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Walk with Me Hybrid Virtual/In-Person Walking for Older Adults with Neurodegenerative Disease

This study presents a protocol for virtual and in-person walking groups for older adults with neurodegenerative diseases and addresses the decline in ...

Emory University School of Medicine

People with parental history (PH) of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias (ADRD) are themselves at risk of developing dementia. ADRD are more prevalent in African Americans and women. A decline in executive function and motor-cognitive integration can cause an impaired performance of functional skills. The monitoring of cognitive and psychosocial function in individuals with a PH of ADRD is important for implementing interventions to delay or prevent ADRD diagnosis. This study compared 58 African American women (M age = 63.2 ± 7.2 years) with PH of ADRD (n = 34) versus without PH (NPH; n = 24) on the performance of motor-cognitive and executive function tasks, and mental and physical quality of life (QOL) using point biserial correlations and linear regression. Linear regression revealed no difference between participants with and without PH on motor-cognitive tests. However, compared to participants with NPH, participants with PH of ADRD performed significantly worse on the DKEFS (Delis Kaplan Executive Function System) Tower Test (PH: M = 9.9 ± 2.0; NPH: M = 11.5 ± 4.3; p = 0.046), had poorer mental QOL (PH: M = 46.8 ± 10.7; NPH: M = 52.8 ± 7.8 l; p = 0.007); and physical QOL (PH: M = 40.9 ± 9.3; NPH: M = 44.7 ± 8.6; p = 0.023). African American women at risk for ADRD may exhibit deficiencies in executive function and physical and mental quality of life before memory deficits meet the criterion for ADRD diagnosis. Motor-Cognitive tasks may be preserved. Executive function and mental and physical health-related QOL may be important targets for identifying individuals at increased risk for ADRD and developing appropriate rehabilitative interventions.

Relationship between parental history of dementia, motor-cognitive and executive function performance in African American women.

Falling among older adults is common and can cause chronic health complications. Fear of falling, a lasting concern about falling that can lead an individual to avoid activities he or she can perform, is strongly associated with falling and fall risk. Although White older adults fall more often, Black older adults have more fall risk factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that explain fear of falling and differences between White and Black community-dwelling older adults in fear of falling, balance confidence, and fall risk factors.

Differences in Balance Confidence, Fear of Falling, and Fall Risk Factors Among White and Black Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Functional decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is impacted by impaired ability to integrate and modulate complex cognitive and motor abilities, commonly known as motor-cognitive integration. Impaired motor-cognitive integration occurs in the early stages of AD, prodromal AD (pAD), and may precede other symptoms. Combined motor and cognitive training have been recommended for people with pAD and need to be better researched. Our data suggest that partnered rhythmic rehabilitation (PRR) improves motor-cognitive integration in older adults with cognitive impairment. PRR is an ideal intervention to simultaneously target cardiovascular, social, and motor-cognitive domains important to AD.

Todd Prusin

Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology,
Department of Medicine,
Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine

Emory University School of Medicine

Walk with Me Hybrid Virtual/In-Person Walking for Older Adults with Neurodegenerative Disease

Todd Prusin

Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology,Department of Medicine,Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine

Emory University School of Medicine

Walk with Me Hybrid Virtual/In-Person Walking for Older Adults with Neurodegenerative Disease

Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology,
Department of Medicine,
Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, Department of Medicine