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55 Dementia Dissertation Topics

Published by Owen Ingram at January 2nd, 2023 , Revised On August 16, 2023

The term dementia refers to a collection of symptoms and disorders, rather than a single disease. As a result, dementia has a wide range of dissertation topics. Finding a dissertation subject related to dementia sufferers might be advantageous. You may be attempting to make a difference in the lives of dementia sufferers. You must investigate some previously unknown features to assist them! For those hoping to use their dissertation to help people with dementia, this is the right place. Our team has compiled a list of dissertation topics for your consideration. Picking dementia research subjects that haven’t received as much attention as others can add something new to the table.

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List Of Dementia Dissertation Topics For All Academic Levels

• An in-depth investigation of dementia in men and women – a case study
• An examination of the ways advocated by experts for dealing with dementia sufferers
• Highlighting the genetic and environmental risk factors for dementia development in the elderly in the United Kingdom
• The study of senior dementia patients and how they react to definite and uncertain conditions
• A comprehensive analysis of the connection between risks and smog and an increase in dementia in European industrial towns
• Experts studied a cognitive test for diagnosing mild dementia diseases in male patients.
• Use educational expert dementia strategies and how they might help treat and care for dementia sufferers.
• How much nursing assistance is required to care for dementia patients?
• Investigating the significance of the care policy for senior dementia patients in the United States of America
• The nursing qualification and certifications necessary for the care of senior dementia patients in the United Kingdom are highlighted.
• Recognizing the patient’s quality of life. A patient with dementia is the subject of this case study
• What are the most effective ways for early dementia identification in the United Kingdom? A thorough investigation
• A study of dementia patients receiving home care and how it has aided in reducing the symptoms
• Do dementia caregivers experience stress? – an examination of survey results.
• Non-pharmacological therapies for aggressiveness and stress in dementia patients
• What is the pain treatment procedure for dementia patients?
• The dementia nurses training program in the United Kingdom and how it has improved dementia patient care
• A comparison study evaluated the relationship between dementia patients’ longevity and the point at which their therapy began
• Investigating the link between memory loss and the early stages of dementia
• Investigating the cognitive tests nurses use to detect minor cognitive impairments that can progress to dementia in male patients
• Problem behaviour in dementia and the production of informal caregiving services
• Investigating the use of educational strategies by nursing staff in overcoming communication challenges in dementia patients
• Patient-centred pain control in elderly people with dementia equality, diversity, and inclusion in dementia care practice
• Can cognitive training slow the progression of dementia?
• What function does physical activity increase mobility and stamina in vascular dementia patients? An in-depth examination
• The importance of contemporary technology in the care of patients suffering from dementia. A thorough examination of dementia sufferers in the United Kingdom
• Examine the factors that increase the likelihood of developing dementia at a young age in the United Kingdom
• The ability of nursing staff to determine the requirements of dementia patients by interpreting behavioural displays and emotional responses of patients
• Making end-of-life decisions for nursing home residents with dementia
• Autism and dementia are both diagnosed and treated in the same way
• Identifying modifiable dementia risk factors pathways connecting late-life depression and dementia
• Is there communication between dementia doctors and patients?
• What are the global trends in dementia? – case studies from various nations
• Dementia research by UK ethnic minorities and how it has affected individuals
• Mild cognitive impairment and dementia in Parkinson’s disease imaging
• Improving cognitive function before clinical dementia symptoms
• Longitudinal relationships between serum cytokine levels and dementia
• Dementia and the affected parts of the brain
• Examine doll therapy treatment and how it has progressed and improved the medical sector
• Observational pain assessment scales for dementia patients
• The treatment of dementia patients and its beneficial impact on their lives.
• Deficits in exploration under ecological conditions as a marker of apathy in frontotemporal dementia
• What are the three behavioural issues related to dementia?
• What are some common behaviours observed in dementia patients?
• When do dementia patients forget about family members?
• What is the life expectancy of someone suffering from Parkinson’s disease and dementia?
• How can you tell if someone has dementia is near death?
• An overview of the literature on medical ideas and notions about dementia.
• A study on a cognitive test for diagnosing mild dementia diseases in male patients.
• What effect does dementia have on a person’s care needs?
• Why is early retirement associated with an increased risk of dementia?
• Do retirees with dementia require financial assistance?
• What are dementia pharmacological interventions?

If you have chosen one of the above dementia dissertation topics, you can start working on your dissertation . You might also want to review our list of nursing dissertation topics for extensive research because they are correlated with the field of medical science.

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Final Words

There is no doubt that your dissertation is the most important document of your academic career. A dissertation on dementia is another matter altogether. Your dissertation topic should entice your readers to read it by piquing their interest.

Above, we have provided the most comprehensive dementia research topics. The topic of your dissertation can be anything you wish. Ensure that your final dissertation topic meets the criteria for your dissertation. Dissertations that fail to meet the approval standards will almost certainly be rejected. We offer customised dementia dissertation topic s with research aims and objectives if you are still looking for suggestions.

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• Explore interdisciplinary angles.
• Consider cultural, societal implications.
• Consult experts or professors.
• Choose a meaningful and feasible topic for in-depth study.

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• Published: 18 May 2023

The transforming landscape of dementia research

Nature Aging volume  3 ,  page 459 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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Rapid progress in the development of novel biomarkers and lifestyle interventions and the emergence of the first disease-modifying therapy have revolutionized our approach to dementia diagnosis, prevention and therapy. In this Focus issue, Nature Aging presents a collection of reviews and opinion pieces on recent advances in dementia research.

Dementia is a major public health challenge that is caused by a range of neurodegenerative disorders and that has debilitating effects on the cognitive function and daily lives of affected individuals. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, and accounts for over 60% of cases. Aging is the biggest risk factor for dementia. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) , over 55 million people worldwide live with dementia, and this is forecast to rise to 78 million by 2030 owing to the growing older adult population, which will have marked social and economic effects. The current lack of a cure for dementia and the burden it places on individuals, caregivers and healthcare systems worldwide underscores the urgent need for a timely diagnosis, prevention and therapy strategies. In this issue, Nature Aging introduces a collection of Reviews, Perspectives and Comments that cover the most recent advances in dementia research.

Targeting a disease requires an understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Animal models of AD have been instrumental in our understanding of the disease mechanisms and exploration of therapeutic targets. However, they have been often criticized for a lack of translational success owing to a long history of drug failures. In a Perspective in this issue, Padmanabhan and Götz provide a defense for using animal model systems to study AD, and advocate for incorporating aging into experimental design to enhance the translational value of animal models.

Molecular imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography, that have been used for decades to establish the presence of brain pathology and track disease progression have recently been complemented by analyses of fluid biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid or blood, which are becoming increasingly accurate for prognosis and diagnosis. With the recent approval of two disease-modifying treatments that target amyloid pathology (aducanumab and lecanemab), the need for accurate AD biomarker testing in clinical practice is going to increase. In a Comment , Schindler and Atri highlight the accuracy and robustness of the use of cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in AD research, clinical trials and diagnosis, and their utility as a benchmark for the development of novel blood-based biomarkers (BBBMs). In recent years, BBBMs have been shown to display high diagnostic accuracy and distinguish AD from other neurodegenerative diseases. In their Review , Hansson and colleagues provide a comprehensive update on the development of BBBMs, discussing their path to implementation in clinical practice; how they can facilitate the identification of individuals with pre-symptomatic AD for clinical trials; and how they can improve detection of disease-modifying effects of novel drugs or lifestyle interventions.

Given the long prodromal phase of the disease, identifying individuals who are at risk of AD before the clinical presentation of the symptoms offers an opportunity to treat patients before substantial damage has occurred and may help to prevent or delay the onset of dementia. In their Perspective , van der Flier and colleagues propose a strategy for a future with personalized medicine for AD that includes effective and patient-orchestrated diagnosis, prediction and prevention, arguing that empowering the public and patients with dementia to be more actively engaged in managing their health can help to prevent or delay disease onset. In a Review , Rafii and Aisen discuss the recent results of anti-amyloid immunotherapy trials in patients with symptomatic AD and how this therapeutic strategy is being tested in asymptomatic individuals at risk of developing AD, in phase 3 trials.

In parallel to the development of pharmacological treatments, there is growing awareness about the importance of the environment, social factors and behavior for the risk of dementia. Lifetime social participation can reduce the risk of dementia by increasing cognitive reserve, reducing stress and depression, and promoting healthy lifestyles. In their Review , Sommerlad and colleagues highlight that greater social participation in mid-life and late life is associated with a 30–50% lower risk of subsequent dementia, and point to the need for future research, prevention efforts and policy focus on the potential of social participation to mitigate the effects of neuropathology for brain health. Mielke and colleagues discuss in a Comment the contributions of sex, gender, race and ethnicity in dementia risk globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, and the need for future research to take these factors into account for diagnostic and intervention purposes. In their Comment , Lock and colleagues highlight the societal barriers to a healthy brain and present recommendations from the Global Council on Brain Health for achieving greater brain health equity. Dua and colleagues, in another Comment , provide an insight into the WHO’s blueprint for dementia research, which advocates for global prioritization of dementia research through coordinated efforts in standardized, timely and high-quality evidence generation, empowering people with lived experience, addressing inequity and diversity, and sustainable funding.

In conclusion, effective diagnosis, prevention and therapy strategies are essential in addressing the global burden of dementia. A comprehensive approach that combines advances in diagnostic techniques, lifestyle interventions and personalized therapeutic interventions is emerging and will transform how we approach dementia care, and facilitate early detection, prevention and better management of dementia. The growing prevalence of dementia emphasizes the need for continued research, collaboration and investment in this field to improve the quality of life of those living with dementia and their caregivers.

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The transforming landscape of dementia research. Nat Aging 3 , 459 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43587-023-00433-x

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131 Dementia Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best dementia topic ideas & essay examples, 💡 interesting topics to write about dementia, ⭐ good research topics about dementia, 📝 simple & easy dementia essay titles, ❓ research questions about dementia.

