scholarly journals Dietary interventions as a neuroprotective therapy for the delay of the onset of cognitive decline in older adults: Evaluation of the evidence

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 743 ◽  
Author(s):  
Debra Krause ◽  
Peter Roupas
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Blood Levels ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Neuroprotective Therapy ◽  
The Individual

Background: The relationship between nutrition and cognitive functioning is unclear, especially in elderly populations as many elderly people with cognitive impairment have low blood levels of some nutrients even in the absence of malnourishment. The objective of this review was to assess the evidence from systematic reviews of human studies on the effectiveness of dietary interventions as monotherapies in delaying the onset of cognitive decline in older adults.Scope and approach: Evidence-based methodologies were used to gather and assess the highest levels of evidence that evaluated the effects of administration of any dose of the individual dietary interventions as neuroprotective agents for any duration. The search strategy was designed to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses published from 1990 to December 2015. There were no language restrictions as part of the inclusion criteria.Key Findings and Conclusions: This review provides the current state of knowledge from systematic reviews on the effects on cognition of acetyl-L-carnitine, alpha-lipoic acid, choline, inositol compounds, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and polyphenols, which are all commonly studied nutrients for neurocognitive effects. A critical evaluation of the current evidence from systematic reviews indicated that there are no clinically-relevant effects from supplementation with these nutrients on delaying the onset of cognitive decline in older adults. Keywords: diet, cognition, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, nutrient

Activity Engagement in Cognitive Aging: A Review of the Evidence

2013 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Rogalski ◽  
Muriel Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Social Activity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Neuroprotective Effects ◽  
Activity Engagement ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The population of older adults is rapidly increasing, as is the number and type of products and interventions proposed to prevent or reduce the risk of age-related cognitive decline. Advocacy and prevention are part of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association’s (ASHA’s) scope of practice documents, and speech-language pathologists must have basic awareness of the evidence contributing to healthy cognitive aging. In this article, we provide a brief overview outlining the evidence on activity engagement and its effects on cognition in older adults. We explore the current evidence around the activities of eating and drinking with a discussion on the potential benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, polyphenols, alcohol, and coffee. We investigate the evidence on the hypothesized neuroprotective effects of social activity, the evidence on computerized cognitive training, and the emerging behavioral and neuroimaging evidence on physical activity. We conclude that actively aging using a combination of several strategies may be our best line of defense against cognitive decline.

Difficulties in the Use of Everyday Technology among Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaint and Cognitive Decline

Gerontology ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Yuriko Ikeda ◽  
Michio Maruta ◽  
Suguru Shimokihara ◽  
Atsushi Nakamura ◽  
Gwanghee Han ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Subjective Memory Complaints ◽  
Subjective Memory ◽  
Memory Complaint ◽  
Social Lives ◽  
Early Signs ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
The Individual

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> The ability to use everyday technology (ET) is becoming increasingly necessary for maintaining domestic and social lives. For older adults, difficulties with using ETs can begin at the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) state and may indicate increasing cognitive decline. The aim of this study was to conduct a detailed investigation into the ability to use ETs among Japanese older community-dwelling adults at 3 stages of cognitive function and the ability to carry out daily activities. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We analyzed family members’ responses to questions about older adults with cognitive decline in their families. A total of 168 older adults with subjective memory complaints (SMC) or cognitive decline and inconvenience in daily life were analyzed. A questionnaire was used to assess the characteristics, ability to use ETs, and ability to manage refrigerator contents, all of which can be early signs of dementia. Participants were divided 3 groups by the type of dementia: SMC (<i>n</i> = 77), MCI (<i>n</i> = 36), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) (<i>n</i> = 55) for comparison. <b><i>Result:</i></b> The observation list of early signs of dementia (OLD) total score indicated a significant positive correlation with the number of ET errors (<i>r</i> = 0.37, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and number of difficulties with refrigerator management (<i>r</i> = 0.18, <i>p</i> = 0.031). Regarding number of ET errors, there was a significant main effect for the 3 groups, and the SMC group made significantly fewer errors than the AD group (<i>p</i> = 0.02). In 7 of the 11 ET categories, errors with using ETs were associated with all 3 groups, with the SMC group making fewer errors, and the AD group making more. Regarding difficulties with refrigerator management, 2 out of 9 problems were associated with the 3 groups, with the SMC group having fewer difficulties and the AD group having more. <b><i>Discussion/Conclusion:</i></b> The results indicated that the ability to use ETs and to manage refrigerator contents begins to decline at the SMC stage. Further evaluation of the ability to use ETs is needed for older adults with SMC so that adequate support in the context of the individual can be provided.

scholarly journals Systematic reviews in nutrition: standardized methodology

2012 ◽  
Vol 107 (S2) ◽  
pp. S3-S7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmina Wanden-Berghe ◽  
Javier Sanz-Valero
Keyword(s):  
Fatty Acids ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Primary Documents ◽  
Proposal A ◽  
Health And Illness ◽  
Support Decision Making

The objective of this study is to establish a methodological proposal in order to carry out qualitative systematic reviews and apply these findings to a review of Omega-3 Fatty Acids with respect to health and illness. Based on a methodological proposal, a general protocol was developed to provide a sound basis for the preparation of the reviews in this journal supplement. A systematic technique was proposed in order to revise the existing scientific literature on Omega-3 Fatty Acids, with particular emphasis on aspects relating to health and illness. The aim of qualitative systematic reviews is to collate and summarise the results of the primary studies reviewed which will be carried out through a descriptive synthesis. It can be concluded that systematic reviews provide a summary of the existing primary documents on a specific scientific question. The detailed and explicit methods used lead to the identification, critical evaluation and synthesis of the scientific literature. Furthermore, both bias and random effects are reduced, resulting in more reliable data from which to draw conclusions and make recommendations to support decision-making.

scholarly journals Omega 3 Fatty Acids and White Matter Mediated Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gene Bowman ◽  
HIroko Dodge ◽  
Jeffrey Kaye ◽  
Joseph Quinn
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Fatty Acids ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Omega 3 Fatty Acids ◽  
Omega 3

scholarly journals Understanding the Sensory Loss–Cognitive Function Relationship in Older Adults: Biomarker or Causal Risk Factor?

