4 results
Social connections and risk of incident mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and mortality in 13 longitudinal cohort studies of ageing
- Gowsaly Mahalingam, Suraj Samtani, Ben Chun Pan Lam, Darren M Lipnicki, Maria Fernanda Lima-Costa, Sergio Luis Blay, Erico Castro-Costa, Xiao Shifu, Maëlenn Guerchet, Pierre-Marie Preux, Antoine Gbessemehlan, Ingmar Skoog, Jenna Najar, Therese Rydberg Sterner, Nikolaos Scarmeas, Mary Yannakoulia, Themis Dardiotis, Ki-Woong Kim, Steffi Riedel-Heller, Susanne Röhr, Alexander Pabst, Suzana Shahar, Katya Numbers, Mary Ganguli, Tiffany F. Hughes, Ching-Chou H. Chang, Michael Crowe, Tze Pin Ng, Xinyi Gwee, Denise Qian Ling Chua, representatives from SHARED work packages, Joanna Rymaszewska, Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Anna-Karin Welmer, Jean Stafford, Myrra Vernooij-Dassen, Yun-Hee Jeon, Perminder S Sachdev, Henry Brodaty
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, pp. 16-17
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Background:
Good social connections are proposed to positively influence the course of cognitive decline by stimulating cognitive reserve and buffering harmful stress-related health effects. Prior meta-analytic research has uncovered links between social connections and the risk of poor health outcomes such as mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and mortality. These studies have primarily used aggregate data from North America and Europe with limited markers of social connections. Further research is required to explore these associations longitudinally across a wider range of social connection markers in a global setting.
Research Objective:We examined the associations between social connection structure, function, and quality and the risk of our primary outcomes (mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and mortality).
Method:Individual participant-level data were obtained from 13 longitudinal studies of ageing from across the globe. We conducted survival analysis using Cox regression models and combined estimates from each study using two-stage meta-analysis. We examined three social constructs: connection structure (living situation, relationship status, interactions with friends/family, community group engagement), function (social support, having a confidante) and quality (relationship satisfaction, loneliness) in relation to the risks of three primary outcomes (mild cognitive impairment, dementia, and mortality). In our partially adjusted models, we included age, sex, and education and in fully adjusted models used these variables as well as diabetes, hypertension, smoking, cardiovascular risk, and depression.
Preliminary results of the ongoing study:In our fully adjusted models we observed: a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment was associated with being married/in a relationship (vs. being single), weekly community group engagement (vs. no engagement), weekly family/friend interactions (vs. not interacting), and never feeling lonely (vs. often feeling lonely); a lower risk of dementia was associated with monthly/weekly family/friend interactions and having a confidante (vs. no confidante); a lower risk of mortality was associated with living with others (vs. living alone), yearly/monthly/weekly community group engagement, and having a confidante.
Conclusion:Good social connection structure, function, and quality are associated with reduced risk of incident MCI, dementia, and mortality. Our results provide actionable evidence that social connections are required for healthy ageing.
Conceptual framework for social health: identification of modifiable and protective and risk factors
- Myrra Vernooij-Dassen, Eline Verspoor, Suraj Samtani, Perminder S Sachdev, M. Arfan Ikram, Meike W. Vernooij, Claudia Hubers, Rabih Chattat, Marta Lenart-Bugla, Joanna Rymaszewska, Dorota Szczesnia, Henry Brodaty, Anna-Karin Welmer, Jane Maddock, Isabelle F van der Velpen, Henrik Wiegelman, Anna Marseglia, Marcus Richards, Rene Melis, Marjolein de Vugt, Esme Moniz-Cook, Yun-Hee Jeon, Marieke Perry, Karin Wolf-Ostermann, INTERDEM taskforce social health
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, p. 15
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Objective:
The recognition of dementia as a multifactorial disorder encourages the exploration of new pathways to understand its origins. Social health might play a role in cognitive decline and dementia, but conceptual clarity is lacking and this hinders investigation of associations and mechanisms. Social health might provide a new perspective on social connectedness. The objective is to develop a conceptual framework for social health to advance conceptual clarity in future studies and to identify potentially modifiable risk and protective factors in the “Social Health And Reserve in the Dementia patient journey (SHARED)” project.
Methods:The methods include the process of building the conceptual framework. We used the following steps: underpinning for concept advancement, concept advancement by the development of a conceptual model, and exploration of its potential feasibility.
Results:Underpinning of the concept drew from a synthesis of theoretical, conceptual and epidemiological work, and resulted in the definition of social health as well-being that relies on capacities both of the individual and the social environment. In the conceptual framework the abstract definition has been elaborated into more precisely defined domains at both the individual and the social environmental levels. This allowed to identify domain related social health characteristics or markers in epidemiological data bases and to investigate associations between these markers and cognitive decline and dementia. The associated social health markers represent potentially modifiable risk and protective factors. Examples are “social engagement” in the participation domain at the individual level, and “frequency of contact” in the structure domain, “exchange of support” in the function domain and “loneliness” in the appraisal domain at the environmental level. The conceptual framework facilitated identification of domain related markers in the SHARED project, thus showing its potential feasibility.
Discussion:The conceptual framework provides guidance for future research and facilitates identification of potentially modifiable risk and protective factors. These may shape new avenues for preventive interventions. We highlight the paradigm of social health in dementia as a priority for dementia research.
How to measure social health in the context of cognitive decline and dementia - A systematic review on instruments.
