Background
Compared to their non‐caregiving peers, caregivers of persons with dementia (PWD) endure higher psychological distress, social isolation and increased morbidity and disability. Stress and ...isolation experienced by caregivers during the COVID‐19 pandemic have added to caregiver burden and worsened health. The objective of this study was to obtain a greater understanding of the health and needs of informal caregivers of PWD during the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Method
Using a cross‐sectional questionnaire, we attained demographic data, characteristics of caregiving during the COVID‐19 pandemic, mental health status, COVID‐19 testing and illness, and protective measures taken to prevent infection with COVID‐19 among caregivers of PWD. From March 2021 to August 2021, respondents were recruited through the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity’s Alzheimer’s disease (AD) registry. Descriptive statistics (frequency and proportions) of demographic, caregiving, health, and COVID‐19 related data for caregivers of PWD was conducted using SAS® software version 9.4.
Result
A total of 274 caregivers of PWD participated in the study. More than half of caregivers were women (56.57%), and approximately 73% of caregivers were married. The racial composition of the majority of caregivers included African American (44.16%), Non‐Hispanic White (26.64%), and Native American (20.44%). Most caregivers were providing care for parents (59.86%) or a partner (21.17%). Nearly 46% of caregivers reported experiencing stress, but not being burnt out. Almost 47% of caregivers reported high psychological distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In addition to caregiving stressors due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, caregivers also experienced behavioral changes in their household; more than half of caregivers experienced increased interpersonal conflict with loved ones, friends, or co‐workers. The top 3 needs reported during the COVID‐19 pandemic included support with caregiving, medical care, and food.
Conclusion
Approximately half of caregivers of PWD experienced stress and psychological distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In addition to the stress of caregiving, caregivers lacked support for necessary medical services and social needs. The data collected from caregivers during the COVID‐19 pandemic will be used to develop recommendations to support informal caregivers during emergency situations.
Background
Alzheimer disease (AD) is more prevalent in African American (AA) and Hispanic White (HIW) compared to Non‐Hispanic White (NHW) individuals. Similarly, neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) vary ...by population in AD. This is likely the result of both sociocultural and genetic ancestral differences. However, the impact of these NPS on AD in different groups is not well understood.
Methods
Self‐declared AA, HIW, and NHW individuals were ascertained as part of ongoing AD genetics studies. Participants who scored higher than 0.5 on the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) Scale (CDR) were included. Group similarities and differences on Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI‐Q) outcomes (NPI‐Q total score, NPI‐Q items) were evaluated using univariate ANOVAs and post hoc comparisons after controlling for sex and CDR stage.
Results
Our sample consisted of 498 participants (26% AA; 30% HIW; 44% NHW). Overall, NPI‐Q total scores differed significantly between our groups, with HIW having the highest NPI‐Q total scores, and by AD stage as measured by CDR. We found no significant difference in NPI‐Q total score by sex. There were six NPI‐Q items with comparable prevalence in all groups and six items that significantly differed between the groups (Anxiety, Apathy, Depression, Disinhibition, Elation, and Irritability). Further, within the HIW group, differences were found between Puerto Rican and Cuban American Hispanics across several NPI‐Q items. Finally, Six NPI‐Q items were more prevalent in the later stages of AD including Agitation, Appetite, Hallucinations, Irritability, Motor Disturbance, and Nighttime Behavior.
Conclusions
We identified differences in NPS among HIW, AA, and NHW individuals. Most striking was the high burden of NPS in HIW, particularly for mood and anxiety symptoms. We suggest that NPS differences may represent the impact of sociocultural influences on symptom presentation as well as potential genetic factors rooted in ancestral background. Given the complex relationship between AD and NPS it is crucial to discern the presence of NPS to ensure appropriate interventions.
Key points
Our study sought to determine if there are differences in neuropsychiatric symptom prevalence, as measured by the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI‐Q), among self‐declared African American (AA), Hispanic, and Non‐Hispanic White (NHW) individuals with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
While the prevalence of several NPI‐Q symptoms was consistent across the three groups our Hispanic participants showed a greater overall burden of neuropsychiatric symptoms—especially anxiety and mood symptoms (i.e., Anxiety, Depression, Apathy, and Irritability items). By contrast, African Americans reported significantly more behavioral problems as reflected on the Disinhibition and Elation items.
The variability in the prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms among different populations (e.g., mood and anxiety symptoms in HIW) represents both underlying genetic factors rooted in ancestral background as well as sociocultural influences on the measurement and reporting of NPS.
