Older Adults

This study was designed to investigate the effects of a person-centered occupational therapy approach on quality of life and occupational balance among community-dwelling older adults. The study is a randomized controlled trial utilizing semi-structured interviews and self-report measures. The target population consists of individuals aged 65 years and older living in Istanbul. The sample size was calculated using G\*Power software, indicating a minimum of 77 participants per group, for a total of 154 participants. Considering potential attrition, a total sample of 170 participants is planned. Data will be collected using a Sociodemographic Information Form, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Occupational Performance History Interview-II (OPHI-II), Goal Attainment Scaling (GAS), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument-Older Adults Module (WHOQOL-OLD), and the Activity-Role Balance Questionnaire. Cognitive eligibility will be assessed using the MMSE, and individuals scoring 24 or higher will be included in the study. Through the OPHI-II, participants' life histories, roles, habits, and experiences related to daily activities will be explored, and individualized goals will be identified based on the information obtained. These goals will subsequently be structured using the Goal Attainment Scaling method. Participants will be randomly allocated to either the intervention group or the control group. Participants in the intervention group will receive person-centered occupational therapy sessions delivered via telerehabilitation, while those in the control group will continue their usual daily routines without additional support. At the end of the study, outcomes related to quality of life and occupational balance will be compared between groups. The findings are expected to provide evidence regarding the role of a person-centered occupational therapy approach in supporting participation in daily life activities among older adults.

Driving ability in older adults is essential for independent mobility and social participation, yet declines under high cognitive load or distraction often lead to visual attention failures such as "look-but-fail-to-see," increasing crash risk. Older adults and individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) show impairments in visual attention, executive control, and visuomotor integration, which are not adequately captured by conventional assessments. Virtual reality (VR) integrated with eye-tracking and upper-limb motion analysis enables ecologically valid simulation of driving scenarios and precise quantification of visuomotor behavior. However, current studies are limited by single-scenario designs, unimodal AI models, and insufficient integration of action-related data. This study proposes a multi-phase framework: Year 1 develops an eye-movement-based AI model for MCI identification; Year 2 integrates multimodal data in VR driving tasks; and Year 3 establishes an explainable AI system with longitudinal validation. The study aims to advance cognitive assessment and develop a digital tool for early MCI detection and driving risk prediction.

Older patients with hip fractures often suffer from severe pain. Inadequate analgesia increases the risk of postoperative delirium, myocardial injury, and other complications. Peripheral nerve block is an important component of multimodal analgesia, but conventional local anesthetics (such as plain bupivacaine) provide only approximately 12 hours of analgesic duration, which is far from covering the most painful 72 hours after surgery. Liposomal bupivacaine has a slow-release property, prolonging the analgesic duration up to 72 hours after a single injection. However, its clinical advantages in hip fracture surgery remain controversial. The investigators suppose that, compared with plain bupivacaine alone, preoperative supra-inguinal fascia iliaca block using liposomal bupivacaine combined with plain bupivacaine can further improve analgesia, decrease opioid consumption, and improve postoperative recovery quality within 72 hours in older patients after hip fracture surgery.

The overarching goal of our research is to develop personalized and accessible healthy aging lifestyle interventions aimed at promoting physical activity (PA) and improving health among community-dwelling older adults living alone with cognitive decline (LACD). To achieve this goal, the purpose of this project is to determine whether wearable and app-based mHealth intervention component(s) will contribute to increased PA and improved health outcomes in older adults LACD. Our specific aims are to: identify and evaluate mHealth intervention components that practically and significantly contribute to enhanced mechanistic outcomes (e.g., self-efficacy, outcome expectations) and increased PA (primary outcome) in older adults LACD over a 6-month period; determine the optimal combinations of intervention components for future efficacy testing; elucidate the mechanism of behavioral change (MoBC) and potential outcomes of these intervention components, namely, the mediating effects of MoBC variables (e.g., self-efficacy, outcome expectations) on the relationship between intervention components and change in PA. The first two aims are primary and fully-powered. The third aim is exploratory. The aims will support a refined, data-driven intervention design for a subsequent larger trial.

Patients with cognitive decline are frequently comorbid with sleep disorders which may in turn aggravate cognitive decline. Sedative dose dexmedetomidine improved sleep quality but incresed bradycardia and hypotension; low dose dexmedetomidine produce less side effects, but the sleep promoting effects are relatively weak. Low dose esketamine also has sleep-promoting effects but may produce neuropsychiatric side effects. Both dexmedetomidine and esketamine are approved for intranasal administration. We suppose that intranasal administration of dexmedetomidine-esketamine combination may improve sleep quality and therefore cognitive function in older ptients with Alzheimer's disease cognitive impairment and sleep disorders.