- Henrik Wiegelmann, Marta Lenart-Bugla, Myrra Vernooij-Dassen, Eline Verspoor, Imke Seifert, Dorota Szcześniak, Joanna Rymaszewska, Rabih Chattat, Yun-Hee Jeon, Esme Moniz-Cook, Martina Roes, Marieke Perry, Karin Wolf-Ostermann
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, pp. 15-16
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Background:
Besides aspects of physical and mental health and quality of life aspects the concept of social health is getting increasing attention in dementia research. Current research has led to a new umbrella concept of social health and first studies show relationships between social health markers and cognitive decline and dementia. But so far, no general overview exists how to measure social health in empirical studies.
Objective:The objective of this study therefore is to provide a systematic overview of instruments measuring aspects of social health and proposing a classification based on the new umbrella concept of social health.
Methods:Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines a systematic review was conducted. The online search covered the databases PubMed/MEDLINE, PsychINFO, CINAHL within a publication period from 1st January 2000 till 15th October 2020 for English publications. To classify instruments a new multidimensional framework of social health was used.
Results:A total of 150 studies with 68 single instruments were included into the study. A broad range of study types was covered (i.e., feasibility studies, cross-national panel studies) from all over the world, with the majority of studies being conducted in the USA. Most of the described instruments consist of self-report measures, but also proxy and hybrid tools were found. The length of the instruments in terms of the number of single items ranged from 3-126 items, with a median length of 13 items. On the individual level of social health with the three domains capacities, autonomy and social participation we classified 42 instruments and on the social environment level with the three domains structure, functions and appraisal we classified 53 instruments. A large part of the identified instruments only addresses single aspects of social health and does not address the multidimensionality of the concept.
Conclusion:A structured overview of measures related to the conceptual framework of social health can help develop appropriate interventions for people with dementia and improve the conditions for living well with dementia. Furthermore, the creation of new standardized and terminologically consistent measures of social health is one of the tasks for future research in the field of social health.
P63: Best Practice Guidance on Human Interaction with Technology in Dementia Update June 2023 – Recommendations from the INDUCT and DISTINCT Networks
- Rose-Marie Dröes, Yvette Vermeer, Sébastien Libert, Gianna Kohl, Sophie Gaber, Sarah Wallcook, Harleen Rai, Aline Cavalcanti Barroso, Esther Gerritzen, Joeke van Santen, Floriana Mangiaracina, Kim Beentjes, David Neal, Josephine Tan, Sara Bartels, Hannah Christie, Pascale Heins, Golnaz Atefi, Rose Miranda, Annelien van Dael, Fanny Monnet, Kate Shiells, Ángel C. Pinto Bruno, Angie Alejandra Diaz, Mauricio Molinari Ulate, Aysan Mahmoudi Asl, Simone Fielding, Beliz Budak, Viktoria Hoel, Wei Qi Koh, Jaroslav Cibulka, Lieve Van den Block, Lara Pivodic, Dympna Casey, Georgina Charlesworth, Karin Dijkstra, Teake Ettema, Manuel Franco Martin, Paul Higgs, Iva Holmerova, Camilla Malinowsky, Orii McDermott, Franka Meiland, Louise Nygard, Martina Roes, Henriëtte van der Roest, Justine Schneider, Olga Stepankova, Annemieke van Straten, Elaine Toomey, Frans Verhey, Marjolein de Vugt, Karin Wolf-Ostermann, Martin Orrell
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- Journal:
- International Psychogeriatrics / Volume 35 / Issue S1 / December 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 02 February 2024, pp. 158-159
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Objective:
INDUCT (Interdisciplinary Network for Dementia Using Current Technology), and DISTINCT (Dementia Inter-sectorial strategy for training and innovation network for current technology) are two Marie Sklodowska-Curie funded International Training Networks that aimed to develop a multi-disciplinary, inter-sectorial educational research framework for Europe to improve technology and care for people with dementia, and to provide the evidence to show how technology can improve the lives of people with dementia.
Methods:In INDUCT (2016-2020) 15 Early Stage Researchers worked on projects in the areas of Technology to support everyday life; technology to promote meaningful activities; and healthcare technology. In DISTINCT (2019-2023) 15 Early Stage Researchers worked on technology to promote Social health in three domains: fulfilling ones potential and obligations in society, managing one’s own life, and participation in social and other meaningful activities.
Both networks adopted three transversal objectives: 1) To determine practical, cognitive and social factors needed to make technology more useable for people with dementia; 2) To evaluate the effectiveness of specific contemporary technology; 3) To trace facilitators and barriers for implementation of technology in dementia care.
Results:The main recommendations resulting from all research projects are integrated in a web-based digital Best Practice Guidance on Human Interaction with Technology in Dementia which was recently updated (Dec 2022 and June 2023) and will be presented at the congress. The recommendations are meant for different target groups, i.e. people in different stages of dementia, their (in)formal carers, policy makers, designers and researchers, who can easily find the recommendations relevant to them in the Best Practice Guidance by means of a digital selection tool.
Conclusions:The INDUCT/DISTINCT Best Practice Guidance informs on how to improve the development, usage, impact and implementation of technology for people with dementia in various technology areas. This Best Practice Guidance is the result of intensive collaborative partnership of INDUCT and DISTINCT with academic and non-academic partners as well as the involvement of representatives of the different target groups throughout the projects.