scholarly journals Virtues and Character Strengths in Persons with Mild Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 749-750
Author(s):  
Jocelyn McGee ◽  
Michaela McElroy
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Character Strengths ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Directed Content Analysis ◽  
Virtues And Character Strengths

Abstract The Values in Action (VIA) framework, from positive psychology, consists of 6 virtues (wisdom, courage, humanity, justice, temperance, and transcendence) which can be broken down into 24 strengths of character (Peterson & Seligman, 2004). Although this framework has been used to understand virtues and strengths in various populations, persons with Alzheimer’s disease and other progressive dementias have been largely excluded from such studies. The aims of our study were to utilize the VIA framework to: 1) examine the expression of virtues and character strengths in a sample of persons diagnosed with probable AD (who were clinically designated as having mild disease based on neuropsychological assessment); and 2) provide implications for further strengths-based research and clinical practice with this population. Twenty-eight older adults, between the ages of 56 and 93 (M = 77.88, SD = 9.88), participated in the study. All had a Clinical Dementia Reacting Scale (CDR) of 1 which suggested mild dementia. The Dimensions of Living with Dementia Interview (DLD; McGee & Carlson, 2013) was utilized for data collection. Interviews lasted approximately 45 minutes per participant. The interviews were professionally transcribed, audit checked, and uploaded to NVivo (2018) for analysis. Directed content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2005) was utilized to extend the VIA framework to this sample. The virtues of wisdom, courage, humanity, temperance, and transcendence were demonstrated. We share how these virtues and corresponding character strengths can assist people with early-stage dementia in adaptation to the disease. Implications for clinical practice and further research are provided.

scholarly journals Financial Capacity and Regional Cerebral Tau in Cognitively Normal Older Adults, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease Dementia

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Christopher Gonzalez ◽  
Nicole S. Tommasi ◽  
Danielle Briggs ◽  
Michael J. Properzi ◽  
Rebecca E. Amariglio ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Cognitively Normal ◽  
Financial Capacity ◽  
Posterior Cingulate ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

Background: Financial capacity is often one of the first instrumental activities of daily living to be affected in cognitively normal (CN) older adults who later progress to amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the association between financial capacity and regional cerebral tau. Methods: Cross-sectional financial capacity was assessed using the Financial Capacity Instrument –Short Form (FCI-SF) in 410 CN, 199 MCI, and 61 AD dementia participants who underwent flortaucipir tau positron emission tomography from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Linear regression models with backward elimination were used with FCI-SF total score as the dependent variable and regional tau and tau-amyloid interaction as predictors of interest in separate analyses. Education, age sex, Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test Total Learning, and Trail Making Test B were used as covariates. Results: Significant associations were found between FCI-SF and tau regions (entorhinal: p <  0.001; inferior temporal: p <  0.001; dorsolateral prefrontal: p = 0.01; posterior cingulate: p = 0.03; precuneus: p <  0.001; and supramarginal gyrus: p = 0.005) across all participants. For the tau-amyloid interaction, significant associations were found in four regions (amyloid and dorsolateral prefrontal tau interaction: p = 0.005; amyloid and posterior cingulate tau interaction: p = 0.005; amyloid and precuneus tau interaction: p <  0.001; and amyloid and supramarginal tau interaction: p = 0.002). Conclusion: Greater regional tau burden was modestly associated with financial capacity impairment in early-stage AD. Extending this work with longitudinal analyses will further illustrate the utility of such assessments in detecting clinically meaningful decline, which may aid clinical trials of early-stage AD.