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing (MI) intervention in enhancing advance care planning (ACP) among older adults who have visited the Emergency Room (ER) in the past six months and their family caregivers. The main question it aims to answer is: The effectiveness of the MI-based ACP intervention implemented within six months of an ER visit on improving older adults' advance directives (AD) completion rate. Compared to participants in the control group who will only receive a self-education booklet, participants in the intervention group will receive a motivational interview educational intervention to see the effectiveness of an MI-based ACP intervention implemented within six months following an emergency room visit regarding the completion of AD for older adults.

This study will investigate dialysis recipients' responses to important vaccines. Research suggests that a medication commonly used by transplant recipients may improve vaccine responses. The investigators will be conducting a clinical trial to see whether a short course of low-dose Sirolimus improves the response to vaccination against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and influenza (flu) in patient with kidney disease over 60 years old who receive haemodialysis.

This randomized controlled trial study aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a combined inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and blood flow restriction (BFR) intervention in frail older adults. Outcomes of interest include feasibility, physical function, respiratory muscle strength, handgrip strength, five-times sit-to-stand performance, body composition, frailty level, fall efficacy, blood pressure, and adverse events.

This pilot study investigates the effects of a music-based dance intervention on executive function and physical performance in middle-aged and older adults with cognitive impairment. Dance, as a form of dual-task training, integrates music, rhythmic movement, and cognitive-motor coordination. When combined with group interaction and partner-guided physical cues, it has the potential to enhance both cognitive and motor functions simultaneously. The intervention features a simple, structured dance sequence designed to stimulate rhythm, attention, and coordination through music-based movement. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of this approach in improving executive function and lower limb physical performance among individuals with cognitive impairment.

The goal of this study is to learn about the effect of applying transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) during motor training on motor learning in older adults. The main question it aims to answer is whether applying tVNS after successful motor trials (post-success tVNS) will facilitate the rate of motor learning. Participants will be randomly assigned to tVNS or sham group and receive tVNS or sham, respectively, at the outer ear during finger control training sessions. Finger control performance will be tested before and after the training sessions without outer ear stimulation.

This project aims to advance methodological and theoretical approaches for developing, selecting, refining, and piloting a multilevel de-implementation strategy to reduce the overuse of screening mammography in women aged ≥75 years. Informed by an innovative participatory, stakeholder-driven innovation tournament and a discrete choice experiment, the research team identified, prioritized, and tailored a multilevel de-implementation strategy. The research team will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial (at the provider level) to test the impact of the provider- and patient-level components of the multilevel strategy on screening mammography use, and secondarily, on provider referrals/orders for screening mammography. The organizational level components of the multilevel strategy will be implemented among all participants, not via random assignment.

The goal of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of a dyadic management of the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) for older adults with co-occurring cognitive impairment and diabetes with the involvement of caregivers. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the intervention improve diabetes self-management and cognitive function in older adults? * How is the implementation of the intervention in real-world settings? Participants will: * Attend weekly CDSMP session over a 6-week period (2.5-hour per session). * Provide feedback on their experience with the intervention through interviews and surveys.

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the efficacy of the Ideomotor Program in healthy older adults living in the community. The main research questions are: 1\) Is the Ideomotor Program effective in improving cognitive function? 2) Is the Ideomotor Program effective in improving motor function? 3) Is the Ideomotor Program effective in improving overall well-being? Researchers will compare the Ideomotor Program to a community group cognitive training program to determine whether the effects are superior. Participants will: undergo assessments at baseline, at the mid-intervention point, and upon program completion; participate in a 16-week group exercise program in a community gym two times per week; keep a diary to monitor the number of falls and any adverse events.

In this study we seek to understand whether N-of-1 trials using a crossover withdrawal/reversal design with as many 2-week periods can be used to identify the highest tolerated beta-blocker dose for patients with Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction (HFrEF). To achieve this objective we will conduct a 2-arm randomized controlled trial of 50 participants, comparing intervention(N-of-1 trials) to enhanced usual care. For participants randomized to the intervention, we will use collect data via validated patient-reported outcomes and then display this data on a visualization tool. This tool was iteratively developed for N-of-1 trials with patient input - a comparison of how the patient felt on different beta-blockers. If well-tolerated and the participant agrees to continue with dose escalation based on review of their data, the participant will take a higher dose for the next 2-week period; and the study team will again collect data on how they feel during this time. This approach of sharing end-of-period data with participants and subsequently escalating the dose (based on the participant's decision) for another 2-week period will continue until the guideline-directed target dose is reached or until the participant feels that their symptoms are limiting dose escalation. The N-of-1 intervention is purposefully structured to allow the participant to participate in as many periods (and as many dose combinations) as they wish until they are confident that they have reached their highest tolerated dose. This adaptive design for N-of-1 trials is intended to be patient-centered and patient-driven. We will also conduct brief semi-structured interviews with intervention participants. Participants randomized to enhanced usual care will not have access to patient-reported outcomes or the data visualization tool. Since attention can affect outcomes, we will "enhance usual care" by conducting phone calls at the same frequency as the intervention group.

