What is this Study about?

Our study titled "Investigating the Role of Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping and Oxygen Extraction Fraction as Advanced Neuroimaging Biomarkers in Alzheimer's Disease" aims to develop non-invasive diagnostic biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease (AD). We focus on evaluating the potential of QSM and OEF to differentiate between AD, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and Cognitively Unimpaired populations and to predict amyloid and tau pathology, using a Systems Biology approach. Leveraging the McGill University's TRIAD cohort, the study utilizes advanced imaging and machine learning to predict amyloid and tau presence, which could transform AD diagnostics and treatment. Methodologically, it involves preprocessing neuroimaging data and employing machine learning classifiers to analyze these features. The anticipated outcomes include validating QSM and OEF as non-invasive biomarkers for AD, establishing their correlation with amyloid and tau proteins, and developing predictive models for clinical decision-making, potentially resulting in significant advancements in AD diagnostics.

What is this Study about?

Researchers at the University of Waterloo are looking for individuals to participate in a research study that explores the perceptions of dementia and health-seeking behaviour amongst Arab care partners in Ontario. This study aims to understand how dementia is perceived by Arab care partners and the use of dementia-related health services and community support services.

Sharing your experience will help us to understand 1) how dementia is perceived by Arab care partners and 2) the use of dementia-related health services and community support services.

What is this Study about?

Our overall goal is to improve the surgical experience for older adults with cognitive decline, including people with Alzheimer's and related dementias, their families, and caregivers.

The aim of this study is to understand and describe the experiences of patients, families, and healthcare providers with postoperative delirium (delirium after surgery), and to identify strategies to support patient and family centered care for patients with postoperative delirium. We will conduct interviews with patients, families, and healthcare providers to describe their experiences with postoperative delirium.

Our findings will be used to inform the development of a strategy for reducing delirium after surgery.

What is this Study about?

DELIGHT (DEmentia Lifestyle Intervention for Getting Healthy Together) is a multi-component, group-based healthy lifestyle program for persons living with dementia and family care partners. It aims to improve health behaviours of participants, and reduce the progression of dementia-related impairments and improve physical, social, and mental wellbeing of persons living with dementia and care partners. Following an initial test of the program at the University of Waterloo, the focus of this stage of the project is to work together with community members to adapt the program more diverse contexts, including diverse community centers, rural settings and community groups supporting people of linguistic/ethno-cultural minorities.

What is this Study about?

This qualitative study will examine family experiences of engaging in nutritional care with residents living with dementia in long-term care in Saskatchewan. We will use individual interviews with family caregivers to articulate what enhances or detracts from mealtime experiences for families living with dementia in long-term care, what supports are needed to engage families meaningfully at mealtimes, and what supports are needed to enable family involvement in a resident's nutritional care into later stages of dementia.

What is this Study about?

This qualitative study investigates the intersection of family-provided care and care provided in health care facilities (e.g., hospitals). Focus areas include family influence of care and family involvement in developing goals of care. Data is gathered via qualitative interviews and is analyzed using techniques to categorize the data to develop descriptions of family-provided care and its intersection with the health system.

Participants will take part in individual or family interviews (in-person or online). Eligible participants are adults who have a family member with dementia who resides in Manitoba (family members may live in other jurisdictions). Each person may take part in 1-3 interviews (approximately 60 minutes each in length); the number of interviews will depend on participant interest and how much description they wish to provide. Participants will receive a $25 gift card for a local coffee shop or grocery store to compensate them for each interview they participate in.

Participants will sign letters of consent approved by the Canadian Mennonite University Research Ethics Board. Data will be treated confidentially, and privacy is of the utmost importance. Participants will be given pseudonyms and all identifying features will be removed from the interview transcripts. Data will be kept in the password protected computer of the principal investigator for up to seven years (destroyed by deleting all electronic files and shredding any paper documents).

What is this Study about?

The aim of this thesis project is to explore how technologies can be designed to allow People with Dementia to continue to follow their rituals in everyday activities. The research question being explored is how can habits and rituals be incorporated in the design of assistive technologies for community dwelling older adults living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment? The purpose of this project is to understand rituals and habits associated with everyday activities. The semi-structured interviews will be conducted with people with dementia and their caregivers in dyads while they engage in everyday activities. The synthesis of the results will identify objects, social, cultural, and other personal aspects that inform rituals and thus engagement with activities. It will also identify rituals that have been adapted due to impairments of dementia.

What is this Study about?

The phased progressive research program aims to address the two objectives using the Double Diamond process over two years. During the Discover phase, evidence acquired through an environmental scan and key informant interviews will be used to map dementia care pathways, components, and contextual factors. The synthesized evidence review will support the Define phase, comprising stakeholder engagement to define and refine the problem. A prototype of a dementia care pathway will be created during the Develop phase. The defining and development stages will consist of World Café workshops. The World Café approach is designed to be as inclusionary as possible and is well suited to creating actionable outcomes with large groups of participants, all of whom are regarded as experts of their own lived experience. Evidence in the literature supports the use of World Cafés with people living with dementia and care partners. The Deliver phase will comprise the integrated knowledge translation strategy of the research program

What is this Study about?

This study investigates the support needs and experiences of the family and friend caregivers of long-term care residents through an online questionnaire.