Digital Commons Network^™

Factors Affecting The Joy Of Life In Old Age: A Scale Development Study, Yalçın Karagöz, Yusuf Karaşi̇n, Mustafa Filiz, Mehmet Ateş

Adultspan Journal

This study aims to introduce a measurement tool into the literature that can reveal the factors affecting the joy of life in older adulthood. Participants included 266 individuals aged 55 and over living in Izmir, Turkey. The process of developing the scale includes the following stages: problem identification, item pool creation, expert opinion, form shaping, pilot application, and finalizing the scale. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the scale consists of 6 different dimensions, and the variance explained by these dimensions was found to be 65.184%. The acceptable values for the scale's fit indicators are as follows: χ²/df0.90, IFI > 0.90, …

"The Perfect Storm": Weathering Black Racial Trauma Across The Lifespan And The Impact Of Covid-19, Taryne M. Mingo, Kiauhna Haynes

Adultspan Journal

Descendants of Africans Enslaved in the United States (DAEUS), who lived in the South prior to 1965 and experienced decades of legalized discrimination, were found to have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Arline Geronimus (1992) coined the term “weathering” to acknowledge the accumulation of racial trauma stored within the body over extended periods of time. The purpose of this interpretive phenomenological study, aligned by the tenets of Critical Race Theory, explores how continuous racial trauma impacted DAEUS citizens’ well-being and trust in the COVID-19 vaccine. Three Group Experiential Themes emerged during this study, all connected with the experiences …

Case Report: Multifactorial Intervention For Safe Aging In Place, Ashwini Kulkarni

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background/Objectives: Falls are a leading cause of morbidity in older adults, particularly those with multiple comorbidities. A multidisciplinary approach addressing physical, psychological, and environmental factors is essential for reducing fall risk and supporting aging in place. This report evaluates the effectiveness of a multidisciplinary, multifactorial approach in managing high fall risk in an older adult with diabetes, hypertension, and osteoporosis. Methods: A 72-year-old woman with a recurrent history of falls participated in an 8-week intervention as part of the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) balance and falls prevention credential program. This study was conducted in Virginia Beach, USA, at the …

Financial Health Literacy Of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Qualitative Research Study, Kimberly Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Financial health literacy (FHL) is an emerging concept with unique application to older adults. Multiple complexities converge in older age that create increased financial vulnerability (e.g., retirement, chronic disease). However, low financial and health literacy are common in older adults, impacting their ability to self-manage. The AWV’s focus on prevention offers an opportunity to incorporate a proactive approach to financial-related assessment. This study will explore the perceived value of assessing FHL in primary care settings and the financial-related barriers and facilitators to implementing the personalized prevention plan.

Methods: The conceptual framework was guided by the Individual and Family Self-Management …

Access To And Utilization Of Dental Care Services By Older Adults In Nigeria: Barriers And Facilitators, Sunkanmi Folorunsho, Victor Ajayi, Munirat Sanmori, Medinah Suleiman, Raji Abdullateef, Abdulazeez Abdulganiyu

Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications

Aims: Nigeria’s rapidly aging population presents urgent challenges for the healthcare system, particularly in oral health, which remains an overlooked aspect of well-being. While older adults are especially vulnerable to dental issues such as tooth loss, periodontal disease, and oral pain, access to care remains limited due to systemic, economic, and cultural barriers. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of older Nigerians in accessing and utilizing dental care, with the goal of identifying key barriers, facilitators, and policy-relevant insights.

Methods: Fifteen participants aged 50–83 years were purposively selected from urban and peri-urban areas of Ilorin, North- Central …

Evaluating The Impact Of Epic Integration And Dual Registered Nurse Check-Off On Pressure Injury Prevention Workflow Compliance, Darlene Y. Olowu

Doctor of Nursing Practice Final Project Abstract

Background

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs), particularly sacral and heel injuries, remain a persistent challenge in critical care settings, leading to increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs.

Purpose

This quality improvement project aimed to improve compliance with a pressure injury prevention (PIP) workflow by integrating a dual RN check-off system within EPIC, thereby reducing sacral and heel pressure injuries. The project sought to enhance accountability, standardize documentation, and optimize compliance with evidence-based PIP measures.

