Dasatinib plus quercetin attenuates some frailty characteristics in SAMP10 mice

Senolytics are a class of drugs that selectively remove senescent cells. Dasatinib and quercetin have been discovered, and their combination has shown various anti-ageing effects. The SAMP10 mouse strain is a model of brain ageing. Here, we investigated the effect of combination on frailty characteristics in SAMP10. By comparing SAMP10 with SAMR1 mice as normal ageing controls, we investigated some frailty characteristics. Frailty was assessed at 18–38 weeks of age with a clinical frailty index. Motor and cognitive function of these mice were evaluated using behavioral experiments. SAMP10 mice were divided into vehicle and combination, and these functions and histological changes in the brain hippocampus were investigated. Finally, the in vitro effects of combination on oxidative stress-induced senescent muscle and neuronal cells were investigated. As a result, we found that frailty index was higher in SAMP10 than SAMR1. Motor and cognitive function were worse in SAMP10 than SAMR1. Furthermore, combination therapy improved frailty, motor and cognitive function, and the senescent phenotype of the hippocampus compared with vehicle in SAMP10. In summary, SAMP10 showed more marked frailty characteristics than SAMR1, and dasatinib and quercetin attenuated them in SAMP10. From our results, senolytic therapy might contribute protective effects against frailty

The Effect of Deep Micro Vibrotactile Stimulation on Cognitive Function of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Mild Dementia

Background: The purpose of this study was to clarify the effect of Deep Micro Vibrotactile (DMV) stimulation on the cognitive functions in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia. Methods: A total of 35 participants with dementia from three nursing homes, who had completed treatment with DMV stimulation at 15–40 Hz (hereinafter, 15–40 Hz DMV stimulation) for a month were recruited for this study. The subjects had received continuous 15–40 Hz DMV stimulation for 24 h a day for 1 month. We assessed the effect of the treatment on the cognitive functions (by the word list memory (WM) test, trail making test-part A (TMT-A) and part B (TMT-B), and symbol digit substitution task (SDST)) and physical functions (grip strength (GS) and usual walking speed (UWS)), by comparing the results at the baseline and after the 1-month intervention (DMV stimulation). Results: The results revealed that the performances in the WM test (p < 0.05), TMT-B (p < 0.05), and SDST (p < 0.01) improved significantly after the intervention. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that 15–40 Hz DMV stimulation is might be effective for improving the cognitive functions in elderly people with dementia. Furthermore, our novel findings showed the different effectiveness of the treatment depending on the stage of cognitive impairments

A Pilot Survey: Oral Function as One of the Risk Factors for Physical Frailty

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the association of the multiple facets of oral, motor, and social functions in community-dwelling older adults, to identify factors that might influence the risk of frailty. Methods: Of the 82 participants included in the study, 39 (5 males and 34 females) were young-old adults, with an average age of 70.5 ± 2.8 years, and 43 (14 males and 29 females) were old-old adults, with an average age of 78.7 ± 2.9 years. We assessed the risk factors for frailty among oral, motor, and social functions. Results: Statistical analysis showed a significant difference in the oral diadochokinesis between the groups (p = 0.006). According to the Spearman correlation analysis, a significant association was observed with age and oral diadochokinesis (rs = −0.262, p = 0.018), and social support (rs = −0.219, p = 0.049). Moreover, binomial logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association of frailty with the occlusal force (odds ratio, 0.031; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 0.002–0.430; p = 0.010), General Oral Health Index (odds ratio, 0.930; 95% CI, 0.867–0.999, p = 0.046), and availability of social support (odds ratio, 0.803, 95% CI, 0.690–0.934, p = 0.004). Conclusions: To prevent frailty at an early stage, assessments of oral functions, and also that of the availability of social support, are important

Person-centered dementia care during COVID-19: a qualitative case study of impact on and collaborations between caregivers

BackgroundLittle is known about the actual impact of COVID-19 on caregivers of older people with dementia and resultant collaborations among them to provide continued person-centered care while undertaking infection control measures. In this study, we explored the impact of providing dementia care during COVID-19 on caregivers involved in dementia care.MethodsThis is an exploratory qualitative case study. The participants were family members living with older people with dementia, care managers, and the medical and long-term care facility staff. Data were collected from 46 caregivers via face-to-face and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsThe interviews identified 22 themes related to the impact of COVID-19 on different positions of the caregivers involved in dementia care and their collaboration, and we categorized them into six categories. The core themes were “re-acknowledgement of care priorities” and “rebuilding of relationships.” When caregivers’ perceptions were aligned in the decision-making processes regarding care priorities, “reaffirmation of trust” and “strengthening of intimate relationships” emerged as positive changes in their relationships. Furthermore, the differences in the ability of each caregiver to access and select correct and appropriate information about COVID-19, and the extent of infection spread in the region were related to “anxiety during COVID-19 pandemic” and caused a “gap in perception” regarding infection control.ConclusionsThe present study clarified that the process of aligning the perceptions of caregivers to the objectives and priorities of care for older people with dementia during COVID-19 pandemic strengthened the relationships among caregivers. The findings of this study are useful for caregivers involved in person-centered dementia care

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbation of Depressive Symptoms for Social Frailty from the ORANGE Registry

Background: Recent longitudinal studies have reported proportion of frailty transition in older individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aimed at clarifying the impact of social frailty in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and at identifying factors that can predict transition to social frailty. Methods: We performed this study from 2019 (before declaration of the state of emergency over the rising number of COVID-19 cases) to 2020 (after declaration of the emergency). We applied Makizako’s social frail index to our study subjects at the baseline and classified into robust, social prefrailty, and social frailty groups. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed using robust, social prefrailty, or social frailty status as dependent variable. Results: Analysis by the Kruskal–Wallis test revealed significant differences in the score on the GDS-15 among the robust, social prefrailty, and social frailty groups (p < 0.05). Furthermore, multiple regression analysis identified a significant association between the social frailty status and the score on GDS-15 (odds ratio, 1.57; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.15–2.13; p = 0.001). Conclusion: The increase in the rate of transition of elderly individuals to the social frailty group could have been related to the implementation of the stay-at-home order as part of the countermeasures for COVID-19. Furthermore, the increased prevalence of depressive symptoms associated with the stay-at-home order could also have influenced the increase in the prevalence of social frailty during the COVID-19 pandemic

Examination of the effect of Deep Micro Vibrotactile stimulation on cognitive function for elderly with Alzheimer’s Disease

This study aimed to preliminary examine the effect of DMV stimulation on cognitive function in the elderly with moderate dementia. In the single arm study, 5 participants over 85 years old (% female: 100%) with Alzheimer’s disease completed treatment of DMV stimulation with 15-40 Hz. 15-40 Hz DMV stimulation was provided during the entire day for 4 weeks. We evaluated therapeutic efficacy on cognitive function including WM, trail making test-part A &amp; part B and the symbol digit substitution task in the participants, comparing outcomes at baseline with those after the 4 weeks intervention. According to statistical analyses, the WM improved significantly after the intervention (p = 0.043), and the others didn’t have significant improvement. Our result showed that this DMV stimulation might have potentially positive impact on cognitive memory function in older adults with moderate level of dementia. In conclusion, living environmental intervention utilized 15-40 Hz DMV stimulation can contribute to the new nonpharmacological treatments without invasiveness for the elderly with dementia.&nbsp;</p