The immune system is the part of the body that protects against infection. The immune system often doesn't work as effectively as people get older. This research is being done to find out how the immune systems in older people who are over age 75 respond to influenza vaccine (flu shot). We also want to find out if chronic cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a common virus infection in older persons affects the immune response in people older than 75 years of age who receive a flu shot. The Flu Shot is a vaccine approved for the prevention of influenza ("Flu") infections and is recommended every year for all persons 50 years and older. People who are older than 75 years of age are considered healthy or frail may join. A total of 1025 persons will be participating in this study. In order to determine if you are qualified for the study, we would ask you to answer a few questions over the phone that will take approximately 5 minutes. If you qualify and agree to proceed, you will be asked to come to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center or, if you are unable to come to Bayview, one of our staff can visit you at your home. During that visit we obtain consent, review your medical history, and measure your vital signs, walking speed and grip strength. We will also administer a few brief questionnaires and collect urine and blood samples. We will then give you the Influenza vaccine for free. 7 days post receiving your Influenza Vaccine we will collect a small blood sample for further immune system testing. also, you will be asked to complete a 12-question survey which will assess your symptoms over the past 7 days (post receiving the Influenza vaccine). Also 4 weeks post receiving your Influenza vaccine you will be asked to complete a third visit that will include follow up health questionnaires and an influenza symptoms assessment questionnaire and vital signs. A third blood draw will be collected (approximately 10 teaspoons) to measure immune responses to the influenza vaccine. In addition, you will receive your test result (CBC/w/Diff.) from visit #1. Throughout the influenza study season, we will call you once a week to ask about your general health and any Flu-like symptoms. These calls will be made throughout the Flu season which typically lasts through May. If you begin to have any influenza like symptoms at any time during the study, we ask that you call our office to report these symptoms so that we may perform vital signs, nasal swab to confirm influenza, and a fourth blood draw to look at the immune response and protection of influenza vaccine.

Millions of older adults receive care in intensive care units (ICUs) annually. However, the quality and accessibility of ICU-based palliative care is highly variable across hospitals and clinicians, due in part to specialists' limited workforce and geographic inconsistency. To address these gaps, the investigators developed an innovative mobile app-based primary palliative care intervention called ICUconnect. ICUconnect facilitates families' and patients' self-report of actual palliative care needs across all core domains of palliative care quality, provides ICU clinicians with a scalable digital infrastructure for coordinating consistent and personalized needs-targeted care, and provides a variety of informational supports relevant to each user's role. In this RCT, the investigators will test ICUconnect vs. usual care control among 350 patient-family member dyads with elevated baseline levels of unmet palliative care need in a 4-site network serving a diverse population (Duke, Medical University of South Carolina, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Columbia). The specific aims are to: (1) Test the efficacy of ICUconnect vs. usual care control in improving palliative care needs and other person-centered outcomes including psychological distress, (2) Determine participant characteristics associated with a greater treatment response using a heterogeneity of treatment effects approach, and (3) Ensure off-the-shelf intervention readiness for implementation using a mixed-methods integration of qualitative analysis of semi-structured trial participant interviews and quantitative RE-AIM implementation framework-informed trial data.

The goal of this observational study is to determine whether the Count Me In Program (Participe-Présent in French), which focuses on the strengths and power to act of older adults, can improve social participation and psychosocial factors among older adults with loss of autonomy, as assessed by the following outcome measures: (1) loneliness; (2) depressive symptoms; (3) cognition; (4) frequency of participation in leisure activities; and (5) type of social participation. Participants will attend seven weekly workshops in the Count Me In Program.

This multicenter, prospective, non-interventional observational study (ORTOPODCZ) investigates the association between preoperative cognitive impairment and postoperative delirium (POD) in older adults undergoing elective total hip arthroplasty in the Czech Republic. Postoperative delirium is a frequent and serious neurocognitive complication in senior surgical patients and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and impaired functional and cognitive outcomes. Despite international recommendations, routine preoperative cognitive screening remains insufficiently implemented. The study evaluates the predictive value of the ALBA test, a brief cognitive screening tool, performed during the pre-anesthetic assessment. Postoperative delirium will be assessed using the validated CAM-ICU instrument for up to 72 hours after surgery. Secondary objectives include assessing the relationship between POD and frailty, polypharmacy, comorbidities, type of anesthesia, intraoperative hemodynamics, blood loss, vasoactive support, and postoperative complications. Approximately 300-400 participants aged ≥65 years will be enrolled across seven centers. No additional procedures, biological sampling, or deviations from standard clinical care are required. Data will be collected in REDCap and analyzed according to a predefined statistical analysis plan. The study aims to provide robust evidence supporting the integration of cognitive screening into routine preoperative evaluation and to describe feasibility and implementation requirements for the ALBA test in clinical practice.

