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  • Observational Study
    In-Person and Online

    What is this Study about?

    We are looking to understand what social cognitive symptoms informal caregivers are seeing from their loved one in early dementia and how frequently they occur. Additionally, we want to understand the impact of these symptoms on caregivers' well-being.

    Eligibility Criteria

    You are eligible to participate if you...
    1) Are 18 years or older
    2) Are an informal (unpaid) caretaker to a person in their first year of a dementia diagnosis

    3) Can speak English or French

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    Online

    What is this Study about?

    Baycrest is launching the Kimel Family Centre for Brain Health and Aging, the world’s first research-driven community centre evaluating the effects on brain health of providing personalized dementia-risk reduction programming. As part of that study, participants will complete six surveys to help us determine their dementia risk across five lifestyle domains: physical activity, brain-healthy eating, cognitive engagement, social connections, and mental wellbeing. Although we are using validated scales for these domains, we would like to better understand how people typically perform. For example, norms do not exist for all of our participants’ age range, some of the norms are outdated, and most are not from Canadians. Moreover, participants will repeat these scales every six months, so we can tell them if they have made significant gains, but we don’t know how much of a change is needed to be a clear improvement, and not just “noise”.

    Eligibility Criteria

    You are eligible to participate if you are:
    1. Female, age 80+
    2. Male, age 50-69, or 80+
    3. Resident of Canada
    4. No self-endorsed significant concerns about your memory, Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, vascular dementia, Huntington’s disease, any cancer treated with chemotherapy, brain tumour, Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, or current depression

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    Online

    What is this Study about?

    This review examines the implementation of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) across Canada. It explores the perspectives of patients, families, and friends involved in the MAiD process, capturing the human dimensions of end-of-life care. Emphasis is placed on understanding the impact of different MAiD delivery models utilized across jurisdictions. By analyzing these lived experiences, the review aims to identify strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement in MAiD service delivery across different jurisdictions. Insights from this project will inform policy, enhance equity in access, and support compassionate, paerson-centered care for all Canadians navigating the MAiD process.

    Eligibility Criteria

    You are eligible to participate if you are 18 years or older, able to communicate in English or French, and are either a patient who has inquired about MAiD services or been approved to undergo MAiD, or a family member or caregiver of a patient who has received MAiD.

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    Online

    What is this Study about?

    This study consists of a 45-60 minutes virtual interview to better understand the experiences of familial caregivers of persons with dementia.

    Eligibility Criteria

    - Are 18 years of age or older
    - Have been a part-time or full-time caregiver of a family member with dementia
    - Speaks English

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    Online

    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.

    Eligibility Criteria

    AD-D Participant Inclusion Criteria: 

    1) Clinical diagnosis of mild to early-moderate stage AD (including mixed dementia with AD) using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Ed. Criteria (29) 

    2) Age of 50 years or older 

    3) Medical stability to participate in the trial 

    4) Patient Health Questionnaire score 5-14 

    5) Investigator judgement on whether the participant is comfortable with technology 

    6) Access to WiFi and a smart device for connecting on WebEx and downloading the Fitbit and Muse applications 

    7) Have someone available to be present during all sessions


    Caregiver Inclusion Criteria: 

    1) 18 years of age or older 

    2) Available to be present for all sessions 

    3) Ability to provide consent 

    4) Access to a smart device 

     

    Caregiver Exclusion Criteria: 

    1) Under 18 years of age

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    Online & In-Person

    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.

    Eligibility Criteria

    You are eligible if

    1. You are caring for a family member or relative with memory loss or dementia

    2. You are living in a multigenerational South Asian Family

    3. You Identify with any of these four South Asian Countries: India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

    4. You live in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    Online

    What is this Study about?

    CAN-PROTECT is a Canada-wide online study recruiting participants and caregivers of persons with dementia to explore how lifestyle, background, and caretaking factors affect our health, quality of life, cognition, behaviour, and function as we age. CAN-PROTECT data will be analyzed and jointly published by the University of Calgary in partnership with the University of Exeter.

    Eligibility Criteria

    - Age 18 years or older

    - Reside in Canada

    - Have access to a computer/touchscreen device

    - Can provide informed consent

    - Do not have a diagnosis of dementia

    - Additionally, we are enrolling participants who have previously or currently care for persons with dementia for caregiver-specific assessments

    - Ability to speak English

    Recruitment End Date

  • Clinical Trial
    Online & In-Person

    What is this Study about?

    To examine the effects of a stress management program on well-being, stress, and cognition in family caregivers of someone with dementia or a related neurodegenerative disorder. We will be recruiting participants from 2023 - 2027.

    Eligibility Criteria

    - are a primary family caregiver of a person with dementia or a related neurodegenerative disorder.

    - have access to a computer with high-speed internet; and feel comfortable using email and Zoom (a secure online meeting platform).

    - have a video camera on your device. To ensure safety of participants during the program sessions, it is important that participants turn on their video camera. Keeping the video camera on is also important to build trust within the group sessions and when interacting with the researchers.

    - are willing to be randomised to one of 3 groups, even if it is not your preferred group.

    - are able to commit to a synchronous 8-week online group-based program (described below) and complete daily prescribed daily home practices.

    - are able to commit to three assessment sessions: one baseline assessment, one post-program assessment, one 12-month follow-up assessment.

    - agree to audio recording of interview sessions and portions of the assessment that require accurate verbal data collection.

    - are able to provide blood samples, potentially after a 12-hour fast.

    - are able to travel to a LifeLabs clinic for biomarker collection.

    - agree to refrain from participating in new studies or programs during the 8-week study session.

    - meet the screening criteria during the pre-screening interview.

    - ability to speak English.

    Recruitment End Date

  • Observational Study
    In-Person

    What is this Study about?

    The aim of our study is to better understand whether certain lifestyle factors (such as physical activity and hearing) are related to early changes in memory and thinking abilities in older adults. We are especially interested in enrolling individuals who are South Asian or East Asian, because little research has focused on brain health in Canadians of diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds.

    By participating, you will help us better understand how lifestyle factors are related to memory and thinking changes in adults from diverse communities. We hope that this will lead to improved prevention and early intervention strategies for dementia.

    Eligibility Criteria

    You are eligible to participate if you…

    - Are 55-85 years old

    - Have no major medical or psychiatric diagnoses

    - Are comfortable speaking and reading English

    - Are able to undergo an MRI scan

    -Speak English

    Eligibility is dependent on an additional conversation with the study team.

    Recruitment End Date