Research & Publications

Hewitt, P., Watts, C., Hussey, J., & Williams, T.I. (2013). Does a structured gardening programme improve wellbeing in young-onset dementia? A preliminary study. British Journal of Occupational Therapy 76(8): 355–61. DOI: 10.4276/030802213X13757040168270

• 2-hour per week structured activity program of gardening for people less than 65 years old with young-onset dementia (YOD).
• Twelve participants with onset of dementia before the age of 65 years (range 43-65 years)
• Over a 1-year period the 2-hour per week structured activity had given participants a renewed sense of purpose and increased well-being, despite cognitive functioning continuing to decline during this period.
• This study suggests that a meaningful guided activity program can maintain or improve well-being in the presence of cognitive deterioration.

Lajka, A., & Long-Higgins, H. (2018, February 5). The extraordinary healing powers of music. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-42951478/the-extraordinary-healing-powers-of-music?SThisFB

• Video about music treatments being implemented in care for individuals with dementia or with other conditions.
• More health experts are starting to looking into the positive effects of Music on Dementia
• National Institute of Health is expanding an initiative with the Kennedy Center to research the scientific links between Music and Health.

Allen, K. (2018, April 12). Continued meditation tied to slower age-related mental decline. Brain Health and Wellness. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-2018/meditation-slows-mental-decline.html?cmp=SNO-ICM-FB-AO-HLTH&socialid=1475516200

• Research indicates the impact on meditation on longer concentration spans and slowing of age related mental-decline.
• Continuous engagement  in intensive meditation, can have mental benefits that persist through life

Ngandu, T. (2015). A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): A randomised controlled trial. The Lancet, 385, 2255-2263. Web. <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60461-5/fulltext>.

Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., Basak, C., Szabo, A., Chaddock, L., … Kramer, A. F. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 108(7), 3017–3022. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1015950108

Northey, M. J., Cherbuin, N.,  Pumpa, L. K., Disa Jane Smee, J. D., & Rattray, B. (2017). Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine : n. pag. Web. <http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2017/03/30/bjsports-2016-096587>.

Smith, P. J., Blumenthal, J. A., Hoffman, B. M., Cooper, H., Strauman, T. A., Welsh-Bohmer, K., … Sherwood, A. (2010). Aerobic Exercise and Neurocognitive Performance: a Meta-Analytic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Psychosomatic Medicine, 72(3), 239–252. http://doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0b013e3181d14633

Blondell, J. S., Hammersley-Mather, R., &  Veerman, L. J. (2014). Does physical activity prevent cognitive decline and dementia? A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. BMC Public Health, 14, 510

1. pag. Web. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24885250>.

Bugg, M. J., & Head, D. (2011). Exercise moderates age-related atrophy of the medial temporal lobe. Neurobiology of Aging, 32, 506-514.

Web. <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19386382>.

• Matura, S., Fleckenstein, J., Deichmann, R., Engeroff, T., Füzéki, E., Hattingen, E.,…& Pantel, J. (2017). Effects of aerobic exercise on brain metabolism and grey matter volume in older adults: results of the randomised controlled SMART trial. Translational Psychiatry, 7.

http://www.nature.com/tp/journal/v7/n7/full/tp2017135a.html?foxtrotcallback=true

Sexton, C. E., Betts, J. F., Demnitz, N., Dawes, H., Ebmeir, K. P., & Johansen-Berg, H. (2016). A systematic review of MRI studies examining the relationship between physical fitness and activity the white matter of the ageing brain. Neuroimage, 131, 91-90

Ten Brink, L. F., Bolandzadeh, N., Nagamatus, L. S., Hsu, C. L., Davis, J. C., Miran-Khan, K., & Liu-Ambrose, T. (2015). Aerobic exercise increases hippocampal volume in older women with probable mild cognitive impairment: A 6-month randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med, 49, 248-254.