• Dementia: Ethical Dilemmas Opting to withdraw the tube may lead to the physiological deprivation of the patient and as a result, the worst-case scenario is the death of the patient.
• Caring for Clients With Dementia These include Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common, followed by vascular dementia and dementia, with Lewy bodies as the least common of the three.
• Planning Care Delivery in Dementia According to Chinn and Kramer, the failure to address the requirements of each phase undermines the quality of care. The care planning process begins with the assessment of the client’s needs and preferences.
• Care of the Elderly With Dementia When speaking of the ethical issue of autonomy and restraints, it is vital to recognize how Deontology emphasizes respect and support of autonomy when it is the right decision to make.
• The Frontal Lobe and the Impact of Dementia on It When discussing the frontal lobe, it is essential to mention the prefrontal cortex, which is the front part of the frontal lobe.
• Dementia: Non-Drug and Pharmacological Treatment The problem of dementia remains relevant in modern times, and the issue is especially acute in nursing homes. Accordingly, the following organizations should monitor this issue to improve the non-drug and pharmacological treatment of dementia […]
• Dementia in Older Adults: Effects and Prevention As a result, the research questions for the topic of dementia are as follows: How does the body deteriorate with dementia, and how strong can these changes be for the person diagnosed with dementia?
• Therapeutic Dogs, Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Fluid Intelligence It is worth noting that with dementia, the patient has a speech disorder and a personality change in the early stages of the pathology.
• The Alzheimer’s Association Dementia Care Practice Therefore, achieving the philosophy and recommendations of the association is a shared responsibility between doctors, patients, and caregivers. Ultimately, CAPD tests the functionalities of the patient ranging from the psychomotor activities, perceptions, awareness, and orientations, […]
• Dementia, Alzheimer, and Delirium in an Elderly Woman Additionally, she struggles with identifying the appropriate words to use in dialogue and changes the topic. Timing: While in the middle of conversations and public places like supermarkets.
• Diagnosis of Dementia by Machine Learning Methods in Epidemiological Studies Therefore, epidemiological studies directly impact the diagnosis, prognosis, and clinical treatment by presenting medical practitioners with relevant data on the course, presentation, and treatment of an illness.
• The Clock Drawing Test: Dementia Diagnosis Firstly, one should draw attention to the fact that the diagnosis of dementia was made in 2011, and the patient did not experience any evident symptoms of the condition for the next three years.
• Non- and Pharmacological Dementia Care Methods The analysis of the importance of non-pharmacological versus pharmacological methods in providing care for individuals living with dementia formulates the objectives of the health policy.
• Pharmacological Methods to Provide Care to Dementia Patients The aim of this paper is to discuss the non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods of providing care to dementia patients in nursing homes.
• Toxic Environmental Factors and Development of Dementia As a result, at the moment, the study of the influence of environmental particles on the development of diseases in humans is relevant.
• Managing Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease The PICOT question is “In the care of Alzheimer’s and dementia patients, does integrated community-based care as compared to being in a long-term care facility improve outcome throughout the remainder of their lives”.
• Nursing Physical Assessment of Dementia Patient As a nurse, I must care for the patient and provide patient education to the wife and his close relatives. It would help him forget his worries and trigger the brain to function.
• Therapy Approaches to Aphasia and Dementia Aphasia also illustrates various emotional and social impacts, with people facing these issues, and their families, describing the experience as a journey.
• Health Care Within Aging White Veterans With Dementia Since this condition is heavily linked with damage to the brain, these people should be addressed in a friendly manner to avoid misunderstanding.
• Person-Centered Strategy of Diabetes and Dementia Care The population of focus for this study will be Afro-American women aged between sixty and ninety who have diabetes of the second type and dementia or are likely to develop dementia in the future.
• Therapy of Dementia Elderly People The aging process is characterized by a progressive decrease in the functionality of all vital organs, as a result of which elderly patients are more sensitive to both therapeutic and side effects of drugs taken.
• Analysis of Dementia Treatment Cognitive, biographical pieces of training contribute to the tone of memory and intelligence. Furthermore, using these types of therapies will contribute to health education and a decrease in hospitalization.
• Delirium, Dementia and Immobility Disorders The issues of the inability of patients to function properly, the difficulties of identifying the causes of the symptoms and their relation to the disorder, and insufficient research influence the situation in general.
• Frontotemporal Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease in a Patient Moreover, Alzheimer’s disease affects hypertrophies in the hippocampus as the initial part is involved in the brain’s memory areas and spatial orientation.
• A Report on Assessing Aged Patients With Dementia Since assessment forms the main part of treatment and care of patients with dementia, this report gives several assessment tools that could be used in finding the degree of pain, depression and ability to feed […]
• Dementia: Relaxing Music at Mealtime in Nursing Homes Agitated Patients To reinforce the evidence in support of this modality, and supplementing work carried out by Goddaer and Abraham, the present study scrutinizes the relationship between agitation and soothing music in an assembly of aged residents […]
• Dementia in Residential Aged Care Setting Dementia is a health condition which is defined by Bidewell & Chang, as the progressive decline in cognitive function or, simply, the worsening of a person’s ability to process thought.
• Dementia: How Individuals Cope With Condition In most cases, individuals living with dementia find it difficult to successfully cope with the situation mainly because they lose their autonomy and are forced to depend on their relatives and friends.
• Urinary Tract Infections and Dementia Management Importance Reporting the History of Dementia Many patients residing in hospitals after being diagnosed with dementia are, usually, very vulnerable to other infections such as pneumonia and UTI. These illnesses take advantage of the weak immunity in the bodies of the patients since most of them are 81 years and above (Fortinash & Holoday-Worret, 2012). […]
• Management of Dementia Condition Dementia is one of the most common disorders in society that is associated with the loss of cognitive ability in aged adults.
• Dementia and Memory Retention Art therapy is an effective intervention in the management of dementia because it stimulates reminiscence and enhances memory retention among patients with dementia.
• The Middle Range Theory and Care to Patients Suffering From Dementia This paper applies the Lazarus and Folkman Stress and Coping Theory to a family providing health support to a family member by the name Martin. From the exercise, I learned that the family members found […]
• Inter-Professional Healthcare Collaboration: 72-Year-Old Dementia Patient The conversational difficulties in Loretta were caused by the decline of the mental processes essential to the communicative functions, including the functions of recognition and usage of language signs.
• Human Disorders: Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia The brain shows notable changes in Alzheimer’s disease notably, development of tangles in deep areas of the brain and also formation of plagues in other areas.
• Family Theory Use With Dementia The theories of the family include the historical theory, the stress theory, the functional-structural theory, and of course the attachment theory.
• Neurological Disorders and Management of TIA, CVA, Delirium and Dementia In the course of the diagnostic it is advisable to handle the patients with care as some patients tend to be bluntly combative or highly agitated and thus may require the use of chemical restraints.
• The Causes Dementia in Older Adults The purpose of this report is to investigate the causes of dementia and explore the role of a mental health nurse in helping patients to manage the condition.
• Pharmacotherapy for Dementia The prevalence of the disease is yet relatively low but is projected to grow, at least in the United States. The individual set of symptoms usually is the basis for the prescription of drug therapy.
• Mental Health Nursing: Dementia Statistics relating to dementia, as a mental health issue, suggest that there will be an increase in the number of patients diagnosed with the disease as more people seek help for their mental health issues […]
• Vulnerable Population: Elderly With Dementia The purpose of this paper is to describe the ways of supporting older people with dementia with the use of several strategies.
