Anxiety is very common in older adults and people with dementia. However, those who experience chronic or new-onset anxiety also have a higher risk of developing dementia. This connection is particularly strong in people under 70 years of age. Researchers from Australia discovered this. Do people…
Currently, more than 60 million people worldwide are affected by neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's dementia. Researchers from Sichuan University in China and the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have now investigated the connection between body composition (including body fat) and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases. The focus was not only on...
Researchers from the USA and Sweden investigated the risk of developing severe depression after an Alzheimer's diagnosis. More than four million people from Sweden participated in the study. Their findings were published in April 2024 in the renowned journal Alzheimer's & Dementia. If, with...
A new study by Chinese scientists underscores the importance of not smoking at a young age and during pregnancy. Those who started smoking in early adolescence also developed dementia earlier. Furthermore, the researchers were able to establish a link between smoking during pregnancy...
In the third issue of our new special newsletter "SCHLAGLICHT – New Medications for Dementia," Dr. Nikolas Dietzel, a research associate at digiDEM Bayern, discusses the publication by scientists from Europe, the USA, and Australia, led by Professor Poul F. Høilund-Carlsen from Odense University Hospital in Denmark. In the article titled "Donanemab, another anti-Alzheimer’s…"
Background: Dementia is considered one of the main causes of the need for long-term care among older adults [1, 2]. Approximately 70% of this care is provided by family members and caregivers in the home setting [2]. Caregiving can affect the sleep of family members and relatives who provide care. Objective: The objective of this study is …
Background: High health literacy is necessary for the timely initiation of diagnostic and treatment measures for Alzheimer's dementia [1]. To increase health literacy in the population, the digiDEM Knowledge Test Alzheimer's Dementia has been developed. This is based on the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) and includes 30 statements from...
Background: Social isolation, defined by the number and quality of social networks, is among the modifiable risk factors influencing the development and course of dementia [1]. In addition, an increase in social isolation is also significantly associated with the development of loneliness [2], another risk factor for...
Background: For people with dementia to be actively involved in care planning, early discussion of care planning topics is of central importance [1]. The concept of so-called Advance Care Planning (ACP) offers a promising way to take their individual wishes regarding end-of-life care and treatment into account [2]. …
Background: Tailored information about dementia can relieve caregivers of people with cognitive impairments [1]. It is known that the information needs of caregivers adapt over the course of the illness or depending on the severity of the disease [1]. However, less research has been done on whether the health information sources also adapt in this process...
