living in a relationship with a partner might imply cognitive and social challenges that have a protective effect against cognitive impairment later in life, consistent with the brain reserve hypothesis. The specific increased risk for widowed and divorced people compared with single people indicates that other factors are needed to explain parts of the results. A sociogenetic disease model might explain the dramatic increase in risk of Alzheimer's disease for widowed apolipoprotein E e4 carriers.
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| 6. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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BDNF Responses in Healthy Older Persons to 35 Minutes of Physical Exercise, Cognitive Training, and Mindfulness : Associations with Working Memory Function
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 55:2, s. 645-657
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has a central role in brain plasticity by mediating changes in cortical thickness and synaptic density in response to physical activity and environmental enrichment. Previous studies suggest that physical exercise can augment BDNF levels, both in serum and the brain, but no other study has examined how different types of activities compare with physical exercise in their ability to affect BDNF levels. By using a balanced cross over experimental design, we exposed nineteen healthy older adults to 35-minute sessions of physical exercise, cognitive training, and mindfulness practice, and compared the resulting changes in mature BDNF levels between the three activities. We show that a single bout of physical exercise has significantly larger impact on serum BDNF levels than either cognitive training or mindfulness practice in the same persons. This is the first study on immediate BDNF effects of physical activity in older healthy humans and also the first study to demonstrate an association between serum BDNF responsivity to acute physical exercise and working memory function. We conclude that the BDNF increase we found after physical exercise more probably has a peripheral than a central origin, but that the association between post-intervention BDNF levels and cognitive function could have implications for BDNF responsivity in serum as a potential marker of cognitive health.
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| 7. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-
(författare)
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Cons and Pros of Epidemiological Versus Experimental Approaches to Answer Questions About Risk and Protective Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease : A Personal Journey
- 2018
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Ingår i: SAGE Research Methods Cases. - London : Sage Publications. - 9781526430649 ; , s. 1-17
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This text is a personal account of the research process that led to a dissertation about the long-term relevance of social and emotional factors for cognitive health. It describes how research ideas and methodological concerns developed out of the first results where people who had lived alone, especially after being widowed already in midlife, had a high risk increase for Alzheimer’s disease over two decades later. A second study investigated the associations between feelings of hopelessness in midlife and cognitive health in later life. Both of these studies used an epidemiological association approach with logistic regression as the main statistical method, including adjustments for several relevant variables. To address the methodological concerns in the epidemiological association approach, primarily the risk of reverse causation and confounding variables, a subsequent study applied a randomized control experimental design. In this study, the effects on brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels from different types of activities were measured in healthy elderly persons through a within-subject cross-over design. The case study illustrates the compromises that had to be made through this methodological shift in relation to the original research question—compromises in terms of real-life outcomes and exposures in exchange for experimental control and establishment of causality. The relative merits and limitations of three main approaches are finally summarized in light of these experiences: experimental studies on animals and on humans and epidemiological associations in humans. The examples are from research on dementia, but should be relevant for many other research questions.
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| 8. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Depressive signs in midlife : A risk factor for cognitive impairment in later life?
- 2010
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Ingår i: International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (ICAD) 2010. - Chicago, USA : Alzheimer's Association.
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Although depression has been associated with dementia, the nature of this relation is still unclear. Establishing causality from previous studies has been complicated by the typical use of a short follow-up and participants aged over 70 already at baseline. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate if depressive signs already in midlife are related to cognitive impairment in later life. Methods: Participants were derived from random, population-based samples previously investigated in 1972, 1977, 1982, or 1987. Their mean age at baseline was 50.4 years (SD 6.0). After an average follow-up of 21 years, 1449 individuals (73%) aged 65 to 79 years were re-examined in 1998. At the re-examination some form of cognitive impairment was diagnosed in 139 of the participants: 82 with mild cognitive impairment and 57 with dementia (48 of these with Alzheimer’s disease). Signs of depression were estimated through responses to three questions concerning the perception of a hopeless future, impossible life goals and loneliness. The relation between depressive signs in midlife and cognitive impairment in later life was analyzed with logistic regression with adjustments for age, gender, apolipoprotein e4 status and a number of midlife health and lifestyle indicators, including blood pressure, cholesterol and marital status. Results: Depressive signs in midlife, as measured in this study, were significantly related to general cognitive impairment in later life, but also separately to both mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. When dichotomized into high versus low levels of depressive signs the odds ratios were 2.19 (1.1 to 4.3) for mild cognitive impairment and 3.81 (1.3 to 11.5) for Alzheimer’s disease. Significant associations were also found between the separate measures of hopelessness and loneliness on the one hand and the separate outcomes of mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease on the other. Conclusions: The results support a causal relation between depressive signs relatively early in life and cognitive function in later life. Clinical relevance includes the long-term health implications of depressive signs in midlife also for the risk of dementia.