With currently available antiretroviral therapy, people living with HIV (PLWHIV) are living longer. This exposure to HIV and combination antiretroviral therapy may accelerate the aging of this population, thus increasing the prevalence of premature frailty. There are few data on the prevalence of frailty and geriatric syndromes among older people living with HIV (OpHIV) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the screening and diagnostic tools to identify them. The initiation contract financed by the ANRS-MIE in 2021 whose objective was to 1) carry out an inventory and evaluate the feasibility of a project for monitoring OpHIV in Burkina-Faso in Côte d'Ivoire and Togo and 2) to select the collection tools adapted to the description of geriatric syndromes in these elderly people has allowed to highlight the following (i) The collection of data on geriatric conditions and syndromes is almost non-existent in the daily care and management practice (ii) there is a significant proportion (10,6%) of PLWHIV aged 60 years and over in the active files of the PLWHIV care centers that participated in the survey (iii) Adapted screening tools have been selected and will allow documentation of the above-mentioned syndromes. This research project, which follows on from this initiation contract, will therefore make it possible to obtain data from the geriatric evaluation, to identify the specificities of PLWHIV by comparing them to a population not infected with HIV and to propose geriatric management adapted to PLWHIV. Its innovative nature also lies in its mixed approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods, which will make it possible to document the needs and resources for the care of PLWHIV in a global and holistic manner. 600 participants, aged 60 years and over (300 living with HIV and 300 not living with HIV), in three West African countries (Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo) will be included in this study whose primary objective is to compare the prevalence of frailty among people aged 60 years and over (PA60) between HIV-infected and non-HIV-infected; the secondary objective is to estimate the prevalence of frailty among PA60 according to HIV status. A population-based matching will be performed on sex and age class (threshold 70 years), during the recruitment of HIV- PA60. This will be a mixed study combining: * A "clinical" component comprising a stratified, comparative, international, multicenter cross-sectional study; * A "health systems strengthening" component combining a quantitative cross-sectional survey and a qualitative survey; * A qualitative socio-anthropological component including individual interviews and focus groups with people living with HIV60, their families and caregivers. The 3 components will be conducted with a time lag between the different components due to the overlapping constitution of the source populations. Most research on aging with HIV in the context of SSA has been very clinically focused (e.g., frailty or cognitive impairment). This research will provide a more comprehensive approach that takes into account the different levels of factors influencing health (individual, health system, social environment).

The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate the effectiveness of a health-coaching intervention to improve physical activity in older adults with limited mobility when compared to a control, health education group.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn whether a natural-origin nutritional supplement, combined with a moderate-intensity functional exercise program, can improve seasonal immunity, perceived health, and oxidative stress in older adults. The study will also assess the safety of this combined intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does the combination of supplementation and exercise enhance immune function during seasonal changes? * Does it reduce oxidative stress and improve perceived health and functional capacity? Researchers will compare a supplement to a placebo. All participants will follow the same supervised functional exercise program. Participants will: * Take a daily nutritional supplement for 6 months. * Attend two weekly functional exercise sessions (60 minutes each), including mobility, explosive strength, and coordination/agility training. * Complete three assessments (before, midway, and after the intervention) including blood tests, physical function evaluations, and quality of life questionnaires.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the impact of acute pain, induced using an experimental pain paradigm of capsaicin paired with heat, on implicit locomotor learning and its retention in older adults.

The aim of this research is to analyze whether nutritional intervention combined with a multicomponent physical training program based on strength, balance, and aerobic exercises can prevent disability caused during hospitalization in individuals aged 75 years or older admitted for medical conditions, thereby improving functional and cognitive capacity. To achieve this objective, we will conduct a randomized clinical trial in which patients are randomly assigned to either the control group, which does not perform the physical training, or the intervention group, which participates in the multicomponent physical training program.

The Israeli research group of this trial has developed the Perturbation Stationary Bicycle Robotics (PerStBiRo) system that can challenge balance while sitting. With this system, unexpected perturbations can be provided under controlled and safe conditions. Within the BiPerAge-project it will be evaluated if 20 training sessions (20 minutes each) on the PerStBiRo system will lead to transfer effects on safe cycling skills of community-dwelling older adults (age 65 years and older). The ability to cycle safely will be tested prior and after the training period using a cycling course, which consists of variant tasks requiring motor and cognitive skills.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of the mobile health (mHealth)-assisted, person-centred care (PCC) self-care support programme for homebound older adults. The researcher will compare PCC approach to a conventional care provider-led model. Participants (n = 130) will receive the intervention of six bi-weekly WhatsApp video call sessions over three months with nurse case managers (NCMs).