Outcome measurement of cognitive impairment and dementia in serious digital games: a scoping review

Purpose: Dementia prevalence is increasing worldwide. With the emergence of digital rehabilitation, serious digital games are a potential tool to maintain and monitor function in people living with dementia. It is unclear however whether games can measure changes in cognition. We conducted a scoping review to identify the types of outcomes measured in studies of serious digital games for people with dementia and cognitive impairment. Methods: We included primary research of any design including adults with cognitive impairment arising from dementia or another health condition; reported data about use of serious digital games; and included any cognitive outcome. We searched Medline (via EBSCO), PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, from inception to 4th March 2024 and extracted study characteristics. Results: We reviewed 5899 titles, including 25 full text studies. We found heterogeneity in domains and measures used: global cognition (n = 15), specific cognitive processes (n = 13), motor function (n = 5), mood (n = 6), activities of daily living (n = 5), physiological processes (n = 4) and quality of life (n = 2). Use of outcome measurement tools was inconsistent; the most frequently used measures were the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (n = 8), the Mini-Mental State Examination (n = 7), and the Trail Making Test (n = 7). Nine studies used in-game measures, most of which were related to game performance. Conclusion: We found very few studies with assessment of cognition within the game. Studies of serious games for people with dementia and cognitive impairment should develop digital outcome tools based on recommendations in Core Outcome Sets, to increase consistency between studies

El redescubrimiento de la filosofía personalista de Jacques Maritain

The author argues that searching for new models for business functioning and economic policy invites us to rediscover the personalist philosophy of Jacques Maritain. At the core of Maritain’s Humanisme Intégral (1936) is the idea that man is a person who is "spiritual in nature, endowed with free will, and thus autonomous in relation to the world". The paper studies temporal common good’s inner nature, that according to Maritain concerns the good life of the entire community —the common good or bonum commune— both in the material and moral sense. This bonum commune is not the ultimate goal of the temporal order, but it is subordinate to what transcends temporal welfare of the human person—the attainment of freedom and spiritual perfection. In the end, this temporal order is never completed. The definitive balance or telos is never obtained because man is always on the path.El autor sostiene que la búsqueda de nuevos modelos empresariales y de política económica nos invita a redescubrir la filosofía personalista de Maritain. En el núcleo de la obra Humanismo integral (1936) del filósofo francés aparece la idea de que el hombre es una persona "de naturaleza espiritual, dotada de libre albedrío, y por lo tanto autónoma en relación con el mundo". El artículo estudia la naturaleza del bien común temporal, que para Maritain se relaciona con la vida buena de la toda la comunidad –el bien común o bonum commune– tanto en el sentido material como moral.Este bonum commune no es el objetivo final del orden temporal, sino que estásubordinado a lo que trasciende el bienestar temporal de la persona humana –larealización de la libertad y la perfección espiritual. En última instancia, el orden nuncase completa. El balance definitivo o telos nunca se obtiene ya que el hombre está siempreen camino

A Saxon Fish Weir and undated fish trap frames near Ashlett Creek, Hampshire, UK: static structures on a dynamic foreshore

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Springer Verlag via the DOI in this record.The remains of a wooden V-shaped fish weir and associated structures have been discovered near Ashlett Creek on the tidal mudflats of Southampton Water in Hampshire, southern Britain. Radiocarbon dating of oak roundwood stakes taken from the main weir structure date it to the middle Saxon period. Clusters of as-yet undated roundwood posts within the catchment area of the weir are interpreted as the frames for fish traps that are assumed to pre- or post-date the operational period of the weir itself. The weir is contemporary with wooden V-shaped fish weirs found elsewhere in southern and central Britain, and also Ireland, but its circular catchment ‘pound’ remains restricted, in these islands, to the Solent and Severn estuaries: it has a close parallel with another Saxon-era weir on the nearby Isle of Wight. It also shows striking structural similarities with examples in use today in Basse Normandy, on the southern shore of the English Channel. The paper discusses the function and operation of the weir, and places it in its social and historical context. Regressive cartography demonstrates that the structures have become exposed as a result of saltmarsh retreat in this area of Southampton Water since the 19th century. The radiocarbon dates returned for the posts demonstrate that this transgression of the marsh must have been preceded by a prolonged period of progradation, which covered and preserved the site; its subsequent re-exposure has negative implications for its survival.The fieldwork underpinning this research was carried out using equipment and facilities provided by the Centre for Maritime Archaeology of the University of Southampton. The authors themselves met incidental costs. Radiocarbon dating was financed from an internal University of Exeter research allowance

Extracellular Nucleotides Regulate Arterial Calcification by Activating Both Independent and Dependent Purinergic Receptor Signaling Pathways

