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?

We are currently conducting a study to better understand the experience of emerging adults caring for parents living with advanced, serious illness. This study is being conducted at the University of Toronto. This study is open to emerging adults between 18 and 29 years old, who are sufficiently fluent in English, live in Canada, and currently provide unpaid support for a parent with an incurable, terminal disease. Interested individuals will be invited to participate in a one-to-one interview lasting approximately 60 minutes. We are hoping to recruit a range of individuals with diverse experiences. Participants will receive a $20 gift card for their time.

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?

Persons living with dementia have a higher chance of getting lost and going missing. Alert systems such as Silver Alert programs notify the public about a missing person with cognitive impairment, thereby reducing their risk of exposure to harm. However, little is known about the concerns associated with the release of the missing individual's personal information to the public. We will explore the perspectives of stakeholders, including persons living with dementia, care partners, service providers, first responders, ethicists, lawyers/legal practitioners, technology developers and policy makers on the ethical and legal issues associated with the release of personal information in alert systems. Research findings will be used to inform policy and future implementation of alert systems in Canada.

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.

What is this Study about?

The aim of this study is to support family and friend caregivers by creating an online community of caregivers called a Virtual Community of Practice. We will create and evaluate a Community of Practice to see if it can improve the quality of life, skills, and confidence of caregivers in engaging persons living with dementia in social and stimulating activities. The Community of Practice includes online information and regular group meetings. Information gathered will help to provide caregiver support by providing them a safe and informative place for them to learn and interact with other caregivers.

What is this Study about?

This study, "Stranger than Family: Decision-Making & Ethics of Substitution for People Living With

Dementia Going It Alone", explores how people facing dementia alone are connected with a substitute

decision-maker and how ideas about capacity, consent, and decision-making affect them.

Interviews will be conducted with:

- People who are facing dementia alone

- Healthcare and social service workers

- Substitute decision-makers for others who are not close family members or close friends

The overall goal of this study is to identify opportunities for advocacy, policy, and practice change to

better support people facing dementia alone.

What is this Study about?

The aim of this study is to develop a new psychological questionnaire that measures compassion fatigue – emotional and physical exhaustion that involves a decreased ability to experience empathy and compassion for others – and captures experiences unique to individuals acting as caregivers for their family members who suffer from dementia. The results of this study will be disseminated through scientific publications and conference presentations.