What is this Study about?

The objective of this study is to understand: (1) what community-based interventions caregivers/care partners for persons living with young onset dementia (i.e., dementia diagnosed under the age of 65) are accessing across Southern Ontario; (2) caregivers/care partners perceptions towards the community-based interventions they have accessed; and (3) the reasons, if any, for not accessing community-based interventions.

The results of this study will be used to help inform the development and enhancement of community-based interventions for persons living with YOD and their caregivers/care partners, and is a part of my PhD dissertation.

What is this Study about?

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

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

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

What is this Study about?

By understanding the perspectives of various stakeholders involved in dementia care within Ontario health teams, we aim to enhance the quality of life for individuals living with dementia in Ontario.

What is this Study about?

Scientific evidence indicates that healthy lifestyle habits promote brain health and help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Our study consists of evaluating a personalized program designed to promote healthy lifestyle habits with the goal of supporting brain health.

This program, called Luci, is available as an online platform with virtual guidance from an advisor. Its purpose is to help participants change their lifestyle habits. It focuses on three areas: physical activity, healthy eating, and intellectual stimulation.

The aim of this study is to determine whether our program helps improve lifestyle habits in these three areas, along with other indicators linked to brain health.

What is this Study about?

This study looks at how an at-home nature-based virtual reality (VR) program may help people living with Alzheimer’s disease manage behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), such as depression. Caregivers/study partners will have the option of taking part in the study and providing feedback regarding the VR intervention. This project will explore how VR can be used as a non-pharmacological approach to prolong aging in place for individuals with BPSD, as BPSD contributes to rates of institutionalization. This will take place completely remotely, in your own home.

What is this Study about?

In collaboration with our South Asian community collaborators, our goal is to gain an in-depth understanding of new immigrant, multigenerational, South Asian family caregiving for a relative with dementia amidst COVID-19. The goal is to inform future family-centered, healthcare interventions aimed at supporting equity deserving families during times of crisis.

To achieve our goal, we are starting to recruit family care partners living in a multigenerational home and caring for a relative with dementia from each of the four groups of South Asian families. We will be using a multiple case study to examine new immigrant, multigenerational caregiving for a relative with dementia from the perspective of four groups of South Asian families; 1) Pakistani, 2) Bangladeshi, 3) Indian, and 4) Sri Lankan. We will also be using secondary data sources, including genograms, ecoMaps, and key documents.

We will be conducting interviews with a family care partners from each of the four groups. Following these interviews, we will hold four focus groups with a new purposeful sample of South Asian multigenerational care partners to understand if the findings from the interviews reflect their caregiving experiences thereby increasing the reliability of the study findings.

What is this Study about?

The aim of this study is to develop a large, ethically sources, and diverse database of voice recordings to determine whether voice has biomarkers for particular disease categories, including neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. The data that is collected will be used to develop a full open-access database to fuel artificial intelligence research related to voice.

What is this Study about?

McMaster University, in partnership with Ressam Gardens Memory Care Community, is conducting a study on the effects of brain stimulation in individuals aged 50 and older with dementia or memory loss. The research focuses on using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS), a non-invasive technique that delivers magnetic pulses to the brain, to enhance cognitive function and balance. The goal is to extend the positive effects of brain stimulation in improving cognition and balance in individuals with dementia.

What is this Study about?

In this study we aim to explore the motivations and impacts of disclosure a personal diagnosis of dementia or being a care partner on social media. The overall goal of the study is to develop an evidence-based resource to promote benefits of social media for the dementia community while minimizing its harms.