Arterial calcification, the deposition of calcium-phosphate crystals in the extracellular matrix, resembles physiological bone mineralization. It is well-known that extracellular nucleotides regulate bone homeostasis raising an emerging interest in the role of these molecules on arterial calcification. The purinergic independent pathway involves the enzymes ecto-nucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterases (NPPs), ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (NTPDases), 5′-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase. These regulate the production and breakdown of the calcification inhibitor—pyrophosphate and the calcification stimulator—inorganic phosphate, from extracellular nucleotides. Maintaining ecto-nucleotidase activities in a well-defined range is indispensable as enzymatic hyper- and hypo-expression has been linked to arterial calcification. The purinergic signaling dependent pathway focusses on the activation of purinergic receptors (P1, P2X and P2Y) by extracellular nucleotides. These receptors influence arterial calcification by interfering with the key molecular mechanisms underlying this pathology, including the osteogenic switch and apoptosis of vascular cells and possibly, by favoring the phenotypic switch of vascular cells towards an adipogenic phenotype, a recent, novel hypothesis explaining the systemic prevention of arterial calcification. Selective compounds influencing the activity of ecto-nucleotidases and purinergic receptors, have recently been developed to treat arterial calcification. However, adverse side-effects on bone mineralization are possible as these compounds reasonably could interfere with physiological bone mineralization

Proefputtenonderzoek Janseniusproject Leuven (prov. Vlaams-Brabant). Basisrapport - November 2008

Dit rapport werd ingediend bij het agentschap samen met een aantal afzonderlijke digitale bijlagen. Een aantal van deze bijlagen zijn niet inbegrepen in dit pdf document en zijn niet online beschikbaar. Sommige bijlagen (grondplannen, fotos, spoorbeschrijvingen, enz.) kunnen van belang zijn voor een betere lezing en interpretatie van dit rapport. Indien u deze bijlagen wenst te raadplegen kan u daarvoor contact opnemen met: [email protected]

Provision of Outdoor Nature-Based Activity for Older People with Cognitive Impairment: A Scoping Review from the ENLIVEN Project

© 2023 Rachel Collins et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The health and well-being benefits of outdoor nature-based activity are increasingly recognised, but older people with cognitive impairment face significant barriers to access. The ENLIVEN project aims to promote access by gathering evidence and coproducing guidance for activity providers. As part of this project, we conducted a scoping review to characterise the types of outdoor nature-based activity for older people with dementia and other forms of cognitive impairment for which research evidence is available and the range of outcomes is examined. The protocol is available online. We systematically searched relevant databases from 1st January, 2009, to 20th October, 2022, and screened articles against the following criteria: participants were older people aged 65 and above with cognitive impairment arising from dementia or another health condition. The study described the formal provision of outdoor nature-based activity away from the person’s usual place of residence, and at least one outcome of participation in the activity was evaluated. Twenty-eight articles met inclusion criteria, all focused on people living with dementia. In most cases, participants were attending day care or living in residential care, and sample sizes ranged from 4 to 136. Activities fell into three groups: green day care (fifteen articles), equine-assisted interventions (seven articles), and community nature-based activities (six articles). Outcome domains explored were connection with nature, activity engagement, impacts on clinical symptoms, functional ability, physical, psychological, and social health, and quality of life. Outdoor nature-based activity can be offered as an opportunity for meaningful occupation to enrich daily life, as a framework for day care provision, or as an intervention to address clinical needs. The evidence base for green day care is relatively established, but the potential for addressing specific clinical needs remains to be explored. The paucity of evidence regarding community provision, especially for those not attending formal care settings, suggests the need for effective knowledge exchange to stimulate initiatives in this area.Peer reviewe

What are subjective cognitive difficulties and do they matter?

Background subjective cognitive difficulties (SCD) have been associated with a higher risk of developing dementia. However, there is large variation in the way SCD are assessed and in their associations with cognitive functioning. Objective to compare the agreement of different SCD measures in identifying people with SCD and to investigate whether SCD are more strongly associated with cognitive functioning, mood, subjective age or background variables. Methods this cross-sectional study included 206 community-dwelling people aged ≥65. SCD were assessed with individual domain specific questions and a multiple-item scaled measure. Performance on tests of memory, attention, and executive function, and ratings of mood, subjective age and demographic information were recorded. Results there was some classification overlap between the five measures of SCD, however of the 64 people identified as having SCD, only one person appeared in all five measures of SCD and 34 people were classified by one measure only. There were limited associations between SCD and objective cognition, with more consistent associations with mood and subjective age. Conclusions the conflicting evidence regarding whether SCD are related to objective cognition and future risk of dementia may be due to different measures of SCD being employed. Careful consideration and standardisation is recommended regarding the cognitive domains and the reference groups for comparison, the response structure and the classification criteria. Longitudinal studies of SCD that include these considerations are needed to clarify the conceptual utility of SCD

How does cognitive reserve impact on the relationships between mood, rumination, and cognitive function in later life?

© 2014 Taylor and Francis. Objectives: Higher levels of cognitive reserve (CR) are associated with better cognitive function in later life. In contrast, depressive symptoms, anxiety, and rumination are associated with diminished cognitive function. There has been limited research to date examining the influence of CR on the relationship between mood and cognitive function, and results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to investigate the role CR plays in the relationships between mood, rumination, and cognitive function in later life.Method: Two hundred and thirty-six healthy people aged 60+ completed measures of CR, depression, anxiety, rumination, recall, and verbal fluency. Participants were dichotomised at the median into those with lower and higher levels of CR.Results: CR, mood, and rumination together accounted for between 13% and 15.6% of the variance in scores on the cognitive tasks in the sample as a whole. Mood and rumination explained a significant amount of variance in cognitive test scores in those with lower levels of CR, but not in those with higher levels of CR.Conclusion: The way in which mood and rumination are related to cognitive function differs depending on the individual's level of CR. These results support the view that it is important to continue to build on CR as people move into later life in order to maintain cognitive health