• Changes in the Brain: Types of Dementia According to Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields, dementia is a “family of disorders” that involves behavioral and cognitive deficits due to permanent adverse changes to the brain structure and its functioning.
• Dementia: Disease Analysis and Treatment Strategies The purpose of this paper is to research this mental condition and present evidence-based ideas that different professionals can utilize to meet the changing health demands of more patients.
• Alcoholic Dementia and the Wernicke-Korsakoff Syndrome However, this situation can be problematic because of the nature of the two conditions as well as their interactions. As such, medical practitioners struggle to prescribe treatments that are appropriate to the patient’s situation.
• Dementia in Survivors of Ischemic or Hemorrhagic Stroke The incidence of stroke is the highest in older adults, and this condition is also among the leading causes of long-term disability in the country.
• Elderly Kit Business Plan for Dementia in the UAE The research of the situation has opened an opportunity to think about a product that could improve the quality of life of people with dementia in the UAE.
• Frontotemporal Dementia: Causes and Etymology These findings demonstrate that the enhanced tendency to develop Frontotemporal Dementia in these people is not due to a shared environment but to shared genetic material.”One of the major criteria used for distinguishing frontal variant […]
• Reminiscing Group Therapy for Dementia Patients The elderly population which is increasing rapidly due to the rise in longevity is a group that requires plenty of attention by way of therapy and interventions for their several problems of health and disability. […]
• Dementia: Non-Pharmacologic Interventions Inappropriate behaviors in any disease are very common and in dementia different behaviors are common as in this disease memory function involves that’s why patient behaves abnormally.
• Geriatric Dementia, Delirium, and Depression I talked to the patient’s daughter to get additional information about the patient’s medical history and symptoms. In the future, I will consider more therapies and lifestyle changes to offer to the patient.
• Dementia, Delirium, and Depression in Older Adults The comparison is no pharmacological treatment or placebo to exclude the use of other medications, and the outcome is the reduction of delirium severity.
• “Knowing Residents With Dementia” by Kasin and Kautz The research works to eliminate all of the unique aspects of the environment in order to apply the results to the largest possible number of subjects and experiments.
• Dementia in Elderly Population While the condition is common for people over 65, dementia is not a part of the aging process. The drugs of dementia symptoms are expensive and are often reported as a source of financial hardships […]
• Diagnosing Neurological Disorders: Dementia The needs of patients with memory issues are quite difficult to address due to the increase in the levels of stress experienced by both a patient and their family members.
• Dementia, Delirium, and Depression in Frail Elders The patient’s daughter should be educated about the necessity of contact with the patient and possible mobility and other aids to help her with ADL.
• Elderly Dementia: Holistic Approaches to Memory Care The CMAI is a nursing-rated questionnaire that evaluates the recurrence of agitation in residents with dementia. Since the research focuses on agitation, the CMAI was utilized to evaluate the occurrence of agitation at baseline.
• Music Intervention’s Effect on Falls in a Dementia Unit That is why the authors investigate the issue of the relation between music and dementia in order to find the best solution to the existing problem.
• Dementia, Aging, Gerontology: Theories and Care Proponents of the theory, Elaine Cumming and William Henry take the psychosocial perspective in explaining the unhealthy collective relationships the aging person’s experience in the latest phases of their lives.
• Down Syndrome and Dementia: Theories and Treatment The genetic material in the chromosome 21 is responsible for the development of the disorder, and its symptoms appear at the infantry stage of development.
• Age Ailment: Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease It is a time for one to clean the mind and take time to do what matters most in life. With an increased level of technological advancements, a digital sabbatical is mandatory to lower the […]
• Dementia Life Expectancy: Developed vs. Developing Countries Analysis of Economic Aspects Influencing the Lifespan of People with Dementia in Developing and Developed Countries On the one hand, the previously discussed studies point to the direct influence of age on life of people […]
• Dementia and Its Connection With Memory Loss
• Behavioral and Psychiatric Symptoms of Dementia and Rate of Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease
• Altered High-Density Lipoprotein Composition in Behavioral Variant Frontotemporal Dementia
• Children With Dementia and Parkinson’s Disease
• Early Dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease Pathology
• Determining Modifiable Risk Factors of Dementia
• Accountable Practitioner Consent and Application to Practice Dementia and Ability to Give Informed Consent
• Burden Among Family Caregivers of Dementia in the Oldest-Old: An Exploratory Study
• Learning Language and Acoustic Models for Identifying Alzheimer’s Dementia From Speech
• Music Therapy and Dementia
• Depression and Missed Work Among Informal Caregivers of Older Individuals With Dementia
• Lifestyle and Dietary Factors Associated With Dementia Status in the Elderly Aged 65 and Older
• Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of COVID-19 and Effects on Elderly Individuals With Dementia
• Acoustic and Language-Based Deep Learning Approaches for Alzheimer’s Dementia Detection From Spontaneous Speech
• Links Between Adiponectin and Dementia: From Risk Factors to Pathophysiology
• Dementia and Its Effects on Society
• Anger Management Therapy for Dementia Patients
• Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment of Dementia
• Amidated and Ibuprofen-Conjugated Kyotorphins and Neuronal Rescue and Memory Recovery in Cerebral Hypoperfusion Dementia Model
• Dementia and Its Effects on Mental Health
• Difference Between Dementia, Delirium and Alzheimer’s
• Enable Rights and Choices of Individuals With Dementia
• Big Data and Dementia: Charting the Route-Ahead for Research, Ethics, and Policy
• Depression: Psychology and Subsequent Vascular Dementia
• Alzheimer’s Disease for Dementia With Lewy Bodies
• Dementia Care Pathway-People With Learning Disability
• Dementia and the Different Parts of the Brain Affected
• Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in Dementia Care
• Background Information About Dementia and Home Care Services
• Cognitive Stimulation and Cognitive and Functional Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease: The Cache County Dementia Progression Study
• Caring for Patients With Dementia
• Affective and Engagement Issues in the Conception and Assessment of a Robot-Assisted Psychomotor Therapy for Persons With Dementia
• Dementia and Its Effect on the Function of the Brain
• Anti-neurotrophic Effects From Autoantibodies in Adult Diabetes Having Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma or Dementia
• Association Between Cortical Superficial Siderosis and Dementia in Patients With Cognitive Impairment: A Meta-Analysis
• Nutritional Status, Oxidative Stress, and Dementia: The Role of Selenium in Alzheimer’s Disease
• Body Weight Variability Increases Dementia Risk Among Older Adults: A Nationwide Population-Based Cohort Study
• Caring for Persons Living With Dementia During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Biomarkers for Dementia, Fatigue, and Depression in Parkinson’s Disease
• Dementia and Evidence-Based Practice
• What Are Antipsychotic Drugs, and Why Are They Used on Dementia Patients?
• What Are the Nurses’ Experiences in Caring for Dementia Patients With Challenging Behavior?
• What Causes Juvenile Dementia?
• Where Would You Turn for Help for Dementia Care?
• How Does Art Therapy Affect a Patient With Dementia?
• How Does Dementia Onset in Parents Influence Unmarried Adult Children’s Wealth?
• How Exercise Delays Onset of Dementia in Alzheimer’s Patients?
• Can Cognitive Training Slow Down the Progression of Dementia?
• Can Doll Therapy Preserve or Promote Attachment in People With Dementia?
• Can Medication Alter the Course of Dementia?
• Can Mobile Technology Help Prevent the Burden of Dementia in Low- And Mid-Income Countries?
• Adult ADHD: Risk Factor for Dementia or Phenotypic Mimic?
• Are Anticholinergic Medications Associated With Increased Risk of Dementia and Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia?
• Dementia: How and Whom Does It Affect?
• Healthy Aging and Dementia: Two Roads Diverging in Midlife?
• Informal and Formal Care: Substitutes or Complements in Care for People With Dementia?
• Vascular Dementia: Are There Any Differences From Vascular Aging?
• Nitrendipine and Dementia: Forgotten Positive Facts?
• What Are the First Signs of Having Dementia?
• What Are the Five Types of Dementia?
• What Does Dementia Do to a Person?
• Do People With Dementia Know They Have It?
• Does a Person With Dementia Know They Are Confused?
• Does Dementia Run in Families?
• What Is the Leading Cause of Dementia?
• Can a Person Recover From Dementia?
• How Long Do Dementia Patients Live?
• Is There a Way to Prevent Dementia?
• What Vitamins Help Prevent Dementia?
• Does Lack Sleep Cause Dementia?
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147 Dementia Essay Topics