Possible selves and illness: A comparison of individuals with Parkinson's disease, early-stage Alzheimer's disease, and healthy older adults

2003 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leslie D. Frazier ◽  
Victoria Cotrell ◽  
Karen Hooker
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Parkinson’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Parkinson's Disease ◽  
Possible Selves ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Patient Groups ◽  
The Impact

This study examined how future self-representations are affected by two different chronic illnesses, one focused on cognitive losses, early-stage Alzheimer's disease (AD), and one focused on physical losses, Parkinson's disease (PD). The impact of illness on possible selves (perceptions of self in the future) was made salient by a comparison with healthy older adults in order to better understand developmental issues in later life. Findings show that although there were no differences in the total number of domains reported by the groups, specific domains were reported differently by patient groups and all domains were likely to become infused with illness. As expected, patient groups had less self-efficacy and lower outcome expectancies for their future selves, and PD patients reported less distance from their feared selves. Although these findings are intuitive, this is the first empirical effort to document the impact of illness on older adults' self-representations. Group differences are explained in terms of disease context, and the importance of possible selves and self-regulatory functions as therapeutic mechanisms for adaptation to illness are emphasised.

scholarly journals Measuring Physical Activity in Older Adults With and Without Early Stage Alzheimer's Disease

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 356-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amber S. Watts ◽  
Eric D. Vidoni ◽  
Natalia Loskutova ◽  
David K. Johnson ◽  
Jeffrey M. Burns
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Stage

scholarly journals Diagnosis of Early Alzheimer’s Disease: Clinical Practice in 2021

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
A.P. Porsteinsson ◽  
R.S. Isaacson ◽  
S. Knox ◽  
M.N. Sabbagh ◽  
I. Rubino
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Current Model ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Disease Diagnosis ◽  
Lifestyle Changes ◽  
Behavioral Impairment ◽  
Alzheimer’S Disease Dementia

Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive, irreversible neurodegenerative disease impacting cognition, function, and behavior. Alzheimer’s disease progresses along a continuum from preclinical disease, to mild cognitive and/or behavioral impairment and then Alzheimer’s disease dementia. Recently, clinicians have been encouraged to diagnose Alzheimer’s earlier, before patients have progressed to Alzheimer’s disease dementia. The early and accurate detection of Alzheimer’s disease-associated symptoms and underlying disease pathology by clinicians is fundamental for the screening, diagnosis, and subsequent management of Alzheimer’s disease patients. It also enables patients and their caregivers to plan for the future and make appropriate lifestyle changes that could help maintain their quality of life for longer. Unfortunately, detecting early-stage Alzheimer’s disease in clinical practice can be challenging and is hindered by several barriers including constraints on clinicians’ time, difficulty accurately diagnosing Alzheimer’s pathology, and that patients and healthcare providers often dismiss symptoms as part of the normal aging process. As the prevalence of this disease continues to grow, the current model for Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis and patient management will need to evolve to integrate care across clinical disciplines and the disease continuum, beginning with primary care. This review summarizes the importance of establishing an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, related practical ‘how-to’ guidance and considerations, and tools that can be used by healthcare providers throughout the diagnostic journey.

Outcome of a Targeted Nutritional Intervention Among Older Adults With Early-Stage Alzheimer’s Disease: The Nutrition Intervention Study

2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (7) ◽  
pp. 782-807 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryna Shatenstein ◽  
Marie-Jeanne Kergoat ◽  
Isabelle Reid
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Nutrition Intervention ◽  
Control Group

A 6-month dietary intervention program was designed for community-dwelling older adults with Alzheimer’s disease. Sixty-seven persons aged 70 years and above were recruited with their caregivers from six hospital memory and geriatric outpatient clinics, and allocated to intervention ( n = 34 dyads) or control group ( n = 33 dyads). Usual diet was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire and current diet by two nonconsecutive diet recalls or records corroborated by caregivers, at recruitment (T1) and exit from the study (T2). Intervention participants received targeted dietary recommendations; control participants received Canada’s Food Guide leaflets. The program was assessed using paired and independent t tests and nonparametric statistics. Fat intakes increased at T2 within intervention participants (54 ± 16 vs. 67 ± 23 g, p = .013), and there was a tendency for higher energy, protein, and calcium intakes at T2 within this group. Proportions with adequate protein intakes almost doubled from T1 to T2 in intervention group women ( p = .028) but decreased in female controls ( p = .030). Longer follow-up is necessary to determine persistence of benefits.

