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Lister JJ, Carmenate-Nichols R, Hudak EM, O'Brien JL, Edwards JD. Auditory Processing but Not Peripheral Hearing Differs Between Older Adults With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment. Am J Audiol 2024:1-10. [PMID: 38787303 DOI: 10.1044/2024_aja-23-00166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Impairments of hearing and auditory processing (AP) have been indicated as risk factors for dementia, but it remains unclear if persons with clinically diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show such impairments. The objective of these analyses was to compare AP between those with and without a clinical diagnosis of MCI using a battery of AP measures. METHOD Data from 274 older adults from the Keys to Staying Sharp randomized clinical trial (NCT03528486) were analyzed. A battery of AP measures in which three domains (temporal processing, binaural processing, and degraded speech understanding) were addressed by six tests was administered. Analyses were registered at https://osf.io/nga4v. RESULTS Those with and without a clinical diagnosis of MCI differed significantly in age, p = .002; pure-tone hearing in the left ear, p = .007; sex, p = .015; and race, p < .001. These covariates were included in multivariate analysis of covariance, which indicated significant differences between persons with and without MCI on measures of binaural processing (ps ≤ .006), but not on measures of temporal processing or degraded speech (ps ≥ .093). Pure-tone hearing averages did not significantly differ among those with or without MCI after adjusting for age, sex, and race (ps ≥ .292). CONCLUSIONS AP in the binaural domain is impaired in MCI, but peripheral hearing did not significantly differ between those with and without MCI. Poor performance on AP measures of binaural processing may reflect problems dividing attention and may be indicative of dementia risk. Results have clinical implications for early detection of and intervention for cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Jones Lister
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa
| | - Raiza Carmenate-Nichols
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa
| | | | - Jennifer L O'Brien
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg
| | - Jerri D Edwards
- Psychiatry-Behavioral Neurobiology, School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham
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Kann MR, Zeiger PJ, Rizer SJ, Cosentino S, Azar M. Virtual Assessment as a Way to Reduce Help-seeking Barriers in Older Adults With Subjective Cognitive Decline. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2023; 37:373-378. [PMID: 37738277 PMCID: PMC10719961 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a potential early marker for neurodegenerative disease such as Alzheimer's disease, is common among older adults. Although it is often regarded as a personal health concern, most individuals with SCD do not seek help from a health care professional. Help-seeking (HS) is a complex, individualized process with significant life-course implications, and older adults often face several barriers to HS across personal, socioeconomic, and cultural domains. The pandemic exacerbated these barriers by imposing additional limitations on in-person care. In response, virtual assessment became a popular method to conduct remote care. We provide a narrative review of the challenges and triumphs that came with the transition from in-person, pen-paper cognitive assessments to virtual cognitive assessments. In addition, we address the impact virtual assessment had in tackling barriers that previously limited individuals with SCD from formal HS. We argue that virtual cognitive assessment helps alleviate health access barriers to HS (e.g., cost, transportation, and physician availability) and allows individuals with different coping styles to undergo assessment within more convenient environments. We hope the findings presented in this review inform health care practice, public education, and future research targeted towards the use of virtual assessment to facilitate HS in older adults with SCD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Kann
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, G.H. Sergievsky Center, and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center
| | - Peter J Zeiger
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Sandra J Rizer
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, G.H. Sergievsky Center, and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, G.H. Sergievsky Center, and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center
| | - Martina Azar
- Psychology Department, VA Boston Health Care System, Boston, MA
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Azar M, Chapman S, Joyce J, Schultheis M, Zhang Z, Waltrip L, Shagalow S, Zeiger P, Sunderaraman P, Cosentino S. Education as a Moderator of Help Seeking Behavior in Subjective Cognitive Decline. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord 2023; 37:184-188. [PMID: 37561937 PMCID: PMC10530107 DOI: 10.1097/wad.0000000000000571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Disparities in Alzheimer disease (AD) and differences in help seeking (HS) across sociodemographic groups warrant public health concern. Research addressing such disparities must shift toward the earliest clinical manifestations of AD to optimize diagnosis, intervention and care planning. Subjective cognitive decline (SCD), a risk state for AD, provides an important context in which to examine sociodemographic-related disparities in HS. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS One hundred sixty-seven cognitively healthy older adults (M age =73, M education =16) (26.4% Black, Asian, or "Other") completed SCD questionnaire, HS questions, and mood measures (depression and anxiety). Binary logistic adjusted regressions examined: (a) the association between SCD and HS; and (b) the extent to which education moderated the relationship between SCD and HS. SCD [b = 0.06, SE=0.13, P <0.001, odds ratio=1.06, 95% CI (1.03, 1.08)] and education [b=0.32, SE=0.09, P <0.001, odds ratio=1.37, 95% CI (1.15, 1.64)] were independently associated with HS, with significant interaction between education and SCD on HS [b=0.2, SE=0.01, P =0.01, odds ratio=1.02, 95% CI (1.00, 1.03)]. CONCLUSIONS Findings elucidate the importance of tailoring SCD-related psychoeducational resources depending on educational background as a preliminary stepping-stone in encouraging HS among older adults who may be at particular risk for developing dementia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Azar
- Psychology Department, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Silvia Chapman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NY, NY, USA
| | - Jillian Joyce
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NY, NY, USA
| | - Maria Schultheis
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Zoe Zhang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Leah Waltrip
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NY, NY, USA
| | - Shaina Shagalow
