An innovative protocol for the artificial speech-directed, contactless administration of laboratory-based comprehensive cognitive assessments: PAAD-2 trial management during the COVID-19 pandemic

An important challenge for franchisors is to find individuals with strong intentions to become franchisees that they can actively support in this ambition. We contribute to franchising research by developing and testing a model to explain individual intentions to become franchisees as a specific type of entrepreneurial intention (EI). We combine Achievement Motivation Theory (AMT) with the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to propose inverted U-shaped associations between individual motivations (i.e. need for achievement and risk-taking propensity), their cognitive assessments of franchising (i.e. attitude towards franchising and perceived behavioural control), and their EI regarding franchising. Our survey of 666 individuals demonstrates that need for achievement impacts attitude towards franchising and perceived behavioural control regarding franchising following respectively inverted U-shaped and declining positive relationships, and they partly mediate the relationships between need for achievement and EI regarding franchising. We find a negative linear association with attitude towards franchising.

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Global Perspectives on Brief Cognitive Assessments for Dementia Diagnosis

Journal of Alzheimer s Disease ◽

10.3233/jad-201403 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-13

Author(s):

Elena Tsoy ◽

Alissa Bernstein Sideman ◽

Stefanie D. Piña Escudero ◽

Maritza Pintado-Caipa ◽

Suchanan Kanjanapong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adult ◽

Adult Population ◽

Dementia Diagnosis ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Middle Income ◽

Global Perspectives ◽

Dementia Patients ◽

Diagnosis Of Dementia ◽

Theme Identification ◽

Diagnostic Decision Making

Background: Timely diagnosis of dementia is a global healthcare priority, particularly in low to middle income countries where rapid increases in older adult populations are expected. Objective: To investigate global perspectives on the role of brief cognitive assessments (BCAs) in dementia diagnosis, strengths and limitations of existing measures, and future directions and needs. Methods: This is a qualitative study of 18 dementia experts from different areas of the world. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling based on the following criteria: 1) practicing in countries with projected growth of older adult population of over 100%by 2050; 2) expertise in dementia diagnosis and treatment; 3) involvement in clinical practice and training; and 4) recognition as a national dementia expert based on leadership positions within healthcare system, research, and/or policy work. Participants were individually interviewed in their language of choice over secure videoconference sessions. Interviews were analyzed by a multidisciplinary team using theme identification approach. Results: Four domains with subthemes emerged illustrating participants’ perspectives: 1) strengths of BCAs; 2) limitations of BCAs; 3) needs related to the use of BCAs; and 4) characteristics of an ideal BCA. While most experts agreed that BCAs were important and useful for dementia diagnosis, the themes emphasized the need for development and validation of novel measures that are sensitive, psychometrically sound, and culturally appropriate. Conclusion: BCAs are important for guiding diagnosis and care for dementia patients. Findings provide a roadmap for novel BCA development to assist in diagnostic decision making for clinicians serving a rapidly growing and diverse dementia population.

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Longitudinal deterioration of white-matter integrity: heterogeneity in the ageing population

Brain Communications ◽

10.1093/braincomms/fcaa238 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Konstantinos Poulakis ◽

Robert I Reid ◽

Scott A Przybelski ◽

David S Knopman ◽

Jonathan Graff-Radford ◽

...

Keyword(s):

White Matter ◽

Internal Capsule ◽

Population Based ◽

White Matter Integrity ◽

Ageing Population ◽

White Matter Tract ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Longitudinal Imaging ◽

Systemic Health

Abstract Deterioration in white-matter health plays a role in cognitive ageing. Our goal was to discern heterogeneity of white-matter tract vulnerability in ageing using longitudinal imaging data (two to five imaging and cognitive assessments per participant) from a population-based sample of 553 elderly participants (age ≥60 years). We found that different clusters (healthy white matter, fast white-matter decliners and intermediate white-matter group) were heterogeneous in the spatial distribution of white-matter integrity, systemic health and cognitive trajectories. White-matter health of specific tracts (genu of corpus callosum, posterior corona radiata and anterior internal capsule) informed about cluster assignments. Not surprisingly, brain amyloidosis was not significantly different between clusters. Clusters had differential white-matter tract vulnerability to ageing (commissural fibres > association/brainstem fibres). Identification of vulnerable white-matter tracts is a valuable approach to assessing risk for cognitive decline.