Anosognosia for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 180-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgina Stewart ◽  
William J. McGeown ◽  
Michael F. Shanks ◽  
Annalena Venneri
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Memory Deficits ◽  
Discrepancy Scores

Stewart G, McGeown WJ, Shanks MF, Venneri A. Anosognosia for memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease.ObjectiveTo investigate whether patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) were able to alter their awareness of memory deficits after exposure to a memory task.Methods:Thirty normal older adults and 23 mild AD patients participated in the study. Anosognosia was assessed using discrepancies between self- and informant-evaluations of cognitive and functional performance. Participants estimated their performance on the Verbal Paired Associates task at different points in time (before, immediately after the task and after a 1-h delay).Results:AD patients were generally less able to judge their memory abilities than healthy older adults, and tended to overestimate their task performance beforehand. Their prediction accuracy increased immediately after the task, but after a 1-h delay, they again misjudged their abilities at pretesting accuracy levels. Self-carer discrepancy scores of awareness of deficits in memory and other areas correlated significantly with memory tests but not with other neuropsychological tasks in the assessment, and larger discrepancy scores were associated with poorer performance.Conclusion:AD patients can monitor their task performance online, but are unable to maintain awareness of their deficits over time. Loss of awareness of memory deficits (or of any other deficits) in early stage AD may indicate damage to a system which updates a personal knowledge base with recent information. Failure to retain this information impedes abstraction from episodic to semantic memory.

Measurement of Sitting Time in Older Adults With and Without Alzheimer’s Disease

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 70-78
Author(s):  
Amber Watts ◽  
Mauricio Garnier-Villarreal ◽  
Paul Gardiner
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Sedentary Time ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Free Living ◽  
Physical Limitations

Time spent being sedentary is associated with poorer cognitive function and risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The present study aimed to compare patterns of sitting in a free-living environment among older adults with and without early stage AD who were similar in physical limitations, body mass, and cardiorespiratory capacity. We also compared estimates of sitting patterns between two different monitors (postural and non-postural) with different body placements (thigh-worn vs. hip-worn). Comparing older adults without cognitive impairment to those with early AD, we found that although there was no difference in the total amount of daily sitting time (p = .52), the AD group tended to have longer durations of sitting than those without AD. Inclinometry data from the hip-worn ActiGraph GT3X+ consistently underestimated time spent sitting compared to the thigh worn monitor activPAL™ (hours per day, proportion of waking hours, number of sitting bouts greater than 30 minutes, and duration of sitting bouts). Our results have implications for prevention strategies to reduce sedentary time, which is predominantly sitting, in persons with cognitive impairment and highlight the importance of monitor selection and placement for the accurate assessment of sitting patterns in this population.

scholarly journals Self-Perceptions of Driving Ability in Older Adults With and Without Alzheimer’s Disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 165-166
Author(s):  
Rebecca Davis ◽  
Megan Owens
Keyword(s):  
Alzheimer’S Disease ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Alzheimer's Disease ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Driving Safety ◽  
Driving Ability ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Driving Frequency ◽  
Driving Behaviors ◽  
Chi Square Analysis

Abstract A concern for families and persons with dementia is determining when driving cessation is necessary. Older adults often modify driving behaviors as they age due to self-perception of a decline in their abilities. However, it is not known how persons with Alzheimer’s disease modify driving behaviors. The purpose of this study was to determine difference in how similarly aged persons with and without Alzheimer’s disease perceive their driving behaviors and modify them. Data were collected for 48 persons with early stage AD or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD; and 53 similarly aged older adults without cognitive diagnoses, using a survey on driving frequency, habits, and wayfinding ability. Chi-square analysis was used to determine any statistically significant differences in reported driving habits and difficulties between the study groups. Results from the analysis showed that the majority of the sample was still driving (n=81, 83%). Persons with AD/MCI (n=33, 73%) were less likely to be driving than the control group (n=48, 91%). Of those who were still driving, those with AD/MCI were more likely to limit driving frequency, avoid driving alone and in unfamiliar routes. Worries about getting lost were more frequently noted in those with AD/MCI. The AD group was more likely to make modifications to their driving such as limiting driving to daylight hours and not driving alone. These important results indicate persons with early stage AD/MCI may have self-awareness about driving impairments and make modifications to their driving habits that may increase their driving safety.

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