Boundaries of univalent Baker domains

Let $f$ be a transcendental entire function and let $U$ be a univalent Baker domain of $f$. We prove a new result about the boundary behaviour of conformal maps and use this to show that the non-escaping boundary points of $U$ form a set of harmonic measure zero with respect to $U$. This leads to a new sufficient condition for the escaping set of $f$ to be connected, and also a new general result on Eremenko's conjecture

Loneliness among under-represented older adults in the UK: a study of minority ethnic and LGBTQ+ populations

Issue Section: Late Breaking Poster Session IIIInternationally loneliness has been identified as a major public health problem. Although there is a substantial body of research about loneliness in older adults in the UK, there is a significant evidence gap reporting experiences of loneliness of older people from ethnic minorities and those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual and transgender (LGBT). These two groups, under-represented in UK gerontological research, are included in our recently funded project, Socially Inclusive Ageing across the Lifecourse. In this poster we explicitly focus upon the experiences of loneliness for older adults, aged 50+, from the LGBTQ+ and minority ethnic communities. Using wave 9 data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS/Understanding Society) we measured loneliness using the three-item UCLA scale with a score of 6+ out of 9 defining loneliness. Of our total sample of 16,805 who completed the loneliness measure, 1.5% of respondents identified as LGB and 5.4% as Asian, 2.9% as black and 1.5% as other or mixed ethnicity. Overall, 21.7% of the population aged 50+ were lonely. Participants from a black, Asian or other ethnic minority reported higher loneliness than white respondents: 25.8%, 29.6%, 31.0% and 21.0% respectively. Respondents identifying as gay or lesbian (29.1%) or as bisexual (35.2%) reported greater loneliness in comparison to those who identified as heterosexual (21.3%). Our study is novel and timely in demonstrating the higher prevalence of loneliness in two under-represented groups of older adults with the potential consequences this may have for their health and wellbeing in later life

Social health in people with dementia and their carers. Preliminary findings from the IDEAL program

Issue Section: SESSION 4070 (SYMPOSIUM)WHO defines health as a state of complete physical, mental, and social wellbeing. There is an extensive literature examining physical and mental health in later life and, typically, measures of healthy ageing focus upon physical and/or mental health. In the IDEAL dementia research programme we investigated social health outcomes because of their importance in understanding the experience of ‘living well’ for people with dementia. Using data from the IDEAL cohort study, we examined the prevalence and predictors of social isolation in 1,052 people with mild-to-moderate dementia and 928 caregivers who were followed up at 12 and 24 months. Social isolation was assessed using the six-item Lubben Social Network Scale where a score of less than 12 suggests participants are at risk of social isolation. Linear mixed models showed that both people with dementia and caregivers experienced increased social isolation across the two-year period. At baseline 29% of people with dementia were categorised as being socially isolated compared with 14% of caregivers. For both people with dementia and caregivers, loneliness and depression were associated with greater social isolation whilst increased cultural engagement mitigated the impact of social isolation. For people with dementia cognition, the number of green and blue spaces nearby and higher trust in the local community were also important factors. Interventions aimed at increasing cultural engagement and interaction with blue and green spaces may go some way to reducing social isolation

Is the relationship between subjective age, depressive symptoms and activities of daily living bidirectional?

International Longevity Centre–UK (ILC-UK) and University College London

The lateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex work as a dynamic integrated system:evidence from FMRI connectivity analysis

Recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) investigations of the interaction between cognition and reward processing have found that the lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) areas are preferentially activated to both increasing cognitive demand and reward level. Conversely, ventromedial PFC (VMPFC) areas show decreased activation to the same conditions, indicating a possible reciprocal relationship between cognitive and emotional processing regions. We report an fMRI study of a rewarded working memory task, in which we further explore how the relationship between reward and cognitive processing is mediated. We not only assess the integrity of reciprocal neural connections between the lateral PFC and VMPFC brain regions in different experimental contexts but also test whether additional cortical and subcortical regions influence this relationship. Psychophysiological interaction analyses were used as a measure of functional connectivity in order to characterize the influence of both cognitive and motivational variables on connectivity between the lateral PFC and the VMPFC. Psychophysiological interactions revealed negative functional connectivity between the lateral PFC and the VMPFC in the context of high memory load, and high memory load in tandem with a highly motivating context, but not in the context of reward alone. Physiophysiological interactions further indicated that the dorsal anterior cingulate and the caudate nucleus modulate this pathway. These findings provide evidence for a dynamic interplay between lateral PFC and VMPFC regions and are consistent with an emotional gating role for the VMPFC during cognitively demanding tasks. Our findings also support neuropsychological theories of mood disorders, which have long emphasized a dysfunctional relationship between emotion/motivational and cognitive processes in depression

