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?

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?

Older adults with normal cognition, mild impairments, and mild dementia can benefit from physical activity. This may be due to factors such as cognitive impairments (memory related), hearing and vision impairments, social factors (stigma, gender) and biological factors (cardiovascular disease, diabetes...etc). But we are not sure how these factors interact to impact physical activity. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the interactions of these factors and thereby increase physical activity participation in older adult populations.

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?

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?

The purpose of this research is to re-imagine and disseminate through documentary film what compassionate, relational end-of-life (EOL) care looks like from the perspectives of diverse people living with dementia, their care partners, and healthcare professionals.

In phase one of the study we will explore understandings of relational end of life care from diverse perspectives using online research conversations.

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?

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.