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The UPTAKE study: implications for the future of COVID-19 vaccination trial recruitment in UK and beyond

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-021-05250-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sonika Sethi ◽

Aditi Kumar ◽

Anandadeep Mandal ◽

Mohammed Shaikh ◽

Claire A. Hall ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Age Groups ◽

Small Towns ◽

Vaccine Uptake ◽

Effective Vaccine ◽

Trial Recruitment ◽

Trial Management ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Study Results ◽

The Future

Abstract Background Developing a safe and effective vaccine will be the principal way of controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. However, current COVID-19 vaccination trials are not adequately representing a diverse participant population in terms of age, ethnicity and comorbidities. Achieving the representative recruitment targets that are adequately powered to the study remains one of the greatest challenges in clinical trial management. To ensure accuracy and generalisability of the safety and efficacy conclusions generated by clinical trials, it is crucial to recruit patient cohorts as representative as possible of the future target population. Missing these targets can lead to reduced validity of the study results and can often slow down drug development leading to costly delays. Objective This study explores the key factors related to perceptions and participation in vaccination trials. Methods This study involved an anonymous cross-sectional online survey circulated across the UK. Statistical analysis was done in six phases. Multi-nominal logistic models examined demographic and geographic factors that may impact vaccine uptake. Results The survey had 4884 participants of which 9.44% were Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME). Overall, 2020 (41.4%) respondents were interested in participating in vaccine trials; 27.6% of the respondents were not interested and 31.1% were unsure. The most interested groups were male (OR = 1.29), graduates (OR = 1.28), the 40–49 and 50–59 age groups (OR = 1.88 and OR = 1.46 respectively) and those with no health issues (OR = 1.06). The least interested groups were BAME (OR = 0.43), those from villages and small towns (OR = 0.66 and 0.54 respectively) and those aged 70 and above (OR = 1.11). Conclusions In order to have a vaccination that is generalisable to the entire population, greater work needs to be done in engaging a diverse cohort of participants. Public health campaigns need to be targeted in improving trial recruitment rates for the elderly, BAME community and the less educated rural population.

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Cognitive Assessments in Hydration Research Involving Children: Methods and Considerations

Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1159/000500341 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 74 (Suppl. 3) ◽

pp. 19-24 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Daniel R. Westfall ◽

Nicole E. Logan ◽

Naiman A. Khan ◽

Charles H. Hillman

Keyword(s):

Academic Achievement ◽

Human Health ◽

Research Interest ◽

Future Research ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Cognitive Domains ◽

Essential Nutrient ◽

Definition Of ◽

The Relationship

The effects of optimal and insufficient hydration on human health have received increasing investigation in recent years. Specifically, water is an essential nutrient for human health, and the importance of hydration on cognition has continued to attract research interest over the last decade. Despite this focus, children remain a relatively understudied population relative to the effects of hydration on cognition. Of those studies investigating children, findings have been inconsistent, resulting from utilizing a wide variety of cognitive domains and cognitive assessments, as well as varied hydration protocols. Here, our aim is to create a primer for assessing cognition during hydration research in children. Specifically, we review the definition of cognition and the domains of which it is composed, how cognition has been measured in both field- and laboratory-based assessments, results from neuroimaging methods, and the relationship between hydration and academic achievement in children. Lastly, future research considerations are discussed.

