scholarly journals New Methods, Old Brains—A Systematic Review on the Effects of tDCS on the Cognition of Elderly People

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Siegert ◽  
Lukas Diedrich ◽  
Andrea Antal
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cortical Excitability ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Brain State ◽  
Novel Treatments ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health And Disease ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The world's population is aging. With this comes an increase in the prevalence of age-associated diseases, which amplifies the need for novel treatments to counteract cognitive decline in the elderly. One of the recently discussed non-pharmacological approaches is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). TDCS delivers weak electric currents to the brain, thereby modulating cortical excitability and activity. Recent evidence suggests that tDCS, mainly with anodal currents, can be a powerful means to non-invasively enhance cognitive functions in elderly people with age-related cognitive decline. Here, we screened a recently developed tDCS database (http://tdcsdatabase.com) that is an open access source of published tDCS papers and reviewed 16 studies that applied tDCS to healthy older subjects or patients suffering from Alzheimer's Disease or pre-stages. Evaluating potential changes in cognitive abilities we focus on declarative and working memory. Aiming for more standardized protocols, repeated tDCS applications (2 mA, 30 min) over the left dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC) of elderly people seem to be one of the most efficient non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) approaches to slow progressive cognitive deterioration. However, inter-subject variability and brain state differences in health and disease restrict the possibility to generalize stimulation methodology and increase the necessity of personalized protocol adjustment by means of improved neuroimaging techniques and electrical field modeling.

scholarly journals Zpráva o grantovém projektu Emoční kreativita a kognitivní deficity u seniorů

E-psychologie ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-95
Author(s):  
Radek Trnka ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Emotional Life ◽  
Psychosocial Studies ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽  
The Relationship

This report summarizes the main outputs of the finished grant project „Emotional creativity and cognitive decline in the elderly“ (GA ČR 18–26094S), conducted at the Prague College of Psychosocial Studies between the years 2018 and 2020. The main goal of this project was to explore the relationship between emotional creativity, defined as a set of cognitive abilities and personality traits related to the originality of emotional experience, and age-related cognitive impairments in older adults. The results of this project showed that age and age-related cognitive decline influence how people creatively think about their own, as well as other peoples’, emotions. This project produced empirical evidence showing that cognitive decline reduces not only creativity in problem solving, but also reduces the creativity that is closely related to the emotional life of older people. More importantly, the published preliminary study on patients in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease also indicates that emotional creativity could become another diagnostic tool for unveiling the early stages of neurodegenerative diseases in the elderly.

scholarly journals Effects of Dietary Food Components on Cognitive Functions in Older Adults

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 2804
Author(s):  
Hitoshi Ozawa ◽  
Taiki Miyazawa ◽  
Teruo Miyazawa
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Bioactive Substances ◽  
Food Components ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽  
The Relationship

Population aging has recently been an important issue as the number of elderly people is growing worldwide every year, and the extension of social security costs is financially costly. The increase in the number of elderly people with cognitive decline is a serious problem related to the aging of populations. Therefore, it is necessary to consider not only physical care but also cognitive patterns in the future care of older adults. Since food contains a variety of bioactive substances, dietary patterns may help improve age-related cognitive decline. However, the relationship between cognitive function and individual food components remains ambiguous as no clear efficacy or mechanism has been confirmed. Against this background, this review summarizes previous reports on the biological process of cognitive decline in the elderly and the relationship between individual compounds in foods and cognitive function, as well as the role of individual components of food in cognitive function, in the following order: lipids, carotenoids, vitamins, phenolic compounds, amino acids, peptides, and proteins. Based on the research presented in this review, a proper diet that preserves cognitive function has the potential to improve age-related cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. Hopefully, this review will help to trigger the development of new foods and technologies that improve aging and cognitive functions and extend the healthy life span.

scholarly journals The Effect of Computer Games on Improving Working Memory, Visual Memory, and Control of Executive Functions amongst the Elderly in Tehran

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prosha Moradi ◽  
◽  
Abas Masjedi Arani ◽  
Mahdi Jafari ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Elderly People ◽  
Computer Games ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Visual Memory ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Experimental Group

Introduction & purpose: Cognitive ability decline is among the age-related changes in the elderly. Recent research has shown that computer games has a positive effect on cognitive abilities. Accordingly, the present study aimed at determining the effect of computer games on improving working memory, visual memory, and executive functions amongst the elderly in the city of Tehran. Methodology: The present study had a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with the control group that was carried out on 40 elderly people selected using targeted sampling method in Tehran. The participants were randomly assigned to either the experimental or the control group after reviewing the inclusion criteria and clinical interview by the researchers. The experimental group was asked to play a one-hour computer game of Lumosity during 15 sessions and the control group was not allowed to play any computer games during this time. The data were collected in two stages of pre-test and post-test. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software, version 25. Findings: Computer games had a significant effect on the improvement of working memory, visual memory, and executive functions amongst the elderly in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0.05). Discussion and Conclusion: Computer games can be helpful to improve memory and cognitive functions amongst the elderly. Accordingly, it is recommended to use these games in nursing homes for elderly people and the related centers should use these games to rehabilitate the elderly.