🏆 best essay topics on dementia, ✍️ dementia essay topics for college, 👍 good dementia research topics & essay examples, 🎓 most interesting dementia research titles, 💡 simple dementia essay ideas, ❓ research questions about dementia.

• Alzheimer and Dementia Patients Nursing Care
• Pain Management in Patients With Dementia
• Diagnosis and Management of Dementia
• Dementia – Health Issues and Caregiver Burden
• Dementia Disease and Its Physiological Effects
• Dementia: Treatment and Management
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Description
• Patient-Centered Care in a Dementia Unit Patient-centered care implies the consideration of the individual needs, preferences, and abilities of each individual who seeks assistance.
• Effects of Music Therapy on the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia This paper explores the clinical effectiveness of music therapy in mitigating the behavioral and psychological effects of dementia on patients and caregivers.
• Participatory Horticultural Therapy for Dementia Horticultural therapy is effective at reducing agitated behavior, stabilizing emotions, and increasing social interaction in patients diagnosed with dementia.
• Dementia and Its Controversial Treatment Dementia is a progressive decline in cognitive ability, an ailment commonly thought to be inseparable from the concept of the elderly.
• Dementia: Ertha Williams’ Case Analysis Dementia is one of the most common brain dysfunctions that predominantly occur in older adults by diminishing their quality of life and chances for independent functioning.
• Dementia Patients: Communication Strategy and Techniques The specialists advise using slow and simple gestures not to produce the feeling of agitation in a person with dementia.
• Communication Strategies in Dementia Patients The study on communication strategies to tailor the needs of dementia patients is proposed for submission to the International Journal of Nursing Studies.
• Dementia: Dangers and Complications Memory lapses, lack of control over one’s actions, and decreased brain function do not let one underestimate the dangers of dementia.
• Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease While Alzheimer’s disease can be found in every state, Texas’ statistics indicate the special prevalence of the condition, making dementia a permeating public health issue.
• Feeding Patients With Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease The effectiveness of probes in feeding persons with dementia/Alzheimer’s disease remains high. However, because of the risks, other less invasive methods are recommended.
• Care for Dementia Patients in Nursing Homes Unlike pharmacological dementia management, the non-pharmacological approach help reduces pain without risks associated with drug administration.
• Healthcare Program: Informational Campaign on Dementia The role of nurses shall not be underestimated when it comes to designing and implementing healthcare programs aimed to improve the well-being of the general population.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders Group therapy is an evidence-based psychotherapy method that helps solve many problems, including relationship issues and personal difficulties.
• Dementia-Associated Pain Management Guidelines People suffering from dementia experience physical pain; however, they may not be able to communicate this due to their declining brain functionalities.
• Communication Challenges in Vascular Dementia and Dysphagia When residents do not understand me, I can become more creative by limiting potential distractions to them from my response concerning a given issue.
• Preparing a Podcast on Dementia and Alzheimer Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia is the podcast’s topic, and the objective is to inform the aged group, which is the target group, about the disease.
• Lewy Body Dementia: Diagnosis/Condition LBD is a condition that leads to the development of dementia and which predominantly affects people over the age of 50.
• Lewy Body Disease in Aging Patients With Dementia By using extensive professional support, as well as active education of family members, one can improve the quality of Lewi Body Disease patients’ lives significantly.
• Dementia, Bladder Infection and Other Nursing Issues This paper discusses five major issues for nurses, which are dementia, bladder infection, immobility, anxiety, blindness, and discusses a nursing process for each.
• Therapeutic Interventions for the Older Adult With Depression and Dementia The paper researches the therapeutic interventions which relevant for the older people with depression and dementia nowadays.
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Dementia is considered a general term for impairments in remembering, moving, and thinking that serve as obstacles in a person’s everyday activity.
• Mindfulness Interventions for Dementia Patients Mindfulness-based interventions for patients with dementia are expected to develop their flexibility and broaden their attention, leading to positive emotions and stress reduction.
• Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type and Diagnostic Criteria Alzheimer’s disease is one of the major debilitating brain diseases whose effects are loss of memory and important mental functions among patients.
• Behavioral Disturbances in Dementia Delirium and agitated depression can occur with dementia. Delirium and dementia have similar symptoms; however, delirium is a confusion that occurs and goes away rather quickly.
• Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type: 10 Warning Signs Dementia is a protracted deterioration in memory, thinking, and reasoning competence. Alzheimer’s disease usually manifests in patients after the age of 60.
• Dementia of Alzheimer’s Type: Signs and Symptoms This paper seeks to analyze dementia that comes about as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. The signs and symptoms of the disease will also be discussed, as well as its stages.
• The Case of Dementia of the Vascular Type The paper submits a brief review of needs and rationales for each of the patterns for this case of dementia of the vascular type.
• Dementia – The Disease of the Older Generation The research paper explores the ways in which the quality of life of patients with dementia could be improved.
• Donepezil for Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease by Govind The article ‘Donepezil for Dementia Due to Alzheimer’s Disease’ discusses the implementation of donepezil for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia in general.
• Mother-Adult Daughter Relationships Within Dementia Care The research is devoted to the mother-daughter relationships and the perspectives of women who receive care from their adult daughters.
• Women With Dementia Receiving Their Daughters’ Care The article is devoted to the necessity of home care for people with dementia and provides interviews of people who have to live with relatives suffering from dementia.
• Diagnosing Dementia in Older Patients Many older people of various occupations receive the ‘dementia’ diagnosis. The patient has trouble recalling the names of his family members, remembering his room number, etc.
• Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer Diseases The study measured and compared the balance and gait characteristics of patients with possible FTD and AD to those of a control group.
• Falls in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Older Patients The authors introduced new methods to prevent falls among older patients with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.
• Patients with Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer Diseases The article discusses the research study aimed at the identification of the influence of gait and balance parameters on the condition of people with Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia.
• Falls in Patients with Dementia and Alzheimer’s In their study, Velayutham et al. consider the opportunities for reducing the threat of falls among patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
• Balance and Gait in Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients The study by Velayutham et al. aims to investigate how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) affect elderly patients’ gait and balance.
• Dementia: Evaluation of an Epidemiological Problem Individuals with dementia experience memory loss and the reduction of cognitive abilities caused by their brain’s degenerative processes.
• Dementia Symptoms and Awareness in Nurses The present paper discusses a study that intends to improve the awareness of the Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in nurses.
• Patients with Dementia: Communication Techniques Dementia is a difficult condition and can complicate the process of receiving care. The techniques provided in the article appear to be effective.
• Falls Prevention in Patients With Dementia in Nursing Homes The problem of falls in the older adults with dementia remains the complicated issue despite considerable efforts aiming to improve the situation.
• Hospital Staff-Dementia Patients Interactions Some healthcare providers do not use effective approaches to communicate with patients who have dementia. To improve communication, one can use a range of techniques.
• Care Services for Elderly People with Dementia in China This paper is a critical review of the report that determines the state of the supportive and health services available to older people with dementia in Rural China.
• Communication with Patients with Dementia In their article “Pilot testing an educational intervention to improve communication with patients with dementia,” the authors suggest certain communication techniques.
• Lewy Body Dementia, Its Symptoms and Treatment LBD occurs as the so-called Lewi bodies, i.e. alpha-synuclein aggregates of protein, start developing in nerve cells in the substantia nigra or cortex of the brain.
• Diabetes and Dementia Relationships and Nursing The article discusses the possible links between the two illnesses, as well as the risk of developing one of the conditions when already having the other.
• Client-Oriented Approach in Dementia Diagnosis The cultural and demographic backgrounds affect the diagnostic procedures. It takes a different amount of time to diagnose dementia in different patients.
• Health and Social Care for Older People Suffer From Dementia in the UK This paper analyzes the impacts of the reduction of the fund on older people and the unmet social care services, particularly the nursing home services in the UK.
• Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Its Treatment This paper is devoted to dementias and the ways of treating them. Particular attention is paid to dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).
• Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type This essay explores the Dementia of the Alzheimer’s type by providing an insight into aspects such as age of disease onset, warning signs, disease stages.
• Falls Among Older Persons With Dementia
• Dementia: Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Changes
• Comparison Between Dementia and Delirium
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Its Relation With Dementia
• Blood Sugar Levels and Dementia
• Gibbs Reflective Cycle Dementia Care
• Equality Diversity and Inclusion in Dementia Care Practice
• Patient-Centered Pain Control of Elderly People With Dementia
• Can Cognitive Training Slow Down the Progression of Dementia?
• Risk Factors for Incident Dementia Among Older Cubans
• Dementia Problem Behavior and the Production of Informal Caregiving Services
• Dementia and Its Effects on Mental Health
• Physical Restraints for Dementia Patients
• Challenges for Professional Care of Advanced Dementia
• Bilingualism Delays the Onset of Dementia
• Dementia vs. Alzheimer’s Disease
• Anger Management Therapy for Dementia Patients
• Can Medication Alter the Course of Dementia?
• Patients With Dementia and Cognitive Impairment
• Dementia and Its Effect on the Function of the Brain
• Children With Dementia and Parkinson‘s Disease
• Dementia and the Ageing Population
• Indicated Causes and Symptoms of Senile Dementia
• Music and Dementia and Alzheimer‘s Disease
• Mindfulness Training for Carers of People With Dementia
• End-Of-Life Decision Making for Nursing Home Residents With Dementia
• Dementia, Help With Financial Management, and Well-Being
• Person-Centered Care For Dementia Patients
• Dementia Patients and Sexual Compulsion
• Dementia Effects on the Elderly and Their Caregivers
• Both Autism and Dementia in Terms of Diagnosis and Treatment
• The Alzheimer’s Disease and the Frontotemporal Dementia
• Determining Modifiable Risk Factors of Dementia
• Communication With Individuals Who Have Dementia
• Dementia: Brain and Self-Care Activities
• Pathways Connecting Late-Life Depression and Dementia
• Imaging Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in Parkinson’s Disease
• Dementia Care Aging Innovation
• Enhancing Cognition Before Clinical Symptoms of Dementia
• Caring for Patients With Dementia
• Biomarkers for Early Diagnosis of Dementia
• Alzheimer’s Disease and Relate Dementia Reform Health Care
• Health Organisations for Dementia in New Zealand
• Dementia and Its Connection With Memory Loss
• Biomarkers for Dementia, Fatigue, and Depression in Parkinson’s Disease
• Alzheimer’s Dementia Posterior Cortical Atrophy
• Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia
• Longitudinal Associations Between Serum Cytokine Levels and Dementia
• Neuro Protective Effect and Attenuation of Dementia
• Dementia and the Different Parts of the Brain Affected
• Observational Pain Assessment Scales for People With Dementia
• The Care for Dementia Patients and Its Positive Impact on Their Lives
• Genetic Dementia Alzheimer’s Disease Gene
• Technology for the Elderly With Dementia
• Cerebrum and Dementia Care
• Exploration Deficits Under Ecological Conditions as a Marker of Apathy in Frontotemporal Dementia
• Dementia Care Pathway-People With Learning Disability
• Environmental Factors That Affect the Risk of Developing Dementia
• Dementia: Alzheimer’s Disease and Loved Ones
• Brain Injury and Dementia in Pakistan: Current Perspectives
• Are Many Retirees With Dementia Lacking Help?
• What Autoimmune Diseases Cause Dementia?
• Why Does Early Retirement Increase the Risk of Dementia?
• Do Retirees With Dementia Need Financial Assistance?
• What Are Pharmacological Interventions for Dementia?
• Why Is Early Diagnosis for Dementia Important?
• Can Dementia Be Cured if Caught Early?
• What Is an Early Indicator of Dementia?
• Does a Brain Scan Show Dementia?
• What Is the Most Important Thing in Caring for Dementia Patients?
• Why Does a Head Injury Cause Dementia?
• How Does Medication Affect Dementia?
• What Medication Worsens the Symptoms of Dementia?
• Can Dementia Be Brought on by Medication?
• What Are the Social Needs of a Dementia Patient?
• Is There a Link Between Mental Health and Dementia?
• What Are the Three Behavioral Problems Associated With Dementia?
• Is Dementia a Psychiatric or Neurological Disorder?
• What Does a Psychiatrist Do for Dementia?
• Can Dementia Cause Nasty Behavior?
• What Are Signs That Dementia Is Getting Worse?
• How Do Dementia Patients Deal With Inappropriate Behavior?
• At What Stage of Dementia Does Aggression Occur?
• What Are Some Common Behaviors Seen in a Person With Dementia?
• Should a Dementia Patient See a Psychiatrist?
• At What Stage Do Dementia Patients Forget Family Members?
• What Is the Life Expectancy of Someone With Parkinson’s and Dementia?
• How Do You Know When Someone With Dementia Is Close to Death?
• Is There a Link Between Parkinson’s Disease and Dementia?
• How Does Dementia Influence a Person’s Care Needs?

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These essay examples and topics on Dementia were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on January 5, 2024 .

• Introduction
• Article Information

ACT indicates Adult Changes in Thought; APOE , apolipoprotein E.

Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% CIs for the development of all-cause dementia as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) (A) and the development of probable or possible Alzheimer disease dementia as defined by the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria (B). In model 1, apolipoprotein E ( APOE ) genotype and sex were stratifying variables to meet proportional hazards assumptions, as was a categorical variable for age at first cataract diagnosis; however, for this illustration, APOE genotype and sex are included as covariates so that their associations can be compared. Age was the time axis.

eMethods 1. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

eMethods 2. Neuropsychological Battery and Dementia Detection Protocol

eMethods 3. Variables

eMethods 4. Marginal Structural Models

eResults 1. Demographic and Health Variables

eResults 2. Demographic and Health Variables, Incident Cataract

eResults 3. Study Population, Alzheimer Disease Dementia Risks

eResults 4. Demographic and Health Variables in Participants With Glaucoma

eTable 1.  International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification ( ICD-9-CM ); International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification ( ICD-10-CM ); and Current Procedural Terminology ( CPT ) Codes Used in the Analysis

eTable 2. Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) Curves for Obtaining Weights for the Marginal Structural Models

eTable 3. Description of the Stabilized Weights for the Marginal Structural Models

eTable 4. Marginal Structural Models (MSM) for All-Cause Dementia With No Weights and With Un-Winsorized Weights

eTable 5. Demographic and Health Variables at First Cataract Diagnosis by Later Surgery Status, Among Those Diagnosed With Cataracts After Study Enrollment

eTable 6. Survival Analysis and Marginal Structural Model for Developing Alzheimer Disease Dementia, Comparing the Cataract Surgery and No Surgery Groups

eTable 7. Marginal Structural Models (MSM) for Alzheimer Disease (AD) Dementia With No Weights and With Un-Winsorized Weights

eTable 8. Demographic and Health Variables at First Glaucoma Diagnosis by Later Surgery Status, Among Those Diagnosed With Glaucoma

eReferences.