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| 9. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Experiential learning in cyberspace: Using Internet to connect students from different cultures in a course on cross-cultural Psychology
- 2009
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- In this paper we will present a pilot project where three universities on different continents (Africa, America and Europe) collaborated to offer a joint course on cross- cultural Psychology. Both students and teachers were evenly distributed between the universities and all interaction took place through a distance education platform. The course was structured to facilitate interaction between students from the different continents in a virtual international class room and thereby to add an experiential dimension to the theoretical contents of the course. To tentatively evaluate if a course of this kind could affect students attitudes a test on ethnocentrism was distributed before and after the course. Students evaluations of the different tools that were used are presented along with their evaluations of the course as a whole and their suggestions for future courses. Of the different learning tools that were used, the Discussion tool was most appreciated. Group projects, were students from different countries had to coordinate their efforts to solve problems, collect data and present joint solutions, was the most difficult to manage. Different time zones and difficulties in establishing efficient intra group communication seem to have been the main obstacles. No general effect on ethnocentric values was found, but a higher degree of involvement in the course was related to decreased ethnocentrism, as measured by us. We conclude that modern distance education platforms have a great potential in connecting students and teachers in different parts of the world to enhance learning and intercultural understanding, but that the cultural differences also present a challenge for the teachers to plan and arrange such a course in a way that takes these cultural differences into account along with the different societal and economical conditions in the countries that are represented.
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| 10. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Feelings of Hopelessness in Midlife and Cognitive Health in Later Life : A Prospective Population-Based Cohort Study.
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 10:10, s. 1-16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Several studies have found depression and depressive feelings to be associated with subsequent dementia. As dementias typically have a long preclinical development phase, it has been difficult to determine whether depression and depressive feelings reflect a concurrent underlying dementia disease, rather than playing a causative role. Our aim was to investigate hopelessness, one dimension of depressive feelings, and evaluate the likelihood of a prodromal versus a causative role of hopelessness feelings in dementia development.METHODS: We invited a random sample of 2000 survivors from a representative population in Eastern Finland, originally investigated in midlife between 1972 and 1987, for re-examination an average of 21 years later. The age of the 1449 persons who accepted the invitation was between 39 and 64 years (mean 50.4 years) in midlife and between 65 and 80 (mean 71.3) at follow-up. To measure feelings of hopelessness in midlife and at follow-up, the participants indicated their level of agreement to two statements about their own possible future. We used logistic regression to investigate the association between the combined scores from these two items and cognitive health at follow-up, while adjusting for several health and life-style variables from midlife and for apolipoprotein E4 (ApoE4) status, depression and hopelessness feelings at follow-up. We compared the associations with late-life cognitive health when feelings of hopelessness were either measured in midlife or at the follow-up. In addition we analyzed the changes in hopelessness scores from midlife to follow-up in participants who were either cognitively healthy or impaired at follow-up.RESULTS: We found higher levels of hopelessness in midlife, but not at follow-up, to be associated with cognitive impairment at follow-up; the adjusted odds ratio for each step of the five-level hopelessness scale was 1.30 (95% confidence interval 1.11-1.51) for any cognitive impairment and 1.37 (1.05-1.78) for Alzheimer's disease. These associations remained significant also after the final adjustments for depressive feelings and for hopelessness at follow-up. The individual changes in hopelessness scores between midlife and follow-up were not systematically related to cognitive health at the follow-up.CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that feelings of hopelessness already in midlife may have long-term implications for cognitive health and increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease in later life.