scholarly journals β-Lactolin Reduces Age-Related Inflammation and Cognitive Decline

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasuhisa Ano ◽  
Rena Ohya ◽  
Akihiko Takashima ◽  
Kazuyuki Uchida ◽  
Hiroyuki Nakayama
Keyword(s):  
Object Recognition ◽  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Memory Impairment ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Object Recognition Test ◽  
Aged Mice ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽  
Young Mice

With the rapid increase in aging populations worldwide, there has been an increase in demand for preventive and therapeutic measures for age-related cognitive decline and dementia. Epidemiological studies show that consumption of dairy products reduces the risk for cognitive decline and dementia in the elderly. We have previously demonstrated in randomized trials that the consumption of β-lactolin, a whey-derived Gly-Thr-Trp-Tyr lactotetrapeptide, improves cognitive function in older adults. Orally administered β-lactolin is delivered to the brain and inhibits monoamine oxidase, resulting in alleviation of memory impairment. However, there is currently no evidence of the effects of long-term β-lactolin intake on aging. Here, we found that the discrimination index in the novel object recognition test for object recognition memory was reduced in mice aged 20 months compared with that in young mice, indicating that age-related cognitive decline was induced in the aged mice; in aged mice fed β-lactolin for 3 months, memory impairment was subsequently alleviated. In aged mice, impairment of light/dark activity cycles was found to be induced, which was subsequently alleviated by β-lactolin consumption. Additionally, the number of activated microglia in the hippocampus and cortex and the production of cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, macrophage inflammatory protein-1α, and macrophage chemoattractant protein-1) were increased in aged mice compared with those in young mice but were reduced in aged mice fed β-lactolin. The age-related hippocampal atrophy was improved in aged mice fed β-lactolin. Cytochrome c levels in the hippocampus and cortex were increased in aged mice compared with those in young mice but were also reduced by β-lactolin consumption. These results suggest that β-lactolin consumption prevents neural inflammation and alleviates aging-related cognitive decline.

scholarly journals Influence of Imidazole-Dipeptides on Cognitive Status and Preservation in Elders: A Narrative Review

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 397
Author(s):  
Nobutaka Masuoka ◽  
Chenxu Lei ◽  
Haowei Li ◽  
Tatsuhiro Hisatsune
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Neurodegenerative Disorder ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Biochemical Properties ◽  
Cognitive Status ◽  
Human Intervention ◽  
Food Ingredients ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

The worldwide increase in the number of patients with dementia is becoming a growing problem, while Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a primary neurodegenerative disorder, accounts for more than 70% of all dementia cases. Research on the prevention or reduction of AD occurrence through food ingredients has been widely conducted. In particular, histidine-containing dipeptides, also known as imidazole dipeptides derived from meat, have received much attention. Imidazole dipeptides are abundant in meats such as poultry, fish, and pork. As evidenced by data from recent human intervention trials conducted worldwide, daily supplementation of carnosine and anserine, which are both imidazole dipeptides, can improve memory loss in the elderly and reduce the risk of developing AD. This article also summarizes the latest researches on the biochemical properties of imidazole dipeptides and their effects on animal models associated with age-related cognitive decline. In this review, we focus on the results of human intervention studies using supplements of poultry-derived imidazole dipeptides, including anserine and carnosine, affecting the preservation of cognitive function in the elderly, and discuss how imidazole dipeptides act in the brain to prevent age-related cognitive decline and the onset of dementia.

scholarly journals Neurofeedback Training Based on Motor Imagery Strategies Increases EEG Complexity in Elderly Population

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (12) ◽  
pp. 1574
Author(s):  
Diego Marcos-Martínez ◽  
Víctor Martínez-Cagigal ◽  
Eduardo Santamaría-Vázquez ◽  
Sergio Pérez-Velasco ◽  
Roberto Hornero
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Decline ◽  
Motor Imagery ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Multiscale Entropy ◽  
Elderly Subjects ◽  
Neurofeedback Training ◽  
Power Shift ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Age Related Cognitive Decline

Neurofeedback training (NFT) has shown promising results in recent years as a tool to address the effects of age-related cognitive decline in the elderly. Since previous studies have linked reduced complexity of electroencephalography (EEG) signal to the process of cognitive decline, we propose the use of non-linear methods to characterise changes in EEG complexity induced by NFT. In this study, we analyse the pre- and post-training EEG from 11 elderly subjects who performed an NFT based on motor imagery (MI–NFT). Spectral changes were studied using relative power (RP) from classical frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta), whilst multiscale entropy (MSE) was applied to assess EEG-induced complexity changes. Furthermore, we analysed the subject’s scores from Luria tests performed before and after MI–NFT. We found that MI–NFT induced a power shift towards rapid frequencies, as well as an increase of EEG complexity in all channels, except for C3. These improvements were most evident in frontal channels. Moreover, results from cognitive tests showed significant enhancement in intellectual and memory functions. Therefore, our findings suggest the usefulness of MI–NFT to improve cognitive functions in the elderly and encourage future studies to use MSE as a metric to characterise EEG changes induced by MI–NFT.

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.

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