• Cataract Surgery May Stave Off Dementia Among Older Patients JAMA News From the JAMA Network February 1, 2022 Anita Slomski

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Lee CS , Gibbons LE , Lee AY, et al. Association Between Cataract Extraction and Development of Dementia. JAMA Intern Med. 2022;182(2):134–141. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6990

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Association Between Cataract Extraction and Development of Dementia

• 1 Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Seattle
• 2 Roger and Angie Karalis Johnson Retina Center, Seattle, Washington
• 3 Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
• 4 School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle
• 5 Department of Neurology, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington
• 6 Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
• News From the JAMA Network Cataract Surgery May Stave Off Dementia Among Older Patients Anita Slomski JAMA

Question   Is cataract extraction associated with reduced risk of developing dementia?

Findings   In this cohort study assessing 3038 adults 65 years of age or older with cataract enrolled in the Adult Changes in Thought study, participants who underwent cataract extraction had lower risk of developing dementia than those who did not have cataract surgery after controlling for numerous additional risks. In comparison, risk of dementia did not differ between participants who did or did not undergo glaucoma surgery, which does not restore vision.

Meaning   This study suggests that cataract extraction is associated with lower risk of developing dementia among older adults.

Importance   Visual function is important for older adults. Interventions to preserve vision, such as cataract extraction, may modify dementia risk.

Objective   To determine whether cataract extraction is associated with reduced risk of dementia among older adults.

Design, Setting, and Participants   This prospective, longitudinal cohort study analyzed data from the Adult Changes in Thought study, an ongoing, population-based cohort of randomly selected, cognitively normal members of Kaiser Permanente Washington. Study participants were 65 years of age or older and dementia free at enrollment and were followed up biennially until incident dementia (all-cause, Alzheimer disease, or Alzheimer disease and related dementia). Only participants who had a diagnosis of cataract or glaucoma before enrollment or during follow-up were included in the analyses (ie, a total of 3038 participants). Data used in the analyses were collected from 1994 through September 30, 2018, and all data were analyzed from April 6, 2019, to September 15, 2021.

Exposures   The primary exposure of interest was cataract extraction. Data on diagnosis of cataract or glaucoma and exposure to surgery were extracted from electronic medical records. Extensive lists of dementia-related risk factors and health-related variables were obtained from study visit data and electronic medical records.

Main Outcomes and Measures   The primary outcome was dementia as defined by Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were conducted with the primary outcome. To address potential healthy patient bias, weighted marginal structural models incorporating the probability of surgery were used and the association of dementia with glaucoma surgery, which does not restore vision, was evaluated.

Results   In total, 3038 participants were included (mean [SD] age at first cataract diagnosis, 74.4 (6.2) years; 1800 women (59%) and 1238 men (41%); and 2752 (91%) self-reported White race). Based on 23 554 person-years of follow-up, cataract extraction was associated with significantly reduced risk (hazard ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.62-0.83; P  < .001) of dementia compared with participants without surgery after controlling for years of education, self-reported White race, and smoking history and stratifying by apolipoprotein E genotype, sex, and age group at cataract diagnosis. Similar results were obtained in marginal structural models after adjusting for an extensive list of potential confounders. Glaucoma surgery did not have a significant association with dementia risk (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.75-1.56; P  = .68). Similar results were found with the development of Alzheimer disease dementia.

Conclusions and Relevance   This cohort study found that cataract extraction was significantly associated with lower risk of dementia development. If validated in future studies, cataract surgery may have clinical relevance in older adults at risk of developing dementia.

Dementia affects nearly 50 million people worldwide, and no effective treatments exist. 1 Efforts to reduce risk or delay dementia onset are increasingly important, as noted in the recent 2020 Lancet Commission report. 1 Twenty percent of adults older than 65 years in the United States experience significant sensory impairment, such as vision or hearing loss, even with correction. 2 Addressing sensory loss that affects a substantial portion of older adults may be a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia in late life. 1 , 3 Because sensory impairments and dementia are both strongly associated with aging, 4 more knowledge about the association between sensory impairment and dementia may have important implications for individual and global public health, particularly if interventions to improve sensory function reduce dementia risk.

Visual impairment is an important dementia risk. 5 , 6 Cataract is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, affecting more than 35 million people globally and causing blindness in approximately 20 million. 7 Cataract affects most older adults at risk of dementia. However, there are conflicting results regarding the association between cataract extraction and cognitive impairment or dementia. 8 - 10

We hypothesized that older adults with cataract who undergo cataract extraction may have a lower risk of developing dementia compared with participants who do not undergo cataract surgery or participants who undergo other eye procedures that do not restore vision, such as glaucoma surgery. Previous studies exploring this association have been limited by small sample sizes, cross-sectional designs, and varying qualities of dementia assessment. 11 , 12 More importantly, these studies have failed to account for healthy patient bias (ie, when surgery is more likely in healthier individuals with the same cataract severity).

To the best of our knowledge, no study has compared associations between cataract extraction and dementia with other ophthalmic surgical procedures. To address the potential of healthy patient bias, we included glaucoma surgery in our analyses. We used extensive data from the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) study to address these questions. We examined whether cataract extraction was associated with a lower risk of dementia, and we used the same modeling approach to examine whether glaucoma surgery was associated with a lower risk of dementia.

Detailed study methods have been published. 13 , 14 In brief, the ACT study began during the period from 1994 to 1996 and is an ongoing, population-based, prospective cohort study of older adults who are randomly selected and recruited from Kaiser Permanente Washington membership rolls and then followed up until the development of dementia. 13 At enrollment and during biennial visits, participants receive standardized cognitive screening tests, brief physical evaluations, and medical history and risk factor assessments. 14 , 15 This study was approved by the institutional review boards of Kaiser Permanente Washington and the University of Washington and was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. All participants provided written informed consent. No one received compensation or was offered any incentive for participating in this study.

Participants were 65 years of age or older and dementia free at enrollment. In this cohort study, we included all ACT study participants who had received a diagnosis of cataract before onset of dementia and had at least 1 study visit after cataract diagnosis (eMethods 1 in the Supplement ). For the glaucoma sensitivity analyses, we included participants who received a diagnosis of glaucoma and had follow-up data before the onset of dementia.

The primary exposure of interest was cataract extraction as a time-varying covariate. 16 - 20 Participants are evaluated biennially with the Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI), which ranges from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better abilities. 21 Participants with CASI scores of 85 or lower undergo a standardized diagnostic evaluation, including physical and neurologic examinations, an extensive medical record review, and a battery of neuropsychological tests 22 (additional details in eMethods 2 in the Supplement ). Our primary outcome was all-cause dementia defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition), 23 and our secondary outcome included probable or possible Alzheimer disease (AD) dementia diagnosed at a multidisciplinary consensus conference using the National Institute of Neurological and Communicative Disorders and Stroke and the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Association criteria. 24 , 25

The following variables were based on self-reported medical history at enrollment and were updated at each biennial follow-up: smoking, hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction, angina, coronary artery bypass grafting, or angioplasty), and cerebrovascular disease (stroke, transient ischemic attack, or carotid endarterectomy). Participants were asked at each follow-up whether they had any difficulty with distance or near vision, even with corrective lenses. The health care utilization rate was assessed as the number of ambulatory visits per year in the 5 years prior to cataract diagnosis. For individuals with less than 5 years of electronic health records before cataract diagnosis, the rate was calculated based on the number of days enrolled at Kaiser Permanente Washington. Data on ophthalmic diagnoses and procedures, such as cataract, glaucoma, and related surgical procedures, were extracted from participants’ electronic medical records, available from 1993 onward (1 year prior to the initial enrollment period of the ACT study) (eMethods 3, eTable 1 in the Supplement ).

We used Cox proportional hazards regression models with age as the time axis. All surgical procedures were treated as time-varying variables. Censoring occurred at death, dropout, or last visit. We also evaluated recent (surgery within 0-5 years) vs long-term (>5 years) cataract surgery associations with dementia risk. Model assumptions were assessed and found to be tenable.

All models were adjusted for years of education, self-reported White race, and smoking history and stratified by any apolipoprotein E ε4 ( APOE ε4) alleles, sex, and age groups at cataract diagnosis (<68, 68-71, 72-76, and ≥77 years, which approximately correspond to quartiles of age at cataract diagnosis in our data). The following potential confounders of overall health were adjusted for in expanded models: diabetes, systolic blood pressure, hypertension, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, body mass index, self-rated health, Charlson Comorbidity Index, 26 number of activities of daily living limitations, at least 15 minutes of physical activities 3 times per week, performance-based physical function scores, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale scores, 27 retirement status, and self-reported difficulty with distance or near vision. Data used in the analyses were collected from 1994 through September 30, 2018, and all data were analyzed between April 6, 2019, and September 15, 2021.

For model 1, we performed several sensitivity analyses: (1) excluding the 1994-1996 enrollment cohort, (2) counting the first 2 years after cataract surgery as unexposed person-time for development of dementia, (3) adjustment for health-related confounders already mentioned, (4) including only participants with incident cataract diagnosis after enrollment in the ACT study, (5) adjusting the incident model for most recent CASI score at the time of cataract diagnosis and varying the 5-year threshold for recent vs long-term associations to (6) a 2-year window and (7) a 10-year window. For model 2, we used marginal structural models to address healthy patient bias. 28 Details of the models are given in eMethods 4 in the Supplement . For model 3, we repeated our primary model with glaucoma surgery as the exposure among people with glaucoma. All statistical analyses were conducted using Stata, version 17.0 (StataCorp LLC) and SAS, version 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc). A 2-sided P  < .05 was considered statistically significant.

