What is this Study about?

The aim of this research is to investigate the short-term and long-term effects of music-assisted learning on memory function and verbal learning in participants with mild memory loss.

What is this Study about?

Smart home technology is being adapted to support the care at home of persons with dementia (PWD). This technology has potential to reduce burden on informal carers and improve their quality of life; however, it is unknown what the desires are of informal carers with respect to the use of smart home technology. This study will interview 15 carers, to determine how smart home technology might address behavioural and safety concerns of their loved one.

What is this Study about?

This study explores the experiences of people with a stroke-related communication disability in financial environments such as banks, potential challenges regarding participation in financial environments, and looks for strategies to enhance their financial inclusion.

This study will allow adults with post-stroke communication impairments to have a voice to talk about their problems and challenges in financial environments and will provide them with strategies to enhance their financial inclusion, independence, and quality of life.

What is this Study about?

Young dementia caregivers are people under the age of 24 who provide care to someone living with dementia. Young caregivers are often called a “hidden population” because they are difficult to identify, and their needs are often unrecognized. Dementia caregivers face many challenges, like busy schedules, emotional and mental burdens, competing priorities, not enough time for a social life, loneliness, and many more.

Our research team aims to learn more about the social connection of young caregivers (aged 18-24 years) of people living with dementia (YCPLWD) in Ontario and improve it. Social connection is defined as “how people connect to each other, and it is made up of multiple distinct aspects”. In Phase 1 of our project, we will conduct focus groups with YCPLWD to learn more about their social connection. Then, in Phase 2, we will try to improve their social connection, by applying the perspectives and ideas of YCPLWD themselves.

Our project is important because it will raise awareness for YCPLWD in research and education, as an underrepresented population with unique and specific experiences. They may face unique challenges that can be further explored, categorized, and analyzed in future projects.

More importantly, by acknowledging and addressing caregiver voices, our project can foster a broader societal impact by informing the development of resources to educate and support YCPLWD. These interventions can increase the quality of life for young caregivers, and lead to improved care and favourable health outcomes for the dementia community.

What is this Study about?

This research study aims to explore the conversational and interaction patterns of people with early onset to mild dementia with chatbots/conversational agents. We have developed an iOS application to be used with people with early onset to mild dementia for 1 month, minimum duration 20 minutes per day. It is a friendly conversational agent who can also carry out digital reminiscence therapy by allowing the participants to choose their favourite photos.

Our main target is to find out if and how conversational agents can support people with early onset to mild dementia in companionship and social connectedness.

What is this Study about?

Increasing evidence shows that listening to music from childhood and early adulthood can help recall meaningful events from the past. Importantly, people with dementia have shown to benefit from listening to personally meaningful music, suggesting that musical memory remains preserved. However, the underlying mechanisms by which music improves memory remains unclear.

My research addresses the impact of an autobiographically salient music listening program on memory and brain activity in mild cognitive impairment. Understanding how brainwave activity in this population may differ, will help elucidate mechanisms of music listening that lead to cognitive improvements, ultimately providing insight into musical memory preservation and how it can be leveraged.

Participants will undergo cognitive testing and measure brainwave activity via EEG, a non-invasive neuroimaging method. Participants will be provided an online link (or CD if they do not have wifi) to access their personalized music playlist and will be asked to listen for two weeks at home (20 mins/day, minimum 5 days/wk). Repeated cognitive and EEG assessment will help determine changes in brain function.

What is this Study about?

This survey is looking to learn more about well-being and chronic pain in adults aged 60 years and older living in Canada. We hope to better understand the elevated well-being experienced by older adults despite their levels of chronic pain, the impact of certain coping factors, and if age of onset of chronic pain influences levels of well-being.

What is this Study about?

The aim of our study is to better understand whether certain lifestyle factors (such as physical activity and hearing) are related to early changes in memory and thinking abilities in older adults. We are especially interested in enrolling individuals who are South Asian or East Asian, because little research has focused on brain health in Canadians of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds.

By participating, you will help us better understand how lifestyle factors are related to memory and thinking changes in adults from diverse communities. We hope that this will lead to improved prevention and early intervention strategies for dementia.

What is this Study about?

People with dementia are at risk of falling due to poor balance and fear of falling. Active video games (games played by moving) could help by providing exercise to people with dementia. However, there are no user-friendly active video games for this population.

You are invited to take part in a research study looking to develop and test an active video game for people with dementia. You will be asked questions about: (a) your experiences caring for a person with dementia; (b) falls, fear of falling, and balance/mobility issues in dementia; and (c) your input on the game's initial design.