Greek high phenolic early harvest extra virgin olive oil reduces the over-excitation of information-flow based on dominant coupling mode model in patients with mild cognitive impairment: an EEG resting-state validation approach

Background:Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) constitutes a natural compound with high protection over cognitive function that could positively alter brain dynamics and the mixture of within and between-frequency connectivity. Objective:The balance of cross-frequency coupling over within-frequency coupling can build a nonlinearity index (NI) that encapsulates the over-excitation of information flow between brain areas and across experimental time. The present study investigated for the very first time how the Greek High Phenolic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil (HP-EH-EVOO) versus Moderate Phenolic (MP-EVOO) and Mediterranean Diet (MeDi) intervention in people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) could affect their spontaneous EEG dynamic connectivity. Methods:Forty-three subjects (14 in MeDi, 16 in MP-EVOO, and 13 in HP-EH-EVOO) followed an EEG resting-state recording session (eyes-open and closed) before and after the treatment. Following our dominant coupling mode model, we built a dynamic integrated dynamic functional connectivity graph that tabulates the functional strength and the dominant coupling mode model of every pair of brain areas. Results:Signal spectrum within 1–13 Hz and theta/beta ratio have decreased in the HP-EH-EVOO group in the eyes-open condition. The intervention improved the FI D oCM across groups and conditions but was more prominent in the HP-EH-EVOO group (p <  0.001). Finally, we revealed a significant higher post-intervention reduction of NI (ΔNITotal and α ) for the HP-EH-EVOO compared to the MP-EVOO and MeDi groups (p <  0.0001). Conclusion:Long-term intervention with HP-EH-EVOO reduced the over-excitation of information flow in spontaneous brain activity and altered the signal spectrum of EEG rhythms

The Special Care Unit for People with Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (SCU- B) in the Context of the Project &ldquo;RECage-Respectful Caring for Agitated Elderly&rdquo;: A Qualitative Study

Background: Dementia is a priority for global public health. The management of behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) is one of the highest ongoing challenges and needs new approaches. The special care unit for people with dementia and BPSD (SCU-B) is viewed in this context as a further medical intervention. Aim: this study aims to explore SCU-B units in order to describe their main characteristics in relation to different implementation contexts, identify the characteristics of their replicability, and examine the social innovation elements promoted by SCU-B units. Method: This qualitative study is based on focus groups (FGs) and interviews involving nine international centers. Five of the centers have a memory clinic unit and SCU-B, compared with six that only have a memory clinic unit. A total number of 18 FGs were held, which altogether involved 164 participants. All data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by means of a content analysis and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis. Results: The qualitative analysis offers a vision of the SCU-B model as an innovative care unit for BPSD, promoting social innovation in the long-term care (LTC) sector. This system mainly targets people with dementia and BPSD and their informal caregivers but encourages collaboration between dementia care stakeholders at the micro and meso levels. Conclusions: Specific characteristics of the country&rsquo;s LTC systems and the organization of specialized units are determinants for the success of the SCU-B experience. The replicability of the entire SCU-B model was considered low; however, the implementation of single elements composing the SCU-B model may foster innovation. This study provides relevant suggestions on how to implement the SCU-B unit and innovative solutions for dementia care