Of 5546 ACT participants, 4508 had APOE genotype data. Of these participants, 3038 (67% of participants who had APOE genotype data) received a diagnosis of a cataract before dementia onset or the end of the study, did not have surgery before the ACT study baseline, and had 1 or more study visits after cataract diagnosis ( Figure 1 ). The mean (SD) age of the 3038 participants at first cataract diagnosis was 74.4 (6.2) years, 1800 participants (59%) were women, 1238 participants (41%) were men, and 2752 (91%) were self-reported White race. During the follow-up of 23 554 person-years (mean [SD] follow-up of 7.8 [5.1] years/person), there were 853 cases of incident dementia and 709 cases of incident AD dementia. Approximately one-half of the participants (n = 1382 [46%]) underwent cataract extraction ( Table 1 ). Additional information on the study cohort are shown in eResults 1 and 2 and eTable 5 in the Supplement .

Cataract extraction was significantly associated with a lower adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for dementia (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.62-0.83; P  < .001) ( Table 2 ). This finding of lower risk was stronger during the first 5 years following cataract surgery (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.56-0.81; P  < .001) compared with later years (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.63-0.92; P  = .02) ( Table 2 ). When considering the relative associations of cataract extraction, additional education, White race, smoking history, sex, and APOE genotype with dementia risks, the only covariate that was more protective than cataract surgery was not having an APOE e4 allele ( Figure 2 ).

Models excluding the 1994-1996 cohort found a lower adjusted HR for dementia (0.52; 95% CI, 0.39-0.69; P  < .001 ( Table 2 , model 1a). Models counting the first 2 years after cataract surgery as unexposed person-time for the development of dementia found a lower adjusted HR for dementia (0.57; 95% CI, 0.48-0.66; P  < .001) ( Table 2 , model 1b). Results were similar in models including the list of confounding factors delineated in the Methods section ( Table 2 , model 1c) and in marginal structural models incorporating weights to account for healthy patient bias ( Table 2 , models 2, 2a, and 2b).

Restricting analyses to participants with incident cataracts showed similarly lower risks ( Table 2 , model 1d). Controlling for CASI score at the time of cataract diagnosis or altering the recent vs established surgery thresholds did not substantially alter HR estimates ( Table 2 , models 1e, 1f, and 1g). Adjusting for health care utilization rates did not change the primary model (HR for any surgery was 0.70; 95% CI, 0.60-0.82; P  < .001).

Results for AD dementia were similar to those for all-cause dementia (eResults 3 and eTables 6 and 7 in the Supplement ). In models of 728 participants who received a diagnosis of glaucoma (eTable 8 and eResults 4 in the Supplement ), glaucoma surgery (105 participants [14%]) was not associated with a decreased risk of dementia (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.75-1.56; P  = .68; Table 2 , model 3) during the follow-up of 5029 person-years.

Based on 23 554 person-years of follow-up data for 3038 study participants with cataracts, the risk of developing all-cause dementia in participants who underwent cataract extraction was significantly lower than that for people who did not undergo cataract surgery (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.62-0.83; P  < .001). This difference was still significant after controlling for multiple confounders and when using marginal structural models to account for healthy patient bias. In contrast to cataract extraction, we did not find lower risk associated with glaucoma surgery among people with glaucoma.

Several studies have shown associations between sensory impairment and cognitive decline. 29 - 31 Sensory impairment may contribute to social isolation and decreased cognitive stimulation, which may increase the risk of dementia. 1 , 32 However, prior interventional studies on the association of reversing visual or hearing impairments with reducing dementia risk have shown mixed results. 1 , 3 , 33 , 34 One of the most challenging issues specific to the procedure-based epidemiological question is an immortal time bias. We have specifically addressed this challenge in our study by treating surgery as a time-varying exposure. 16 - 20

Associations between cataract extraction and dementia development have been similarly conflicting. Most studies did not use research-quality dementia identification, 23 , 25 which may have contributed to varying results. In a cross-sectional study of 2764 Japanese participants (mean [SD] age, 76.3 [4.8] years; 52.6% male), the cataract surgery group (n = 668 [24.2%]) had a lower odds ratio for mild cognitive impairment than the group without cataract surgery (n = 2096 [75.8%]) (odds ratio, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.64-0.96; P  = .02), but no difference was found for dementia (odds ratio, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.75-1.62; P  = .64). 11 A retrospective study with 10 years of follow-up using the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database of 113 123 patients with cataract showed a lower HR for dementia among people with cataract surgery (HR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.75-0.79; P  < .001). 12 Although similar to our results, that study relied on dementia diagnoses from usual care and lacked data on factors such as APOE genotype, years of education, and smoking.

Cataract extraction could appear to have a protective association owing to healthy patient bias, in which participants who underwent cataract surgery were healthier and at lower risk of dementia. We performed several analyses to address this potential bias. Furthermore, we evaluated glaucoma surgery, which, unlike cataract surgery, does not improve vision. Our findings in all of these analyses were consistent with a cataract extraction–specific association with dementia risk, potentially because of improvements in vision and visual function. We also considered the possibility of more health-conscious participants having a higher level of health care utilization and thus being more inclined to undergo cataract surgery affecting dementia development. However, adjustment for health care utilization had no effect on our models. It is possible that we had insufficient power in the glaucoma analysis, but this scenario is unlikely given that the point estimate of glaucoma surgery was very close to null (HR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.75-1.56).

Low vision from cataract may impair performance on vision-dependent screening tests for dementia, and scores may improve after cataract surgery owing to better vision. 35 In our study, anyone with visual impairment noted by a trained study staff member underwent the full standardized dementia evaluation, which included extensive vision-independent cognitive assessment methods. Theoretically, individuals with mild dementia could possibly be missed if they scored barely above our screening threshold and their vision was good enough that they were not automatically referred on the basis of low vision, whereas a similar person with the same mild dementia but with very poor vision would be automatically referred and have their dementia identified by a study staff member. However, very few people had dementia detected on the basis of referral due to vision concerns; thus, it is unlikely that this theoretical concern is driving the results we observed. In addition, our results did not change when we controlled for participants’ self-reported difficulty with distance or near vision at the time of cataract diagnosis, which provides further reassurance that vision impairment was not driving our dementia findings.

Several hypothesized mechanisms may underlie the association between cataract extraction and dementia risk. Visual impairment may lead to psychosocial difficulties, withdrawal from social interactions, and reduction in activity or exercise, all of which are associated with cognitive decline. 1 , 36 Cataract-related visual impairment may decrease neuronal input, potentially accelerating neurodegeneration or magnifying the effect of neurodegeneration through cortical atrophy. The visual cortex undergoes structural changes with vision loss. 37 , 38 For patients with neovascular age-related macular degeneration, vision loss was associated with visual cortex atrophy during a 5-year follow-up, 39 and an increase in gray matter volume has been observed after cataract surgery. 40 Finally, compensation for visual input deficit may increase cognitive load and exacerbate cognitive decline. 41

Lower risk for developing dementia following cataract extraction may also be associated with increased quantity and quality of light. Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which are exquisitely sensitive to short-wavelength (blue) light, have been shown to be associated with cognitive function, circadian rhythm, and AD. 42 The ipRGCs project to multiple areas of the brain, and their excitation may trigger widespread cortical activity. 43 The yellow hue of age-related cataracts blocks blue light. Thus, another potential mechanism for which cataract extraction is associated with decreased risk of dementia is the facilitation of ipRGC stimulation by blue light.

We must acknowledge that our results could be explained by unmeasured or residual confounding, like any observational study. There were some suggested differences between people who underwent cataract surgery and people who did not, but controlling for a broad spectrum of factors underlying these differences between people with and people without surgery did not meaningfully change our findings. We also compared findings for cataract surgery to those for glaucoma surgery in the same cohort. In essence, we used glaucoma surgery as a negative control. Admittedly, the 2 surgical procedures have different indications, so the comparison is only an approximate approach to address the possibility of healthy patient bias. Nonetheless, the present study may be the highest-quality evidence we will have to address the underlying question because there could be ethical and practical concerns regarding a trial that delays cataract surgery.

Our study has several strengths. First, it was based on a prospective, community-based observational cohort of more than 3000 participants with 23 554 person-years of follow-up recruited when individuals were dementia free and systematically followed up until dementia development. Second, more than 98% of the ACT study cohort visited eye care clinicians at least once, with a median of 21 encounters (IQR, 10-37). 44 Our study has the advantage of a resource-rich, integrated health care delivery system setting in which everyone had access to comprehensive eye care. We can thus disentangle the effects of cataract extraction from access to care that could include cataract surgery. Third, dementia diagnoses were made by a panel of experts using research criteria. Given the strong implications in the care of older adults that were derived from our findings, the reliable dementia diagnoses used in our study are crucial. Fourth, we thoroughly investigated the possibility of healthy patient bias and potential confounders. Adding baseline CASI score at the time of cataract diagnosis did not change our results.

Several limitations exist. Cataract diagnosis and surgery were based on diagnosis and procedure codes available from electronic medical records, and we did not have ophthalmic clinical data, such as visual acuity or cataract severity. Coding errors cannot be ruled out, although such errors should bias toward the null. We evaluated only the participant’s first cataract surgery and do not know whether any surgery in the contralateral eye impacted dementia risk. Reverse causation is a potential concern. People with early cognitive problems may be less conscious of vision issues and thus may undergo cataract surgery at a later age. Although this possibility cannot be completely ruled out, when we excluded cataract operations in the 2 years prior to dementia diagnoses, we found that the protection associated with surgery was even stronger. Furthermore, because we had access to electronic health record data starting only in 1993, 1 year prior to the original cohort recruitment, there may have been an underestimation in the cataract diagnosis duration in some participants. Thus, we repeated our analysis, excluding the original cohort, and found similar rates. The lack of biomarker-based AD may be considered a limitation. However, our study is longitudinal in nature and primarily interested in clinical dementia. Finally, our study population was composed primarily of persons of self-reported White race and thus may not be representative of other populations.