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| 11. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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Feelings of hopelessness in midlife are associated with dementia risk in later life
- 2012
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Ingår i: 12th International Stockholm/Springfield Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy. ; , s. 165-165
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: Although an association between depressive feelings and dementia has been estab- lished previously, the nature of this relation remains unclear. Establishing causality has been com- plicated by the typical use of a short follow-up and aged participants already at baseline. The aim with this study was to investigate the association between feelings of hopelessness in midlife and cognitive impairment in later life.Methods: From a representative population in Eastern Finland, originally investigated between 1972-1987, a random sample of 2000 survivors was invited for re-examination in 1998, averagely 21 years later. The mean age of the 1449 persons who accepted the invitation was 50.4 (range 39-64) at baseline and 71.3 years (range 65-80) at follow-up. Baseline scores of hopelessness were related to cognitive status at follow-up, mainly through logistic regression. Adjustments were made for age, years of education, gender, APOE4 and a number of health and life style factors at baseline. In addition we analyzed differences in hopelessness scores between baseline and follow-up within the different outcome groups.Results: Participants with high levels of hopelessness at midlife had more than a doubled risk of cognitive impairment in later life as expressed by an odds ratio of 2.24 (1.4-3.6), even higher spe- cifically for Alzheimers disease. Persons with high levels of hopelessness at midlife and who in addition carried the apolipoprotein allele 4 (ApoE ε4) had a highly elevated risk of Alzheimers dis- ease. There were no significant differences in levels of hopelessness between baseline and follow-up within any of the outcome groups.Conclusions: The results confirm previous studies showing elevated scores of depressive feelings in persons diagnosed with dementia, compared to cognitively healthy persons. On the other hand, the results also suggest that the major portion of this difference could have existed already decades before the dementia diagnosis; Carrying feelings of hopelessness in midlife may have long-term implications for cognitive health in later life. Background: Although an association between depressive feelings and dementia has been estab- lished previously, the nature of this relation remains unclear. Establishing causality has been com- plicated by the typical use of a short follow-up and aged participants already at baseline. The aim with this study was to investigate the association between feelings of hopelessness in midlife and cognitive impairment in later life.Methods: From a representative population in Eastern Finland, originally investigated between 1972-1987, a random sample of 2000 survivors was invited for re-examination in 1998, averagely 21 years later. The mean age of the 1449 persons who accepted the invitation was 50.4 (range 39-64) at baseline and 71.3 years (range 65-80) at follow-up. Baseline scores of hopelessness were related to cognitive status at follow-up, mainly through logistic regression. Adjustments were made for age, years of education, gender, APOE4 and a number of health and life style factors at baseline. In addition we analyzed differences in hopelessness scores between baseline and follow-up within the different outcome groups.Results: Participants with high levels of hopelessness at midlife had more than a doubled risk of cognitive impairment in later life as expressed by an odds ratio of 2.24 (1.4-3.6), even higher spe- cifically for Alzheimers disease. Persons with high levels of hopelessness at midlife and who in addition carried the apolipoprotein allele 4 (ApoE ε4) had a highly elevated risk of Alzheimers dis- ease. There were no significant differences in levels of hopelessness between baseline and follow-up within any of the outcome groups.Conclusions: The results confirm previous studies showing elevated scores of depressive feelings in persons diagnosed with dementia, compared to cognitively healthy persons. On the other hand, the results also suggest that the major portion of this difference could have existed already decades before the dementia diagnosis; Carrying feelings of hopelessness in midlife may have long-term implications for cognitive health in later life.
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| 12. |
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| 13. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-, et al.
(författare)
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The Patient with Cognitive Impairment
- 2018
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Ingår i: Treatable and Potentially Preventable Dementias. - New York : Cambridge University Press. - 9781107157460 ; , s. 52-80
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Bokkapitel (refereegranskat)
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| 14. |
- Håkansson, Krister, 1952-
(författare)
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The role of socio-emotional factors for cognitive health in later life
- 2016
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- With increasing life expectancies in most parts of the world, the prevalence of dementia and other age-related chronic diseases is growing. Several factors affect future projections and are discussed in this thesis, including possible limits to a continued growth of life expectancy. A related question is to what extent healthy ageing per se affects cognitive functions in old persons. Previous studies have generally exaggerated ageing effects on cognition, by applying study designs that did not account for common confounders, such as birth cohort differences, and the effects of terminal decline and subclinical dementia. In contrast to healthy ageing, dementia neuropathologies dramatically reduce cognitive performance, and proposed mechanisms behind dementia are briefly discussed with focus on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), on the role of genetic factors and on life course exposures. Three studies (study 1-3) investigated how cohabitant status and feelings of loneliness and hopelessness in midlife were associated with cognitive health in later life. Neurotrophic factors could potentially be involved in the biological mechanisms behind these and other associations between life-style factors and cognitive health. The fourth study aimed to explore how levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), measured in serum, were affected by performing different activities; physical exercise, cognitive training, and mindfulness.THE FOUR