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NY, NY, USA
| | - Peter Zeiger
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, NY, NY, USA
| | | | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, NY, NY, USA
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Tahami Monfared AA, Stern Y, Doogan S, Irizarry M, Zhang Q. Understanding Barriers Along the Patient Journey in Alzheimer's Disease Using Social Media Data. Neurol Ther 2023; 12:899-918. [PMID: 37060417 PMCID: PMC10195971 DOI: 10.1007/s40120-023-00472-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We speculated that social media data from Alzheimer's disease (AD) stakeholders (patients, caregivers, and clinicians) could identify barriers along the patient journey in AD, and that insights gained may help devise strategies to remove barriers, and ultimately improve the patient journey. METHODS Our sample was drawn from a repository of social media posts extracted from 112 public sources between January 1998 and December 2021 using natural language processing text-mining algorithms. The patient journey was classified into three phases: (1) early signs/experiences (Early Signs); (2) screening/assessment/diagnosis (Screening); and (3) treatment/management (Treatment). In the Early Signs phase, issues/challenges derived from a conceptual AD identification framework (ADIF) were examined. In subsequent phases, behavioral/psychiatric challenges, access/barriers to health care, screening/diagnostic methods, and symptomatic treatments for AD were identified. Posts were classified by AD stakeholder type or disease stage, if possible. RESULTS We identified 225,977 AD patient journey-related social media posts. Anxiety was a predominant issue/challenge in all patient journey phases. In the Screening and Treatment phases combined, access/barriers to care were described in 16% of posts; unwillingness/resistance to seeking care was a major barrier (≥ 75% of access-related posts across all stakeholders). Commonly identified structural barriers (e.g., affordability/cost, geography/transportation/distance) were more common in patient/caregiver posts than clinician posts. Among Screening-related posts, imaging/scans were commonly mentioned by all stakeholders; biomarkers were more commonly mentioned by patients than clinicians. Treatment-related concerns were identified in 17% of stakeholder-specified posts that named pharmacological agents/classes for the symptomatic management of AD. CONCLUSION This descriptive analysis of out-of-clinic experiences reflected in AD social media posts found that unwillingness/resistance to seeking care was a key barrier, followed by structural barriers to health care, such as affordability/cost. Insights from the lived experiences of AD stakeholders are valuable and highlight the need to improve the patient journey in AD and ease patient and caregiver burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Abbas Tahami Monfared
- Eisai, Inc., 200 Metro Blvd, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA.
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Yaakov Stern
- Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Quanwu Zhang
- Eisai, Inc., 200 Metro Blvd, Nutley, NJ, 07110, USA
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Hill NL, Bratlee-Whitaker E, Jang H, Bhargava S, Sillner AY, Do J, Mogle J. Patient-provider communication about cognition and the role of memory concerns: a descriptive study. BMC Geriatr 2023; 23:342. [PMID: 37259029 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04053-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early identification of cognitive impairment is an important part of health promotion in aging. However, many older adults do not seek help for cognitive problems until their ability to function independently is substantially impacted. The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore older adults' experiences with patient-provider communication specific to cognition as well as compare barriers and facilitators between those with and without memory concerns. METHODS We conducted an online survey with individuals aged 65 + years (n = 409; mean age = 71.4(4.73); 54% female; 79% non-Hispanic White), purposively sampled to include those with and without memory concerns. Questionnaires included measures of subjective memory decline (SMD), memory concerns, past healthcare experiences, as well as open-ended questions regarding patient-provider communication about cognition. Content analysis was used to code open-ended responses. Logistic regression was used to examine differences in facilitators and barriers to communication among three groups: no SMD (n = 130), SMD without memory concerns (n = 143), and SMD with memory concerns (n = 136). RESULTS Only 16.6% of participants reported discussing cognition with a healthcare provider. Of the remaining 83.4%, approximately two-thirds would be open to such discussions in certain circumstances, most frequently if they had worsening memory problems. Over half of participants reported that their provider had never offered cognitive testing. Compared to the no SMD and SMD without memory concerns groups, participants reporting SMD with memory concerns were more likely to: (1) discuss cognition if their healthcare provider initiated the conversation, and (2) avoid discussions of cognitive problems due to fears of losing independence. CONCLUSIONS We found that most participants, including those reporting SMD with memory concerns, had never discussed cognition with their healthcare providers. Patient-reported barriers and facilitators to communication about cognition differed in several areas based on SMD status and the presence or absence of memory concerns. Consideration of these differences can guide future efforts to improve early identification of subtle cognitive changes that would benefit from further monitoring or intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikki L Hill
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Penn State University, 201 Nursing Sciences Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA.
| | - Emily Bratlee-Whitaker
- RTI Health Solutions, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, PO Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Heejung Jang
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, 418 Brackett Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Sakshi Bhargava
- RTI Health Solutions, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, PO Box 12194, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | - Andrea Yevchak Sillner
- Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, Penn State University, 201 Nursing Sciences Building, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Justin Do
- Sidney Kimmel Medical College, 1025 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, USA
| | - Jacqueline Mogle
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, 418 Brackett Hall, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
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Introducing the International Journal of Nursing Studies – Advances. Int J Nurs Stud 2022; 127:104177. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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