The results of our cohort study showed that cataract extraction had a significant association with lower risk of developing dementia among adults 65 years of age or older. These results have implications for the care of older persons who are uniquely at higher risk for both impaired vision due to cataract and impaired cognition due to neurodegeneration observed in age-related dementia. Given the substantial degree by which cataract extraction is associated with lower risk of dementia and its persistent effect beyond 10 years, the improvement in quality of life for the affected individuals and their family is likely considerable. Further studies on the mechanisms by which cataract extraction may affect dementia risk are warranted.

Accepted for Publication: October 14, 2021.

Published Online: December 6, 2021. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2021.6990

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License . © 2021 Lee CS et al. JAMA Internal Medicine .

Corresponding Author: Cecilia S. Lee, MD, MS, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Washington, Box 359608, 325 Ninth Ave, Seattle WA 98104 ( [email protected] ).

Author Contributions : Drs Cecilia S. Lee and Gibbons had full access to all the data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis. Drs Cecilia S. Lee and Gibbons contributed equally to this manuscript and should be considered co–first authors. Drs Crane and Larson contributed equally to this manuscript and should be considered co–senior authors.

Concept and design: C. S. Lee, Gibbons, Crane, Larson.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: All authors.

Drafting of the manuscript: C. S. Lee, Gibbons, Blazes.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Gibbons, A. Y. Lee, Yanagihara, Blazes, M. L. Lee, McCurry, Bowen, McCormick, Crane, Larson.

Statistical analysis: Gibbons, M. L. Lee.

Obtained funding: C. S. Lee, Crane, Larson.

Administrative, technical, or material support: C. S. Lee, Yanagihara, Blazes, McCormick, Crane, Larson.

Supervision: C. S. Lee, A. Y. Lee, Crane, Larson.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr A. Y. Lee reported receiving grants from Carl Zeiss Meditec, Novartis, Regeneron, and Santen; receiving personal fees from Genentech/Roche, Johnson & Johnson, Topcon, the US Food and Drug Administration, and Verana Health; and receiving nonfinancial support from Microsoft and NVIDIA outside the submitted work. Dr McCurry reported receiving grants from the National Institute on Aging during the conduct of the study. Dr Larson reported receiving royalties from UpToDate outside of the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Funding/Support: This research has been funded by National Institutes of Health grants from the National Eye Institute (K23EY029246) and the National Institute on Aging (R01AG060942, P50AG05136, U01AG006781, and U19AG066567), an Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation Diagnostics Accelerator Award, Latham Vision Innovation Award, and an unrestricted grant from Research to Prevent Blindness.

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Additional Contributions: We thank the Adult Changes in Thought study participants and staff for their ongoing devotion to the overall study. Michael Brush, MD, Jason Kam, MD, and Michael Lee, MD, all from Kaiser Permanente Washington, provided assistance with analyses of ophthalmic data from Kaiser Permanente Washington. William Schwartz, MD, University of Texas Dell Medical School, read and provided advice on an earlier draft of this article.

Additional Information: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available because they contain information that could compromise the privacy of research participants. This article does not reflect the opinions of the US Food and Drug Administration.

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Study suggests daily consumption of olive oil reduces chances of developing dementia

by Bob Yirka , Medical Xpress

A team of nutritionists and medical researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has found evidence that daily consumption of olive oil may reduce the chances of developing dementia.

In their study , published in the journal JAMA Network Open , the group analyzed data for thousands of people included in two separate health databases and found that those people who consumed at least 7 g of olive oil daily were less likely to die from dementia -related ailments.

Prior research has suggested that following the Mediterranean diet can lead to healthier outcomes for most people. The diet tends to stress consuming legumes, vegetables, nuts, fish, dairy and olive oil. In this new study, the research team found evidence that the heavy use of olive oil in such diets may be one of its most significant factors.

To learn more about possible health benefits of regularly consuming olive oil, the researchers studied patient data for more than 60,000 women included in the Nurses' Health Study and more than 31,000 men included in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Both databases include historical information, following patients for up to 30 years. They also include data regarding cause of death.

The researchers found that 4,751 of the 92,383 patients listed in the two databases had died from dementia-related causes. In comparing diet information, they found that those who had consumed at least a half-teaspoon of olive oil per day over the course of the study years were 28% less likely to have died from diseases related to the development of dementia.

The research team also noted that many of the people in the databases who had consumed olive oil on a daily basis over many years had done so by using it to replace butter, mayonnaise and other vegetable oils in cooking and dressings. Those same people therefore also ate less of those other products, which could also have had an impact on dementia rates.

The team further suggests that consumption of a Mediterranean diet, with a strong emphasis on olive oil , may reduce the chances of developing dementia by inhibiting inflammation caused by other factors.

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Scientists Identify Link Between Sitting and Dementia

N ew insights into the medical mysteries behind dementia have been revealed this week, with two studies identifying drivers of the brain-degenerating condition.

One study, released on September 11 in the journal General Psychiatry , shows that the shortening of little caps on the end of chromosomes may be linked to increased dementia risk. Another, published in the journal JAMA on September 12, reveals that spending more time sedentary, such as sitting down, may also increase the risk.

These studies may help scientists to further understand the mechanisms behind what causes dementia to develop, and therefore how to stop it.

How Aging Is Linked to Dementia

Dementia is a term for the symptoms of a decline in brain function, as a result of damage to or changes in the brain. Alzheimer's disease is a form of dementia, caused by an abnormal build-up of two types of protein: amyloid and tau. One of the major drivers of dementia development is age, as it is much more common in the elderly.

This may be somewhat explained by the findings of the General Psychiatry paper, which discovered that dementia risk increases with the shortening of the telomeres. These telomeres are little caps on the ends of chromosomes that prevent the functional genes from being lost during replication. As a person ages, their telomeres become shorter and shorter as a result of many years of cell division and chromosome replication.

According to the paper, data from UK Biobank—a large biomedical database—reveals that of patients between the ages of 37 and 73, those with shorter telomeres in their leucocytes (a type of white blood cell) were 14 percent more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those with the longest telomeres, and 28 percent more likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.

"We found that LTL [leucocyte telomere length] acts as an aging biomarker associated with the risk of dementia," the authors wrote. "Furthermore, we also observed linear associations of LTL with total and regional brain structure. These findings highlight telomere length as a potential biomarker of brain health."

"Since LTL is largely inherited, individuals who inherit shorter LTL may be predisposed to dementia, making LTL an appealing predictive biomarker for dementia. In addition, shorter LTL is widely regarded as an indicator of poorer neuropsychological condition, so measurement of LTL might be considered as an option offered to the public to motivate healthy lifestyle choices in the general population."

How Sedentary Behavior is Linked to Dementia

The JAMA paper reveals that another driver of dementia may be a sedentary lifestyle.

Also using UK Biobank data, as well as accelerometer data from study participants, the researchers found that people aged over 60 who spend more than 10 hours a day engaging in sedentary behaviors, such as sitting, are at a higher risk of dementia compared with those who are sedentary for less time.

"The link between sedentary behavior was nonlinear, so that at lower amounts of sitting time, there was no significant increase in risk," study author David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, told Newsweek . "After about 10 hours per day of sedentary behavior, risks increased significantly. Ten hours per day of sedentary behavior was associated with an 8 percent increase in risk of dementia and 12 hours per day was associated with a 63 percent increase in risk of dementia."

Sedentary behavior was defined by the authors as any waking behavior characterized by "a low energy expenditure while in a sitting or reclining posture," Raichlen said.

"We were surprised to find that the risk of dementia begins to rapidly increase after 10 hours spent sedentary each day, regardless of how the sedentary time was accumulated," study author Gene Alexander, professor of psychology and psychiatry at the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute at the University of Arizona and Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, said in a statement.

"This suggests that it is the total time spent sedentary that drove the relationship between sedentary behavior and dementia risk, but importantly lower levels of sedentary behavior, up to around 10 hours, were not associated with increased risk."

They also found that even if this sedentary time is broken up by periods of activity, it's only the total time spent sitting that appears to have an impact on dementia risk.

"Many of us are familiar with the common advice to break up long periods of sitting by getting up every 30 minutes or so to stand or walk around," Raichlen said in the statement. "We wanted to see if those types of patterns are associated with dementia risk. We found that once you take into account the total time spent sedentary, the length of individual sedentary periods didn't really matter."

The exact reason why sedentary lifestyles may be linked to dementia risk is unclear, the authors said, with more research being required to fully understand the mechanisms behind this association.

"Our study was not focused on mechanisms but it is possible that reductions in cerebral blood flow or links between sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic disease factors may play a role in increased risk for dementia. Future work will focus on identifying these mechanisms," Raichlen said.

The link between telomere length and dementia also needs more research, the General Psychiatry authors explain, including looking at telomere length in other cell types, and how dementia risk changes with changes in telomere length.

"Several limitations must be taken into account," the authors wrote. "LTL was measured only once at baseline in nearly 470,000 participants. Based on the results of the current study, we were unable to identify whether changes in LTL impact the chances of dementia development.

"Dementia diagnoses were obtained from electronic health records only, so some dementia cases may not have been fully covered; likewise, we inevitably omitted some undiagnosed dementia and less severe dementia cases as they might not have been mentioned in the electronic health records," they said. "Finally, given the nature of an observational study design, conclusions of causality should be made with caution."

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about dementia? Let us know via [email protected].

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Olive oil use associated with lower risk of dying from dementia

An observational study has found that regular olive oil consumption may have cognitive health benefits.

Is olive oil really a health boon? Or is it just a sign of healthy eating habits?

A study published in JAMA Network Open on Monday rekindles that debate. The observational study led by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health examined two groups of U.S. health professionals and found daily olive oil consumption is associated with a lower risk of dying from dementia.