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24711660

Rapaport, L. (2018, January 11). Time with grandparents may impact how kids view the elderly. Health News, Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com

• Children and teens who spend a lot of time with their grandparents may be less likely than peers who don’t to have negative and stereotypical ideas about the elderly
• 1,151 youth ranging in age from 7 to 16 years about the time they spent with grandparents as well as their opinions about aging and the elderly
• 7 to 9 years old, expressed the most prejudice and kids from 10 to 12 years old had the most acceptance and tolerance
• Young people with grandparents in poor health were more likely to believe negative stereotypes about the elderly than children and teens with healthier grandparents.
• Horovitz, B. (2018, April 11). Is there such a thing as normal aging? Kaiser Health News. Retrieved from https://khn.org/news/is-there-such-a-thing-as-normal-aging/
  • 50’s: Stamina Decreases
    • Takes longer to bounce back from illness or injury
    • Slight cognitive slowdown
  • 60’s: Susceptibility Increases
    • Hearing loss common (especially for men)
    • Odds of suffering from Dementia doubles every 5 years starting at 65
    • Slowing of information retrieval
  • 70’s: Chronic Conditions Fester
    • Hypertension, Diabetes, Dementia
    • Losing Bone and muscle mass
    • Lose height, strength, and weight
    • Increase of medication intake
  • 80s: Fear of Falling Grows
    • More likely to spend time in hospital due to hip or knee replacement
    • Higher risk of falling
  • 90’s and Up: Relying on Others
    • 1 in 3 chance of exhibiting signs of Dementia
    • Tend to be more satisfied with their lives than younger people

Levy, B. R., Slade, M. D., Pietzrak, R. H., & Ferrucci, L. (2018). Positive age beliefs protect against dementia even among elders with high-risk gene. PLOS ONE, 13. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191004

• Same as study listed above (how fighting ageism may lower demetia risk)
• Goes into more details of the study and the statistics

Purdy, C. (2018, February 7). Cultures that respect the elderly have reduced risks of dementia. Quartz, Retrieved from https://qz.com

• Cultural constructs around how people perceive age contribute to the development of dementia
• The researchers found that the people with a more positive attitude toward aging had a 2.7% risk of developing dementia. Those with a more negative outlook had a 6.1% risk.
• Cites Study above
• Top 15 Countries with the highest life expectancy chart (Monaco, Japan, Singapore, top 3)

Kim, C. (2018, April 15). In daytime discos, South Korea’s elderly find escape from anxiety. Reuters. Retrieved from https://uk.reuters.com/article/us-southkorea-ageing-discos/in-daytime-discos-south-koreas-elderly-find-escape-from-anxiety-idUKKBN1HN01L

Grufferman, B. (2018, February). Love your age: The small-step solution to a better, longer, happier life. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/books/bookstore/health-food-cooking/info-2017/love-your-age-the-small-step-solution.html

Brody, J. E. (2018, March 19). Finding meaning and happiness in old age. The New York Times, Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/well/finding-meaning-and-happiness-in-old-age.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth

Cimons, M. (2018, April 14). Cliches about only being old as you feel are starting to have scientific backing. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/cliches-about-only-being-as-old-as-you-feel-are-starting-to-have-scientific-backing/2018/04/13/4ccd9c4a-3125-11e8-8abc-22a366b72f2d_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.ccb43087af82

Bakalar, N. (2018, April 12). Morning people may live longer than night owls. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/well/mind/morning-people-may-live-longer-than-night-owls.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Fhealth&action=click&contentCollection=health&region=stream&module=stream_unit&version=latest&contentPlacement=2&pgtype=sectionfront&mtrref=undefined

Nicholson, R. (2018, May 31). Having a higher purpose lowers the risk of physical decline. Mather Lifeways Institute on Aging. Retrieved from https://www.matherlifewaysinstituteonaging.com/2018/05/31/sense-of-purpose-associated-with-physical-fitness-in-older-adults/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=June%202018&utm_content=June%202018+CID_9d99740ef3177d5c792f443942ec6300&utm_source=Campaignmonitor&utm_term=Having%20a%20Higher%20Purpose%20Lowers%20Risks%20of%20Physical%20Decline

Sandoiu, A. (2018, January 14). Attending religious services may increase lifespan. Medical News Today, Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com