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Successful Transitions to Remote Assessments and Technology Installations due to COVID-19: The I-CONECT Project

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.3502 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 958-958

Author(s):

Khoa Nguyen ◽

Mattie McDonald ◽

Colton Scavone ◽

Nora Mattek ◽

Jeffrey Kaye ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Interaction ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Video Chat ◽

Remote Assessment ◽

Study Population ◽

Support Team ◽

Socially Isolated ◽

The Impact

Abstract I-CONECT is a randomized controlled clinical trial to examine the impact of social interaction delivered via video-chat on cognitive function (clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT02871921, project website: www.I-CONECT.org ). We aimed to enroll 320 community-dwelling socially isolated older adults (age >=75 years). The recruitment of participants has started in 2018 and was ongoing when COVID-19 pandemic began. Video chat and telephone-based social interaction interventions did not change during COVID-19. However, new recruitment and cognitive assessments, which require in-person contact and deployment and retrieval of video chat devices in participant homes, were suspended due to the nature of our study population (i.e., older age, higher likelihood of comorbidities). Recently we were able to successfully switch to complete remote assessments including 1) telephone-based cognitive assessments using T-COG (Telephone Cognitive Assessment battery), and 2) contactless delivery of our study devices (Chrome books and electronic pill boxes) for subject self-installation. Our creative approach to self-installations includes color coded pictures and an easy-to-follow installation manual, accompanied by remote instruction and support via telephone. This poster introduces our remote assessment and installation protocol and participant and technical support team feedback regarding this new contactless protocol. This presentation provides useful guidance for future studies considering completely remote assessment and telemedicine approaches.

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Association of Crossword Puzzle Participation with Memory Decline in Persons Who Develop Dementia

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s1355617711001111 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 17 (6) ◽

pp. 1006-1013 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Jagan A. Pillai ◽

Charles B. Hall ◽

Dennis W. Dickson ◽

Herman Buschke ◽

Richard B. Lipton ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Leisure Activities ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Crossword Puzzle ◽

Memory Decline ◽

Delayed Onset ◽

Selective Reminding ◽

Aging Study ◽

Wide Availability ◽

Selective Reminding Test ◽

Crossword Puzzles

AbstractParticipation in cognitively stimulating leisure activities such as crossword puzzles may delay onset of the memory decline in the preclinical stages of dementia, possibly via its effect on improving cognitive reserve. We followed 488 initially cognitively intact community residing individuals with clinical and cognitive assessments every 12–18 months in the Bronx Aging Study. We assessed the influence of crossword puzzle participation on the onset of accelerated memory decline as measured by the Buschke Selective Reminding Test in 101 individuals who developed incident dementia using a change point model. Crossword puzzle participation at baseline delayed onset of accelerated memory decline by 2.54 years. Inclusion of education or participation in other cognitively stimulating activities did not significantly add to the fit of the model beyond the effect of puzzles. Our findings show that late life crossword puzzle participation, independent of education, was associated with delayed onset of memory decline in persons who developed dementia. Given the wide availability and accessibility of crossword puzzles, their role in preventing cognitive decline should be validated in future clinical trials. (JINS, 2011, 17, 1006–1013)

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Plant Foods Rich in Antioxidants and Human Cognition: A Systematic Review

Antioxidants ◽

10.3390/antiox10050714 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 714

Author(s):

Luciana Baroni ◽

Anna Rita Sarni ◽

Cristina Zuliani

Keyword(s):

Young Adult ◽

Human Cognition ◽

Cognitive Assessments ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Cognitive Domains ◽

Plant Foods ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

System Integrity ◽

Plant Antioxidants ◽

The Impact

Oxidative stress can compromise central nervous system integrity, thereby affecting cognitive ability. Consumption of plant foods rich in antioxidants could thereby protect cognition. We systematically reviewed the literature exploring the effects of antioxidant-rich plant foods on cognition. Thirty-one studies were included: 21 intervention, 4 cross-sectional (one with a cohort in prospective observation as well), and 6 prospective studies. Subjects belonged to various age classes (young, adult, and elderly). Some subjects examined were healthy, some had mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and some others were demented. Despite the different plant foods and the cognitive assessments used, the results can be summarized as follows: 7 studies reported a significant improvement in all cognitive domains examined; 19 found significant improvements only in some cognitive areas, or only for some food subsets; and 5 showed no significant improvement or no effectiveness. The impact of dietary plant antioxidants on cognition appears promising: most of the examined studies showed associations with significant beneficial effects on cognitive functions—in some cases global or only in some specific domains. There was typically an acute, preventive, or therapeutic effect in young, adult, and elderly people, whether they were healthy, demented, or affected by MCI. Their effects, however, are not attributable only to anti-oxidation.

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