Oxidative stress is an established dementia pathway, but it is unknown if the use of antioxidant supplements can prevent dementia.
To determine if antioxidant supplements (vitamin E or selenium) used ...alone or in combination can prevent dementia in asymptomatic older men.
The Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease by Vitamin E and Selenium (PREADViSE) trial began as a double-blind randomized clinical trial in May 2002, which transformed into a cohort study from September 2009 to May 2015. The PREADViSE trial was ancillary to the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT), a randomized clinical trial of the same antioxidant supplements for preventing prostate cancer, which closed in 2009 owing to findings from a futility analysis. The PREADViSE trial recruited 7540 men, of whom 3786 continued into the cohort study. Participants were at least 60 years old at study entry and were enrolled at 130 SELECT sites, and Cox proportional hazards models were used in a modified intent-to-treat analysis to compare hazard rates among the study arms.
Participants were randomized to vitamin E, selenium, vitamin E and selenium, or placebo. While taking study supplements, enrolled men visited their SELECT site and were evaluated for dementia using a 2-stage screen. During the cohort study, men were contacted by telephone and assessed using an enhanced 2-stage cognitive screen. In both phases, men were encouraged to visit their physician if the screen results indicated possible cognitive impairment.
Dementia case ascertainment relied on a consensus review of the cognitive screens and medical records for men with suspected dementia who visited their physician for an evaluation or by review of all available information, including a functional assessment screen.
The mean (SD) baseline age of the 7540 participants was 67.5 (5.3) years, with 3936 (52.2%) reporting a college education or better, 754 (10.0%) reporting black race, and 505 (6.7%) reporting Hispanic ethnicity. Dementia incidence (325 of 7338 men 4.4%) was not different among the 4 study arms. A Cox model, which adjusted incidence for participant demographic information and baseline self-reported comorbidities, yielded hazard ratios of 0.88 (95% CI, 0.64-1.20) for vitamin E, 0.83 (0.60-1.13) for selenium, and 1.00 (0.75-1.35) for the combination compared with placebo.
Neither supplement prevented dementia. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the long-term association of antioxidant supplement use and dementia incidence among asymptomatic men.
Objectives
To investigate the association between baseline sleep apnea and risk of incident dementia in the Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease with Vitamin E and Selenium (PREADViSE) study and to ...explore whether the association depends on apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 allele status.
Design
Secondary analysis based on data collected during PREADViSE.
Setting
Participants were assessed at 128 local clinical study sites during the clinical trial phase and later were followed by telephone from a centralized location.
Participants
Men enrolled in PREADViSE (without dementia or other active neurological conditions that affect cognition such as major psychiatric disorders, including depression; N = 7,547).
Measurements
Participants were interviewed at baseline for sleep apnea. The Memory Impairment Screen (MIS) was administered to each participant annually. Subjects who failed this initial screen were tested with secondary screening tests. Medical history and medication use were determined, and the AD8 dementia screening instrument was used.
Results
The effect of self‐reported sleep apnea on dementia risk depended on APOE ɛ4 status. When the allele was absent, baseline self‐reported sleep apnea was associated with a 66% higher risk of developing dementia (95% confidence interval = 2–170%), whereas self‐reported sleep apnea conferred no additional risk for participants with an ɛ4 allele.
Conclusion
Sleep apnea may increase risk of dementia in the absence of APOE ɛ4. This may help inform prevention strategies for dementia or AD in older men with sleep apnea.
Registration: PREADViSE is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00040378.
Highlights • The Quantifiler® HP and Quantifiler® Trio DNA Quantification Kits were designed to quantify human genomic DNA in forensic casework samples. • The kits are primarily intended as a ...preliminary screening and quantification step to performing analyses such as STR (short tandem repeat) genotyping. • The kits were designed to improve upon the sensitivity, robustness and time-to-result of earlier-generation DNA quantification kits, to be more aligned with current-generation STR kits. • This paper presents the results of developmental validation studies of the Quantifiler HP and Quantifiler Trio Kits.
INTRODUCTION
The underrepresentation of African Americans (AAs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) research may limit potential benefits from translational applications. This article describes an approach ...to recruit AA families into an AD genomic study and characteristics of seeds (family connectors) used to overcome recruitment barriers of AA families into AD research.