Methodology

A Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) framework guided the project implementation in an oncologic intensive care unit (ICU). Key interventions included: (1) EPIC integration of a dual RN check-off …

Mapping Epidermal And Dermal Cellular Senescence In Human Skin Aging, Grace T Yu, Clarisse Ganier, David B Allison, Tamara Tchkonia, Sundeep Khosla, James L Kirkland, Magnus D Lynch, Saranya P Wyles

Children’s Nutrition Research Center Staff Publications

Single-cell RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics enable unprecedented insight into cellular and molecular pathways implicated in human skin aging and regeneration. Senescent cells are individual cells that are irreversibly cell cycle arrested and can accumulate across the human lifespan due to cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic stressors. With an atlas of single-cell RNA-sequencing and spatial transcriptomics, epidermal and dermal senescence and its effects were investigated, with a focus on melanocytes and fibroblasts. Photoaging due to ultraviolet light exposure was associated with higher burdens of senescent cells, a sign of biological aging, compared to chronological aging. A skin-specific cellular senescence gene set, termed …

Increasing Serious Illness Conversations In Patients At High Risk Of One-Year Mortality Using Improvement Science: A Quality Improvement Study, Kanishk D. Sharma, Sandip A. Godambe, Prachi P. Chavan, Agatha Parks-Savage, Marissa Galicia-Castillo

Department of Family and Community Medicine Faculty Publications

Background: Serious illness conversation (SIC) in an important skillset for clinicians. A review of mortality meetings from an urban academic hospital highlighted the need for early engagement in SICs and advance care planning (ACP) to align medical treatments with patient-centered outcomes. The aim of this study was to increase SICs and their documentation in patients with low one-year survival probability identified by updated Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores. Methods: This was a quality improvement study with data collected pre- and post-intervention at a large urban level one trauma center in Virginia, which also serves as a primary teaching hospital to …

Chronic Circadian Misalignment Accelerates Sarcopenia Progression In Mice, Takashi Seya, Nobuya Koike, Naoki Okubo, Yasuhiro Umemura, Yoshiki Tsuchiya, Kazuya Yabumoto, Yasuhiro Endo, Kanako Iinuma, Akiyo Kakibuchi, Akira Sugimoto, Kenji Takahashi, Seung-Hee Yoo, Zheng Chen, Kazuhiro Yagita

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Introduction: In today's 24/7 society, circadian misalignment caused by environmental and lifestyle factors is associated with various adverse health consequences. Understanding tissue-specific pathology is required to counter this growing public health challenge. A potential association of environmental circadian misalignment with sarcopenia, or accelerated loss of skeletal muscle strength and mass, is poorly documented.

Methods: 14-week-old wild-type C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to a chronic jet lag (CJL) paradigm consisting of an 8-h phase advance every 4 days (the ADV group) or a fixed light-dark cycle (the LD group) for 64 weeks. Grip strength was measured during the experiment, and hindlimb …

Mechanisms Of How Sarcopenia Affects Functional Outcomes In Acute Ischaemic Stroke, Dong-Seok Gwak, Jinyong Chung, Dawid Schellingerhout, Hyerin Oh, Sang-Wuk Jeong, Ji Sung Lee, Dong-Eog Kim

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Sarcopenia, a common geriatric condition characterized by the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, can negatively affect functional outcomes in acute ischaemic stroke; however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We hypothesized that sarcopenia affects post-stroke outcomes, mediated through its impact on dysphagia, early neurological deterioration, or post-stroke recovery, particularly in patients with motor deficits. To explore this hypothesis, we included 600 consecutive elderly (≥65 years) patients with acute (< 1 week) ischaemic stroke and assessed: (i) the relationships sarcopenia has with dysphagia, early neurological deterioration and various phases of recovery after stroke (in-hospital, post-discharge [up to 3 months], and chronic [3 months to 1 year]) and (ii) whether either presenting symptoms or lesion locations modify the impact of sarcopenia on stroke outcomes. Temporal muscle thickness, a marker of sarcopenia, was measured by brain magnetic resonance imaging and dichotomized into low versus high temporal muscle thickness at the 25th percentile cut-off point. Logistic regression analysis, mediation analysis and statistical brain mapping were conducted. Mean age was 75.3 ± 6.1 years and 303 (50.5%) were male. Low temporal muscle thickness (< 5.1 mm) was independently associated with dysphagia (adjusted odds ratio 1.89 [95% confidence interval 1.06–3.37], P = 0.03), early neurological deterioration (adjusted odds ratio 2.75 [95% confidence interval 1.61–4.71], P < 0.001) and post-discharge recovery (adjusted odds ratio 0.56 [95% confidence interval 0.34–0.94], P = 0.03) but not with in-hospital or chronic recovery. In addition, dysphagia, early neurological …

Food Allergies And Quality Of Life In Older Adults: Development Of A Food Allergy Questionnaire, Avalon F. Mustafa