The role of subjective social status in living well for carers of people with dementia: findings from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life (IDEAL) programme

YesWe investigated how carers of people with dementia evaluate their standing in their community and wider society, and if this is related to ‘living well’. We used baseline data from the Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life programme and found that carers rated their standing in society higher than in their local community. Higher evaluations of both were associated with enhanced life satisfaction, well-being and quality of life. Initiatives that increase support or engagement in the community or wider society may help to increase carers’ perceptions of their social status, enhancing their ability to ‘live well’.The IDEAL study was funded jointly by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) through grant ES/L001853/2. The ESRC is part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). ‘Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: a longitudinal perspective on living well with dementia. The IDEAL-2 study’ was funded by the Alzheimer’s Society, grant number 348, AS-PR2-16-001

Older adults’ experiences of loneliness over the lifecourse: an exploratory study using the BBC loneliness experiment

Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Purpose: To explore older adults’ experiences of loneliness across the lifecourse and the relationship with current loneliness. Methods: Our sample is 6,708 people aged 65 years and older, resident in the UK, who participated in the BBC Loneliness Experiment in spring 2018. Loneliness was assessed using the 3 item UCLA Loneliness Scale, using a threshold score of 6+ to define loneliness. Participants were asked if they had experienced loneliness in 5 life-stages ranging from childhood to old age and, if so, at which stage had they experienced loneliness most intensely. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratios of experiencing loneliness in relation to previous experiences of loneliness and key covariates. Findings: 41% of participants reported current feelings of loneliness and were more likely than those who did not to spend time alone, have poorer self-rated health, be unmarried, have fewer financial resources, and lower levels of neighbourhood trust. 71% reported they had experienced loneliness at some previous stage in their life, with 26% experiencing it in childhood (5-15 years and 39% as a young adult (16-24 years). Having had three or more prior life stage experiences of loneliness was an independent risk factor for current loneliness. Conclusion: We highlight the potential importance of examining older adults’ experience of loneliness within a lifecourse perspective. We suggest a research agenda that examines the importance of the number and timing of previous loneliness experiences and investigates the strategies used to cope with loneliness across the lifecourse as a pathway to developing more effective and personalised loneliness interventions.Wellcome Trust [Funder reference: 209625/Z/17/Z]

Loneliness and isolation among people with dementia and their carers: Prevalence, risk factors and a dyadic analysis

Poster presented at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference® 2020 (AAIC®) Meeting Abctracts: Dementia Care and Psychosocial Factors, streamed online, 27-31 July 2020, the Alzheimer's Association. Available free online at https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.041922.Background: People with dementia and their carers may be vulnerable to loneliness and isolation. We investigated: (a) prevalence of, and risk factors for, loneliness and isolation among people with dementia and their carers and (b) the interrelationship between loneliness and isolation for dyads (person with dementia and carer). Method: The IDEAL cohort of people with dementia and their carers includes two loneliness measures: the 6 item de Jong Gierveld (DJG) scale (range 0-6 and classified: not lonely (0-2), moderately lonely (3-4) and severely lonely (5+)) and a single-item question, plus a measure of social isolation, the six-item Lubben social network scale (range 0-30: not isolated (13+) or isolated (12 or less). For dyads consisting of a carer and a person with dementia, 1089 had complete data on loneliness and 1204 on social isolation. We report prevalence and examine loneliness/isolation risk factors using regression analysis for people with dementia and carers separately. We use Actor-Partner Interdependence Models (APIM) to examine the relationship between isolation and loneliness within dyads and vice-versa. Result: Prevalence of severe loneliness for people with dementia was 10% (single item score) and 5% (DJG score 5+) (15% and 18% respectively for carers). One third of people with dementia, 35%, were at risk of isolation (18% of carers). Social isolation was the only risk factor for loneliness consistent for both carers and people with dementia. Risk factors for loneliness in carers were caregiving stress and relationship quality and in people with dementia living alone, depression and life satisfaction/quality of life. Loneliness ratings were congruent in 43.1% of dyads (67.8% for isolation). Dyadic analysis using APIM demonstrates that loneliness is affected by both individuals’ own isolation and that of their partners.There were also actor and partner effects for the association between loneliness and isolation. Conclusion: Most people with dementia and their carers are neither lonely nor isolated. Risk factors for loneliness are different for carers and people with dementia. Isolation in the carers influences the loneliness of the person with dementia and vice versa.Economic and Social Research Council ref: ES/L001853/2 Improving the experience of Dementia and Enhancing Active Life: living well with dementia. The IDEAL study