STUDIESStudy 1-3 were epidemiological association studies based on the Cardiovascular Risk Factor, Ageing and Dementia (CAIDE) Study, a population based cohort study on 1511 persons in eastern Finland, who at baseline were 50.4 years. Two re-examinations have been performed in the CAIDE Study, in 1998 when the participants were between 65 and 80 years, and between 2005-2008, averagely 25.3 years after the baseline examinations. The first two studies were based on the 1409 persons who fully participated in the first re-examination and the third study on the 1511 persons who participated in one or both re-examinations. In the first two studies logistic regression was the main statistical method with any cognitive impairment versus no cognitive impairment as outcome. In addition we performed analyses with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease as separate outcomes. In Study 1 and 2 we also analysed how apolipoprotein epsilon 4 (ApoE4) status affected the associations with Alzheimer’s disease. The statistical method in Study 3 was survival model analysis (Kaplan-Meyer and Cox regression) and the outcome variable was dementia, without subtyping. We compared the results from the analysis on the 1511 participants with the results when we used the total sample (by including register linked data on dementia diagnoses). We adjusted the associations for several potential confounding variables in all three studies.In Study 4 we used 19 elderly healthy volunteers who were between 65 and 80 years (mean = 70.8 years). They performed three different activities during 35 minutes on separate occasions, i.e. a within-subject cross-over experimental design where we randomized the order of the three conditions between the participants. We sampled blood from a suitablelower arm vein directly before and after each activity session and in addition at 20 and 60 minutes after the session had ended. After the serum had been analysed for BDNF levels, we used repeated measures ANOVA to calculate the differences in the effect of BDNF levels between the three conditions.MAIN RESULTSWe found that living alone in midlife was associated with approximately a doubled risk of cognitive impairment during the re-examination. Among the non-cohabitants the risk increase was especially high for persons who were widowed in midlife and who had continued to live alone until the re-examination (odds ratio (OR) 7.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6 – 40.0). Feelings of loneliness were common both among cohabitants and non-cohabitants, but we found that such feelings were only associated with an increased dementia risk if these persons had also been living alone. Feelings of hopelessness in midlife, but not at follow-up, were associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment at the re-examination, especially of Alzheimer’s disease (OR 2.90, CI 1.4 – 5.9). When we adjusted the association from midlife also for depression and hopelessness at the re-examination, this association was still statistically significant. Participants with a diagnosis of cognitive impairment had higher feelings of hopelessness at the re-examination, compared to the cognitively healthy group, but this difference between the groups existed already when they were in midlife. When we stratified the participants with reference to ApoE4 status, we found that participants who were also ApoE4 carriers had a dramatically increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease compared to non-carriers without feelings of hopelessness, even after final adjustment for depression (OR 6.48, CI 2.4 –17.5). A similar stratification for ApoE4 status in Study 1 showed an even more dramatic increase in the association for persons who had lost their partner (widowed or divorced/separated) if they in addition were ApoE4 carriers.In Study 4 we found that physical exercise, but not cognitive training or mindfulness, led to a statistically significant increase in BDNF levels of around 25%, compared to baseline. We also found that the individual differences in BDNF levels after the physical exercise correlated with working memory performance, measured on a separate occasion.CONCLUSIONSSocial and emotional factors can have long-term consequences for cognitive health in later life. The long follow-up time in Study 1-3 suggests that the associations we found with dementia could reflect a causal, rather than a prodromal, relation. As other studies have found a range of adverse ill health consequences from both living alone and from depressive feelings, a possible mechanism behind the associations we found could be related to a systemic biological impact, and that the specific ill health outcome could be a result of individual vulnerability where genetic dispositions could play an important role. This conclusion seems consistent with the dramatic risk increases we found for AD when ApoE4status was combined with the social factor of living alone and with the emotional dimension of hopelessness. At the micro level, as synaptic dysfunction and loss is characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease, and as BDNF has a central role for synaptogenesis, impaired BDNF functionality could play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease. More research is needed to further explore the role of BDNF in Alzheimer’s disease and if the disease can be prevented, or the disease process halted, by activities that stimulate BDNF expression in the brain.
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| 15. |
- Kivipelto, Miia, et al.
(författare)
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Fokus på tidig diagnos och förebyggande i Alzheimer forskning
- 2013
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Ingår i: Finska Läkaresällskapets Handlingar. - Helsingfors. - 0015-2501. ; 173:2, s. 11-19
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Alzheimers sjukdom identifieras traditionellt med demenssyndrom. De nya förslagen till diag- noskriterier öppnar ett nytt perspektiv där sjukdomen kan identifieras innan patienterna får demens. Tidig diagnos innebär bättre möjligheter till att hitta effektiva läkemedel och andra demensförebyggande interventioner. Epidemiologiska studier har visat att förutom hög ålder och genetiska faktorer finns det många påverkbara vaskulära, livsstilsrelaterade och psyko- sociala riskfaktorer för Alzheimers sjukdom. I Finland har steget redan tagits från observation till intervention, med fokus på stora multifaktoriella interventionsstudier där flera riskfaktorer och mekanismer påverkas samtidigt (t.ex. FINGER-studien). Tillsammans med två liknande studier i Frankrike och Nederländerna ingår FINGER i European Dementia Prevention Initiative. Resultaten av detta internationella samarbete kommer att leda fram till rekommendationer om en hälsosam livsstil för förebyggande av kognitiv svikt och demens hos äldre. Sådana rekommendationer behövs både för folkhälsan och inom sjukvården.