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The United States is experiencing a rapid increase in the number of older adults, yet there is a lack of research on food allergies in this demographic. While there are survey instruments available to study food allergies and quality of life, none of these are tailored to the unique needs of elderly individuals. This study aims to create and validate an on-line survey instrument specifically designed for older adults, focusing on their quality of life in the context of food allergies. The survey will be used to establish a food allergy severity score and a quality-of-life score, enabling comparison between …

Impact Of Aerobic Exercise On Cardiometabolic Health In Patients With Diabesity: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis Of Randomized Controlled Trials, Sameer Badri Al-Mhanna, Barry A. Franklin, John M. Jakicic, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Linda S. Pescatello, Deborah Riebe, Walter R. Thompson, James S. Skinner, Sheri R. Colberg, Jonathan K. Ehrman, George S. Metsios, Norsuhana Omar, Nouf H. Alkhamees, Bodor Bin Sheeha, Abdullah F. Alghannam, Alexios Batrakoulis

Human Movement Studies & Special Education Faculty Publications

Purpose

This systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) aimed to evaluate the effects of aerobic exercise on cardiometabolic health-related indices in patients with type 2 diabetes and concurrent overweight/obesity (diabesity).

Methods

PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases were searched from inception to October 2024. The search strategy included the following keywords: diabetes, aerobic exercise, and endurance training. RCTs comparing aerobic exercise training ≥2 weeks in duration to standard treatment were considered eligible. Participants were adults with diabesity.

Results

A total of 1391 middle-aged/older adult patients (55 % females) were included …

"You Sure Feel Like You're Alone, Kind Of Flailing Away Out There": Family Caregiver Perspectives Of Caring For An Individual With Glioblastoma Multiforme, Christy Muasher-Kerwin, Abby Baumbach, Yujun Liu, M. Courtney Hughes

Faculty Articles, Papers, and Other Scholarship

Objectives

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive form of brain cancer. Family caregivers of individuals with GBM must navigate a wide range of their care recipients’ physical, cognitive, and psychosocial deficits to provide effective care, which is both mentally and physically demanding. This study aimed to investigate the perspectives of family caregivers of GBM patients about the barriers and challenges they encounter when providing care to their care recipients. Methods

Nineteen current and former family caregivers for individuals with GBM participated in semi-structured interviews from October 2023 through January 2024. We conducted interviews virtually and used applied …

Toward Precision Longevity: Aging Interventions In The Single-Cell Atlas Era, Jason B Chen, Miranda C Wang, Shangyu Gong, Hongjie Li

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

With growing global interest in extending not only lifespan but also healthspan, healthy aging has emerged as a central goal in biomedical research. This review provides an overview of current longevity interventions, including genetic manipulations, dietary restriction, exercise, pharmacological treatments, targeting senescence and cellular reprogramming strategies, as studied in key model organisms such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and Mus musculus. We examine the limitations and challenges associated with these approaches, particularly their variability across tissues and cell types. Furthermore, we emphasize the critical role of single-cell aging atlas technologies in uncovering cell-type–specific aging patterns and molecular …

Age-Related Variations In Hba1c Improvemecnts: Insights From A Telehealth-Supported Community-Based Intervention, Laura Porterfield, Xiaoying Yu, Amber B Amspoker, Craig A Johnston, Aanand D Naik, Salim S Virani, Christie M Ballantyne, Ashok Balasubramanyam, Elizabeth M Vaughan

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Background and objectives: We previously demonstrated that a telehealth-supported community health worker (CHW) intervention significantly improved clinical outcomes in diabetes care. However, the extent to which these benefits vary across different age groups remains unclear. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a CHW-led multidimensional diabetes intervention in reducing HbA1c across age groups.

Research design and methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 10 studies (n = 301) that focused on low-income Hispanic adults with or at risk for type 2 diabetes. The intervention included CHW-participant coaching via mobile Health (mHealth), monthly CHW-led group education, and bidirectional mHealth feedback among …

After-Hours, Severity, And Distance Are Associated With Non-Vha Emergency Department Use For Older Veterans: Insights From A Regional Health Information Exchange, Elina Kurkurina, Kimberly M. Judon, Ula Hwang, Kenneth S. Boockvar, Juan Wisnivesky, Matthew R. Augustine

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

Background: Older adults treated in emergency departments (EDs) are at higher risk for adverse outcomes. Using multiple facilities can worsen this issue through service duplication and poor care transitions. Veterans with dual insurance coverage can access both Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and non-VHA EDs. This study aimed to identify factors associated with non-VHA ED use among veterans.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients aged ≥ 65 who had primary care at the James J Peters VA Medical Center and at least one VHA or non-VHA ED visit between October 2017 and February 2020. Data were collected from …

