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By Janissa Delzo

At the Penn Memory Center and Alzheimer’s disease research centers across the nation, research participants are essential to those studying neurodegenerative diseases and lifelong brain health. Without them, there could be no research.

Equally essential, though less obvious, is the study partner.

A study partner is someone who accompanies a participant to Alzheimer’s disease research visits and knows the participant well. Though this is frequently a spouse or adult child, it could easily be a friend, neighbor, or sibling-in-law who sees the participant often enough to accurately report on how the participant’s cognition and function is in their home environment.

Enrolling dyads — a participant and study partner — is often extraordinarily challenging, for a variety of reasons. But in order to advance Alzheimer’s research and get closer to the goal of treating and preventing the disease by 2025, as set forth by global leaders in the National Plan, it’s imperative to understand the challenges and barriers of study partner participation.

By Linnea Langkammer

Researchers often offer payment to research participants to reimburse them for expenses, to compensate them for their time and travel, or to incentivize their participation. New research suggests that offers of payment could actually drive participants to lie to researchers in order to meet enrollment criteria.

In the survey experiment, co-authored by Penn Memory Center Scholar Emily Largent, participants were offered a reimbursement for completion of an online survey. Over several experimental groups, researchers found that between 10.5% to 22.8% of participants falsely reported meeting the flu vaccine eligibility requirement when compared to a control group, which was paid regardless of flu vaccine status.  

By Sharnita Midgett

The number of adults 65 and older is expected to double by the year 2050, and though lifespan is increasing, healthspan — the length of time that one is in good health — is not.

Research continues to highlight exercise as important for improving markers of health, with a recent study describing why aerobic exercise may be especially important for family caregivers.

Jordan Weiss, a PhD candidate in Demography and Healthy Brain Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, co-authored a study which examined the effects of aerobic exercise on cellular markers of aging in inactive family caregivers of loved ones with dementia.

By Sharnita Midgett

To understand the link between blood pressure and dementia, SPRINT MIND investigators are continuing their research to answer the question: does intensely controlling blood pressure in patients with hypertension decrease dementia risk?

A study co-authored by Assistant Professor of Radiology and SPRINT MIND Investigator Ilya Nasrallah, MD examined the effects of intensive blood pressure control versus standard blood pressure control on dementia. Nasrallah works closely with Penn Memory Center clinicians and assists with reviewing patients.

Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a risk factor for many conditions, and the study of blood pressure is the main focus of the Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT). SPRINT was designed to test the effect of more intensive blood pressure control on cardiovascular, renal, and cognitive outcomes in those without diabetes or preexisting stroke.

The trial found that intensive treatment for patients with high blood pressure resulted in fewer heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac deaths. The results were so clear that it would have been unethical to continue research that would delay intensive treatment for the group receiving standard treatment. The trial ended early, and the results led to the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association changing their definition of what constitutes high blood pressure. However, the question of blood pressure’s impact on dementia risk remains, and is a question that the substudy of SPRINT, SPRINT MIND (Memory and Cognition IN Decreased Hypertension), aims to answer.

By Sharnita Midgett

Greater mental well-being that includes optimism and a positive attitude is associated with reduced risk of dementia, according to a report from the Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH).

The GCBH met in London last fall to discuss the impact of mental well-being on older adults. From the evidence, they determined that optimism and greater mental health led to better brain health. Poor mental well-being, such as pessimism or not feeling useful, could interfere with people’s abilities to interact with others, regulate their emotions, think and reason. While mental well-being can be affected by a variety of factors such as genetics, relationships, personality and environmental factors, research shows that there are steps people can take to improve mental well-being as they age.

The Penn Memory Center continued its new Empowering Caregivers speaker series this year with occupational therapist and Day by Day Home Therapy founder Rachel Wiley, who presented “Bathing, Grooming, Dressing, and Other Activities of Daily Living.” Wiley’s workshop was both practical and personal, emphasizing real-world advice on caring for your loved one. Empowering Caregivers gives caregivers access to area experts who present on a variety of intensive topics, from in-home activities to end-of-life care.

All sessions are full. We appreciate your enthusiasm.

Biotechnology company Biogen today announced the decision to discontinue Phase 3 trials ENGAGE and EMERGE, which were designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of aducanumab in patients with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s disease and mild Alzheimer’s disease dementia.

At the Penn Memory Center, seventeen people were participating in the Biogen study. These participants and their study partners have been contacted regarding next steps.