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| 16. |
- Kivipelto, Miia, et al.
(författare)
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Till Klarhet med Alzheimer
- 2013
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Ingår i: Äldre i Centrum. Tidskrift för aktuell äldreforskning.. - Stockholm : Äldrecentrum. - 1653-3585. ; 27:4, s. 13-15
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Forskningsöversikt (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 17. |
- Simon, Sharon S., et al.
(författare)
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Is Computerized Working Memory Training Effective in Healthy Older Adults? : Evidence from a Multi-Site, Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. - : IOS Press. - 1387-2877 .- 1875-8908. ; 65:3, s. 931-949
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Developing effective interventions to attenuate age-related cognitive decline and prevent or delay the onset of dementia are major public health goals. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) has been marketed increasingly to older adults, but its efficacy remains unclear. Working memory (WM), a key determinant of higher order cognitive abilities, is susceptible to age-related decline and a relevant target for CCT in elders. Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of CCT focused on WM compared to an active control condition in healthy older adults. Methods: Eighty-two cognitively normal adults from two sites (USA and Sweden) were randomly assigned to Cogmed Adaptive or Non-Adaptive (active control) CCT groups. Training was performed in participants' homes, five days per week over five weeks. Changes in the performance of the Cogmed trained tasks, and in five neuropsychological tests (Trail Making Test Part A and Part B, Digit Symbol, Controlled Oral Word Association Test and Semantic Fluency) were used as outcome measures. Results: The groups were comparable at baseline. The Adaptive group showed robust gains in the trained tasks, and there was a time-by-group interaction for the Digit Symbol test, with significant improvement only after Adaptive training. In addition, the magnitude of the intervention effect was similar at both sites. Conclusion: Home-based CCT Adaptive WM training appears more effective than Non-Adaptive training in older adults from different cultural backgrounds. We present evidence of improvement in trained tasks and on a demanding untrained task dependent upon WM and processing speed. The benefits over the active control group suggest that the Adaptive CCT gains were linked to providing a continuously challenging level of WM difficulty.
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| 18. |
- Sindi, Shireen, et al.
(författare)
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Mid-life work-related stress increases dementia risk in late-life : The CAIDE 30-year study
- 2014
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Ingår i: Alzheimer's & Dementia. - : Wiley. - 1552-5260 .- 1552-5279. ; 10:4, Supplement, s. P746-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Background: The associations between work-related stress and various health outcomes in mid-life are well documented, yet less is known about the effects on late-life cognitive process and dementia. The current study investigated the associations between work-related stress in mid-life and the development of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease in late-life. Methods: The data was derived from the Cardiovascular Risk Factors, Aging, and Incidence of Dementia (CAIDE) study; a prospective cohort study. Participants were randomly selected from four independent population-based samples that completed cardiovascular surveys. First baseline examinations occurred when participants were 50 years old on average, in 1972, 1977, 1982, or 1987. A random sample of 2,000 individ- uals was selected for re-examinations (carried out in 1998 and 2005-2008), where 1,511 subjects participated in at least one re-examination. The re- examinations included an extensive neuropsychological and cognitive assessment. Follow-up time was on average 28 (S.E.M. 1⁄4 0.17) years. Work-related stress comprised the total score of two questions adminis- tered in mid-life. The questions asked participants to rate their stress related to meeting demands at work, and constant hurry at work. Groups were categorized so that those with high or medium levels of stress were compared to those with low levels or no work-related stress. Results: High levels of work-related stress in mid-life were associated with higherrisk of cognitive impairment (where participants with cognitive impair- ment and dementia were compared to the group with no cognitive impair- ment) [odds ratio (OR), 1.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.1-2.1], and Alzheimer’s disease [OR, 2.1; CI, 1.1-3.9], when assessed at the first or second follow-up. Results remained significant after adjusting for age, ed- ucation, marital status, chronic health conditions, apolipoprotein E ε 4 allele (APOE ε 4), measures of hopelessness and loneliness. Conclusions: High levels of mid-life work-related stress predict the risk of developing dementia in late-life. The evidence suggests that individuals experiencing high levels of work-related stress form an important at-risk population. Preventive interventions are needed for this population in order to post- pone or prevent the development of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.
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