Urinary Metal Levels, Cognitive Test Performance, And Dementia In The Multi-Ethnic Study Of Atherosclerosis, Arce Domingo-Relloso, Katlyn E Mcgraw, Susan R Heckbert, Jose A Luchsinger, Kathrin Schilling, Ronald A Glabonjat, Irene Martinez-Morata, Melanie Mayer, Yongmei Liu, Alexis C Wood, Jeff Goldsmith, Kathleen M Hayden, Mohamad Habes, Ilya M Nasrallah, R Nick Bryan, Tanweer Rashid, Wendy S Post, Jerome I Rotter, Priya Palta, Linda Valeri, Timothy M Hughes, Ana Navas-Acien

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

IMPORTANCE: Metals are established neurotoxicants, but evidence of their association with cognitive performance at low chronic exposure levels is limited.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of urinary metal levels, individually and as a mixture, with cognitive tests and dementia diagnosis, including effect modification by apolipoprotein ε4 allele (APOE4).

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: The multicenter prospective cohort Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) was started from July 2000 to August 2002, with follow-up through 2018. A total of 6303 MESA participants were included. Data analysis was performed from October 12, 2023, to June 13, 2024.

EXPOSURE: Urine samples were collected at baseline …

Economic Disadvantage During Childhood, Obesity, And Diabetes Across Three Birth Cohorts Of Older Mexicans, Jesús-Daniel Zazueta-Borboa, Rafael Samper-Ternent, Rebeca Wong, Neil Mehta

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Diabetes prevalence has increased markedly in Mexico. We examined the individual and joint contributions of economic disadvantage during childhood (EDDC) and elevated body weight on diabetes prevalence in 3 cohorts of Mexican adults.

METHODS: Data on those 60-69 years old from the 1930-1939, 1940-1949, and 1950-1959 birth cohorts in Waves 1 (2001), 3 (2012), and 5 (2018) of the Mexican Health and Aging Study were used. EDDC was defined as the absence of a toilet in the household before age 10. Body mass status was defined using self-reported perceived body image at age 50. Diabetes was based on respondent …

Meeting Aerobic Physical Activity Guidelines And Associations With Physical Fitness In Men With Metastatic Prostate Cancer: Baseline Results Of The Multicentre Interval-Gap4 Trial, Lisa Umlauff, Stacey A. Kenfield, Robert U. Newton, Nicolas H. Hart, Fred Saad, Kerry S. Courneya, Rosemary Greenwood, Wilhelm Bloch, Moritz Schumann

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: This study compared the physical activity level of men with metastatic prostate cancer at baseline of the multicentre INTERVAL-GAP4 trial to the American Cancer Society guidelines and examined associations with physical fitness. Methods: A total of 140 men on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) were included in this cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from the INTERVAL-GAP4 trial. Exclusion criteria included a maximum of 1 h of vigorous aerobic exercise or one structured resistance exercise session per week but no restrictions on habitual physical activity. Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was assessed using a modified Godin–Shephard Leisure-Time Physical Activity Questionnaire. Physical fitness …

Efficacy And Feasibility Of Intradialytic Plantar Electrical Stimulation In Patients With Diabetes: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Trial, Myeounggon Lee, Abdullah Hamad, Mehrnaz Azarian, Jaewon Beom, Abderrahman Ouattas, Mohammad Dehghan Rouzi, Naima Rodriguez, Nhi Quach, Rania Ibrahim, Mincy Mathew, Talal Talal, Fadwa Al-Ali, Bijan Najafi

Center on Aging Staff Publications

Objective: This study investigates the efficacy and feasibility of electrical stimulation (E-Stim) on sensory fibers of the plantar region during hemodialysis sessions, aiming to improve mobility in patients with diabetes by providing a connection between E-Stim and enhanced mobility with minimal patient effort required.

Research design and methods: Participants aged ≥18 years with diabetes undergoing hemodialysis and able to walk at least 10 m with or without aid were recruited and divided into an intervention group receiving 1-h intradialytic E-Stim three times a week and a control group using an identical nonfunctional device for 12 weeks. Gait, physical activity, patient-reported …

Chronic Β3-Ar Stimulation Activates Distinct Thermogenic Mechanisms In Brown And White Adipose Tissue And Improves Systemic Metabolism In Aged Mice, Duraipandy Natarajan, Bhuvana Plakkot, Kritika Tiwari, Shoba Ekambaram, Weidong Wang, Michael Rudolph, Mahmoud A Mohammad, Shaji K Chacko, Madhan Subramanian, Stefano Tarantini, Andriy Yabluchanskiy, Zoltan Ungvari, Anna Csiszar, Priya Balasubramanian