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 804-804
Author(s):  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
Heather Whitson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Microvascular Disease ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Vision Impairment ◽  
Sensory Loss ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Sensory Impairment ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Function Relationship

Abstract Sensory impairment in older adults is common, over 55% of Americans 60 years and older have either hearing or vision impairment, and it is linked to accelerated cognitive decline and increased risk of incident dementia in population-based observational studies. However, whether sensory impairment is a marker or a cause of cognitive decline and dementia is unknown. Both sensory impairment and cognitive decline/dementia may be caused by a common underlying pathology (e.g., microvascular disease), or sensory impairment may be a marker of dementia-related pathological changes in the brain. Alternatively, causal mechanisms include increased cognitive load, changes brain structure/function, depression, social isolation and/or reduced activity. This session will investigate the role of sensory impairment in cognitive decline and dementia in older adults and discuss the ramifications of these different possibilities for risk prediction and stratification, and potentially, for disease prevention. The co-occurrence of multiple sensory deficits will be described, and the potential utility of the use of retinal signs as predictive markers for cognitive decline/dementia will be discussed. We will also describe current evidence for both non-causal and causal relationships between sensory impairment and cognition with a focus on hearing impairment. Finally, we will describe the relationship of dual sensory (both hearing and vision) impairment on cognitive performance and dementia in a biracial population-based study.

scholarly journals Treatment of hypertension reduces cognitive decline in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e038971
Author(s):  
Aditi Gupta ◽  
Sophy Perdomo ◽  
Sandra Billinger ◽  
Srinivasan Beddhu ◽  
Jeffrey Burns ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Pharmacological Treatment ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Final Analysis ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Cochrane Library ◽  
Pharmacological Intervention ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Treatment Of Hypertension

ObjectivesTo systematically analyse the effect of pharmacological treatment of hypertension (HTN) on cognitive decline in older adults.MethodsRandomised, placebo-controlled trials with a prespecified quantitative outcome of cognition and a pharmacological intervention for at least 12 months to treat HTN in older adults (>60 years). Our primary outcome was change in cognition with pharmacological treatment of HTN. Standardised mean difference (SMD) was used to analyse different outcomes reported in the selected studies. We searched PubMed CENTRAL and the Cochrane Library from inception to 6 July 2020. Two independent reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data. Internal and external validity of the studies was assessed.ResultsNine randomised controlled trials with 34 994 participants were included in the final analysis. The net SMD for change in cognition was −0.049 (CI: −0.078 to −0.019) indicating that treatment of HTN decreased cognitive decline. Heterogeneity was low with an I² of 6%.DiscussionCurrent evidence does not indicate worsening of cognition with treatment of HTN. Treatment of HTN in older adults may reduce cognitive decline. These results have important implications in clinical management of patients at risk for dementia.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020139750.

scholarly journals Dietary Flaxseed as a Strategy for Improving Human Health

Nutrients ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihir Parikh ◽  
Thane G. Maddaford ◽  
J. Alejandro Austria ◽  
Michel Aliani ◽  
Thomas Netticadan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Capacity ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Bioactive Components ◽  
Alpha Linolenic Acid ◽  
Omega 3 Fatty Acid ◽  
Menopausal Women ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Function

Flaxseed is a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha linolenic acid, the lignan secoisolariciresinol diglucoside and fiber. These compounds provide bioactivity of value to the health of animals and humans through their anti-inflammatory action, anti-oxidative capacity and lipid modulating properties. The characteristics of ingesting flaxseed or its bioactive components are discussed in this article. The benefits of administering flaxseed or the individual bioactive components on health and disease are also discussed in this review. Specifically, the current evidence on the benefits or limitations of dietary flaxseed in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, gastro-intestinal health and brain development and function, as well as hormonal status in menopausal women, are comprehensive topics for discussion.

scholarly journals Neurodevelopmental origin of cognitive impairment in schizophrenia

2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Bora
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Functional Decline ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Abnormalities ◽  
The Individual

Cognitive impairment is a common feature of schizophrenia; however, its origin remains controversial. Neurodevelopmental abnormalities clearly play a role in pre-morbid cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia, yet many authors believe that schizophrenia is characterized by illness-related cognitive decline before and after onset of the psychosis that can be the result of neurodegenerative changes. The main reasons behinds such arguments include, first, the evidence showing that effect sizes of the cognitive deficits in subjects who develop adult schizophrenia gradually increase in the first two decades of life and, second, the fact that there is functional decline in many patients with schizophrenia over the years. In this Editorial, I argue that current evidence suggests that illness-related cognitive impairment is neurodevelopmental in origin and characterized by slower gain (developmental lag) but not cognitive decline continuing throughout the first two decades of life. I introduce a model suggesting that neurodevelopmental abnormality can in fact explain the course of cognitive dysfunction and variations in the trajectory of functional decline throughout the life in individuals with schizophrenia. In this model, the severity of underlying neurodevelopmental abnormality determines the age that cognitive deficits first become apparent and contributes to the cognitive reserve of the individual. Interaction of neurodevelopmental abnormality with clinical symptoms, especially negative symptoms and aging, vascular changes, psychological and iatrogenic factors contributes to the heterogeneity of the functional trajectory observed in this disorder.

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