METHODS
A four‐step outreach and snowball sampling approach relying on family connectors was used to recruit AA families. Descriptive statistics of a profile survey were gathered to understand the demographic and health characteristics of family connectors.
RESULTS
Twenty‐five AA families (117 participants) were enrolled in the study via family connectors. Most family connectors self‐identified as female (88%), were 60 years of age or older (76%), and attained post‐secondary education (77%).
DISCUSSION
Community‐engaged strategies were essential to recruit AA families. Relationships between study coordinators and family connectors build trust early in the research process among AA families.
Highlights
Community events were most effective for recruiting African American families.
Family connectors were primarily female, in good health, and highly educated.
Systematic efforts by researchers are necessary to “sell” a study to participants.
Introduction
Discrimination negatively impacts health and may contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in dementia risk.
Methods
Experiences of lifetime and everyday discrimination were assessed among ...6509 Multi‐Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) participants. We assessed the association of discrimination with incidence of dementia including adjustment for important risk factors, cohort attrition, and we assessed for effect modification by race/ethnicity.
Results
Prevalence of any lifetime discrimination in MESA was 42%, highest among Black adults (72%). Over a median 15.7 years of follow‐up, there were 466 incident cases of dementia. Lifetime discrimination, but not everyday discrimination, was associated with incident dementia (Wald p = 0.03). Individuals reporting lifetime discrimination in ≥2 domains (compared to none) had greater risk for dementia (hazard ratio: 1.40; 95%: 1.08, 1.82) after adjustment for sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral risk factors. Associations did not differ by race/ethnicity.
Conclusions
These findings demonstrate an association of greater experiences of lifetime discrimination with incident dementia.
Background
Recruiting African Americans in AD studies remains a challenge, particularly during a pandemic, where major health disparities in this population are illuminated. The recruitment ...literature suggests myriad factors that contribute to the underrepresentation of AAs, including, but not limited to “mistrust” in researchers and their institutions. Maintaining a continuous presence in the AA community builds trust even when traditional outreach methods are not allowed. We continued to provide outreach and recruitment opportunities through COVID education and food for families as we educated them about AD, and opportunities for study participation.
Method
While our traditional outreach methods for recruiting AAs were interrupted, we continued to conduct AD outreach using virtual platforms, mobile phone calls, family conference calls and food distributions. We hosted nine webinars on COVID‐19 to maintain a presence in local and national AA communities and to remain connected to existing AD participants. We reached over 160,000 persons through webinars and social media. We established new relationship new faith leaders in the AA community who co‐hosted COVID‐19 webinars and also expressed interest in forming partnerships on AD education. In addition, we hosted food drives in AA communities that not only addressed food insecurity and COVID prevention, but also AD education and AD research opportunities. At the food drives we distributed bags with masks, hand sanitizers, AD brochures, booklets and study participation information.
Result
Between October and December of 2020, 64 AAs who attended food drives expressed interest in AD studies that required blood draws and cognitive testing. Fifteen enrolled in our genetic study, 15 requested additional follow‐up and 13 expressed interest in participating in more than one study.
Conclusion
Prior research suggests that recruiting AAs into AD studies requires continuous engagement. We used multiple strategies to maintain contact with the AA community and existing research participants, and successfully increased enrollment in the last quarter of the year. Maintaining consistent and continuous engagement facilitates trustworthiness with AAs and yields positive recruitment outcomes, even in a pandemic where traditional recruitment methods are limited.
cAMP receptor protein (CRP) and CytR mediate positive and negative control of nine genes in Escherichia coli, most of which are involved in nucleoside catabolism and recycling. Five promoters share a ...common architecture in which tandem CRP sites flank an intervening CytR operator (CytO). CytR and CRP bind cooperatively to these promoters to form a three-protein, DNA-bound complex that controls activation and repression, the levels of which vary markedly among the promoters. To understand the specific combinatorial control mechanisms that are responsible for this outcome, we have used quantitative DNase I footprinting to generate individual site isotherms for each site of protein–DNA interaction. The intrinsic affinities of each transcription factor for its respective site and the specific patterns of cooperativity and competition underlying the molecular interactions at each promoter were determined by a global analysis of these titration data. Here we present results obtained for nupGP and tsxP2, adding to results published previously for deoP2, udpP, and cddP. These data allowed us to correlate the reported levels of activation, repression, and induction with the ligation states of these five promoters under physiologically relevant conditions. A general pattern of transcriptional regulation emerges that allows for complex patterns of regulation in this seemingly simple system.
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