• The study found that consuming at least a half tablespoon of olive oil every day was associated with a 28 percent lower risk of dying from dementia, as compared with those who never or rarely consumed olive oil.
• Participants who reported more olive oil consumption had a lower risk of dying from dementia, regardless of the quality of their diet or their adherence to the Mediterranean diet , which consists of plenty of fresh fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and moderate amounts of fish and poultry.
• Researchers found replacing about one teaspoon of margarine and mayonnaise with the equivalent amount of olive oil was associated with an 8 to 14 percent lower risk of dying from dementia.
• The study observed two cohorts of more than 92,000 male and female U.S. health professionals over 28 years. Roughly 65 percent of the participants were women. And 4,751 of the participants died of dementia during the study period.

Olive oil use has been associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease . The oil is a fixture of the Mediterranean diet. One study published in 2014 found extra virgin olive oil, specifically, to be associated with lower cardiovascular risk in older adults.

A 2022 examination of the same two cohorts in the study published Monday found higher olive oil consumption was associated with a roughly 19 percent lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, as compared with those who never or rarely consumed olive oil.

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And olive oil, when used in the Mediterranean diet, “appears to have a beneficial effect against cognitive decline,” said Marta Guasch-Ferré , an adjunct associate professor in nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a co-author of both studies of the two cohorts.

A 2015 randomized clinical trial in Barcelona found a Mediterranean diet with olive oil “may counteract age-related cognitive decline” in older adults.

“Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains compounds with antioxidant activity that may play a protective role for the brain,” Guasch-Ferré said in an email.

Olive oil “may directly benefit the brain by crossing the blood-brain barrier” and may indirectly support the brain by having positive effects on a person’s heart health as well, said Anne-Julie Tessier , a research associate in nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the lead author of the study published Monday.

How the study was conducted

The more than 92,000 participants in the two cohorts studied were asked how frequently they consumed different foods every four years for 28 years, starting in 1990. The respondents recorded how frequently they used olive oil in salad dressing, in food or bread, and in baking or frying at home.

A physician reviewed the death certificates of the participants who died during the study period to determine whether dementia was the cause of death, Tessier said. It was determined that 4,751 of the participants died of dementia.

What we don’t know

The observational study found an association between the consumption of olive oil and a comparatively lower risk of dying from dementia. The researchers did not find a causal relationship.

Guasch-Ferré said in an email that “intervention studies are needed to confirm causal associations and optimal quantity of olive oil intake.” Future studies could try to determine “the mechanisms” by which olive oil intake is associated with a lower risk of dying from dementia, she said.

The study also observed the diets of health professionals, which means the results may not be generalizable to a broader, more diverse population.

And the researchers say they couldn’t differentiate between the use of different varieties of olive oil, such as virgin or extra virgin, which have “higher bioactive compounds and antioxidants,” Guasch-Ferré said.

What other experts say

David Knopman , a professor of neurology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., said the observational study is “very nice” research but those who consumed more olive oil may just be “more health conscious than their peers.”

“That limitation is one of the really serious problems with interpreting diet data,” Knopman said. The results fit “with our preconceived notions of a health diet,” he said. But there are a number of lifestyle factors that affect cardiovascular health and, in turn, cognitive health — including exercise, diet, sleep and whether someone smokes. Those factors tend to correlate with each other, he said.

“The only way to establish causality of a treatment intervention is with a randomized trial,” Knopman said. But he said he’s “really skeptical” one nutrient is the key to better health.

“Suddenly switching from steak and mashed potatoes and butter to bean sprouts and broccoli probably isn’t going to have a huge effect unless you lose a lot of weight, if you are overweight,” he said.

Vasilis Vasiliou , a professor and the chair of the department of environmental health sciences at Yale School of Public Health, said the Harvard study “has been done very carefully,” and there is a broader effort to try to “find a mechanism” as to why olive oil, or other parts of the plant, could be beneficial to cardiovascular or cognitive health.

“We don’t believe it’s one compound or two. The olive oil has the phenolic antioxidants, which are very important for protecting against oxidative stress,” Vasiliou said. “But there is a lot of other stuff that’s going on there.”

What you can do about it

Guasch-Ferré said “opting for olive oil” rather than processed fats, such as margarine and mayonnaise, “is a safe choice and may reduce the risk of fatal dementia.”

Choose vegetable oils, particularly olive oil or extra virgin olive oil, if you can afford it, Tessier said.

“Extra virgin olive oil is actually higher in polyphenols,” she said. “These are the compounds that may be beneficial for brain health, over more processed fats.”

Vasiliou said he drinks two tablespoons of olive oil high in polyphenol content every morning, in addition to cooking with olive oil on a daily basis.

“You’re going to be laughing but sometimes I even put it on the top of my ice cream,” he said.

Do you have a question about healthy eating? Email [email protected] and we may answer your question in a future column.

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Editorial article, editorial: editors' showcase: dementia care.

• Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Editorial on the Research Topic Editors' showcase: dementia care

Dementia is a syndrome that describes the loss of memory, language, problem-solving and thinking abilities that interfere with daily living activities ( World Health Organisation, 2023 ). Although the concept of dementia has been around since early 1906, there has been a shift in more recent years from viewing dementia as being pathologically related to aging to a distinct condition. However, although the research focus has remained on finding a cure, there is no current cure. As a result of an emphasis on cure, less emphasis has been placed on the impact and evidence-based basis of caregiving ( Ballenger, 2017 ), which may have reduced the opportunities for people with dementia and their caregivers to have access to quality dementia care.

Dementia care refers to care of all dementia conditions throughout the stages of dementia. Dementia care provides targeted assistance and support to a person with dementia and their caregiver. A caregiver, also known as a carer, is an individual who provides care for a person living with dementia. Such a person is usually a friend or a family member. Approximately 11 million Americans ( Alzheimer's Association, 2022 ) and at least 140,900 informal Australian primary carers care for people with dementia ( Australian Institute of Health Welfare, 2024 ). Providing care can be overwhelming for caregivers at times. We must use evidence-based interventions to provide care to reduce caregiver burden. Although person-centered care is promoted to provide quality dementia care ( Fazio et al., 2018 ), other evidence-based interventions must be considered and investigated to achieve positive outcomes. The six articles in this Research Topic address dementia care interventions in various ways, provide evidence, and describe novel approaches to dementia care.

Bushell et al. report on the effectiveness of educational interventions in the community that aim to improve informal carers' knowledge of dementia anatomy, physiology, progression, and their impact on behavior. They suggest that when caregivers do not understand the behavioral changes regarding dementia, this can result in a higher caregiver burden. The authors' systematic review demonstrates limited education interventions that incorporate information on the anatomy and physiology of the brain. As a result, the authors conclude that more rigorous studies are required to investigate the effect of education interventions on caregivers' dementia knowledge and their role in dementia care.

Sadak and Borson used a cross-sectional mixed-methods descriptive study to illustrate an inductive Six Domain Framework and simple assessment tools used in a sample of dementia dyads. Care partners and their care recipients ( n = 88) from three university-affiliated hospitals participated. Care recipients' diagnoses, medications, and care records were extracted from the hospital's electronic medical records. Over one-third of care partners reported stress, depression or anxiety, and one-fifth were positive for poor health and social needs. Furthermore, care recipients' (68%) records reported chronic conditions. The Framework was considered suitable for research concerning pathways for dementia care.

The importance of technologies in dementia care is presented in two manuscripts by Wong and Hung and Salai et al. Wong and Hung demonstrate an example of the cultural adaptation of a television video regarding drinking water for older Chinese adults with dementia. They used the cultural adaptation process model to guide the adaptation process. Salai et al. explored a prototype voice assistant called IntraVox that uses a personalized human voice to send prompts and reminders. Their qualitative study reported the benefits of using voice assistants to assist with dementia care. The IntraVox pilot study demonstrated that the device allowed the person with dementia to continue to be cared for at home. These manuscripts are potent reminders of the importance of technology in assisting caregivers in providing care for people with dementia in the community.

Sussman and Tétraulta's qualitative interpretive study collected data regarding advanced care planning (ACP) for people with dementia from 17 community-based staff in three focus groups. Four key barriers were identified: (1) the stigma associated with dementia, (2) lack of knowledge about end-of-life concerns, (3) uncertainties about managing complex family dynamics, and (4) worries that opening conversations about future care may lead to expression of a person's wishes that could not be actualized. The importance of understanding ACP for people with dementia is outlined through these findings.

The final manuscript reported a narrative review that explored the conscious experience and communication modalities used by people with dementia and considered the heightened emotional states experienced as compensatory mechanisms ( Warren ). Communication difficulties are challenging for people with dementia and their caregivers ( Moyle, 2023 ). An understanding of emotional processing is thought to provide clinical insight into the subjective experience of dementia and, as a result, improve empathy and communication. Both concepts are important in the provision of person-centered care.

In summary, the manuscripts included in this Research Topic introduce several dementia care interventions and theoretical concepts that highlight the importance of understanding the human condition regarding dementia to provide quality dementia care. The manuscripts demonstrate the diversity of the topic of dementia care and the opportunities that can improve the care of the person with dementia and reduce the caregiving burden.

Author contributions

WM: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing.

The author(s) declare that no financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Acknowledgments

The author thanks the authors who contributed to this Research Topic and the reviewers for their work.

Conflict of interest

The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision.

Publisher's note

All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Alzheimer's Association (2022). Alzheimer's disease facts and figures. Alzheimers Dement. 18, 700–789. doi: 10.1002/alz.12638

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Keywords: dementia, care, person-centered, caregivers, burden

Citation: Moyle W (2024) Editorial: Editors' showcase: dementia care. Front. Dement. 3:1411549. doi: 10.3389/frdem.2024.1411549

Received: 03 April 2024; Accepted: 29 April 2024; Published: 13 May 2024.

Edited and reviewed by: William L. Klein , Northwestern University, United States

Copyright © 2024 Moyle. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) . The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

*Correspondence: Wendy Moyle, w.moyle@griffith.edu.au

This article is part of the Research Topic

Editors' Showcase: Dementia Care