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Adipose thermogenesis has been actively investigated as a therapeutic target for improving metabolic dysfunction in obesity. However, its applicability to middle-aged and older populations, which bear the highest obesity prevalence in the United States (approximately 40%), remains uncertain due to age-related decline in thermogenic responses. In this study, we investigated the effects of chronic thermogenic stimulation using the β3-adrenergic (AR) agonist CL316,243 (CL) on systemic metabolism and adipose function in aged (18-month-old) C57BL/6JN mice. Sustained β3-AR treatment resulted in reduced fat mass, increased energy expenditure, increased fatty acid oxidation and mitochondrial activity in adipose depots, improved glucose homeostasis, and a …

Health Implications Of Racial Differences In Serum Growth Differentiation Factor Levels Among Men With Obesity, Siresha Bathina, Virginia Fuenmayor Lopez, Mia Prado, Elliot Ballato, Georgia Colleluori, Maryam Tetlay, Dennis Tan Villareal, Sanjay Mediwala, Rui Chen, Clifford Qualls, Reina Armamento-Villareal

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Growth differentiation factor (GDF15) has been considered a biomarker and recently a hormonal driver for diseases in different populations. However, the role of GDF15 as a biomarker of health outcomes in obese men from different racial/ethnic background has not been evaluated. The objective of this study was to investigate the racial/ethnic differences on the relationship between GDF15 and markers of glucometabolic status, hormonal profile, body composition and bone mineral density (BMD) in obese men. One hundred ninety-three obese men from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds were enrolled. BMD and body composition were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum GDF15, osteocalcin, C-terminal …

Utilization Patterns In Frailty: Don’T Miss The Forest For The Trees, Kathryn E. Callahan

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

No abstract provided.

Integrating Geriatric House Call Practice Into Paramedic Education: A Novel Educational Approach On Attitudes And Acceptance, Phillip D. Magidson, Mariah L. Robertson, Robby May, Mattan Schuchman, Eric Garfinkel, Matthew J. Levy

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptance of integrating geriatric house call practice clinical exposure into paramedic education and to explore the impact on attitudes towards older adults among paramedic students.

Methods: Paramedic students from a fire department training program participated in a geriatric house call practice in collaboration with an academic health system. Pre- and post-program surveys were conducted to evaluate changes in attitudes towards older adults using the Ageing Semantic Differential (ASD) scale. Patient feedback on paramedic involvement was collected through post-visit surveys.

Results: Six paramedic students completed 25 house call visits over eight weeks. …

Age-Related Decline In Blood-Brain Barrier Function Is More Pronounced In Males Than Females In Parietal And Temporal Regions, Xingfeng Shao, Qinyang Shou, Kimberly Felix, Brandon Ojogho, Xuejuan Jiang, Brian T Gold, Megan M Herting, Eric L Goldwaser, Peter Kochunov, Elliot Hong, Ioannis Pappas, Meredith Braskie, Hosung Kim, Steven Cen, Kay Jann, Danny J J Wang

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) plays a pivotal role in protecting the central nervous system (CNS), and shielding it from potential harmful entities. A natural decline of BBB function with aging has been reported in both animal and human studies, which may contribute to cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders. Limited data also suggest that being female may be associated with protective effects on BBB function. Here, we investigated age and sex-dependent trajectories of perfusion and BBB water exchange rate (kw) across the lifespan in 186 cognitively normal participants spanning the ages of 8-92 years old, using a non-invasive diffusion-prepared pseudo-continuous arterial …

Dementia Risk Reduction In The African Context: Multi-National Implementation Of Multimodal Strategies To Promote Healthy Brain Aging In Africa (The Africa-Fingers Project), Chinedu Momoh, Rachel Maina, Lukoye Atwoli, Karen Blackmon, Edna Bosire, Gloria Chemutai, Linda Khakali, Sylvia Mbugua, Zul Merali, Olivera Nesic Taylor,, Anthony Ngugi, Cyprian Mostert, Eunice Muthoni, Roselyter Riang’A, Mansoor Saleh, Shahin Sayed, Jasmit Shah

Brain and Mind Institute

Dementia prevention in Africa is critically underexplored, despite the continent's high prevalence of modifiable risk factors. With a predominantly young and middle-aged population, Africa presents a prime opportunity to implement evidence-based strategies that could significantly reduce future dementia cases and mitigate its economic impact. The multinational Africa-FINGERS program offers an innovative solution, pioneering culturally sensitive, multidomain interventions tailored to the unique challenges of the region. Leveraging insights from landmark global studies such as Worldwide-FINGERS and Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, the program employs a multideterminant precision prevention framework, grounded in community based systems dynamics. Africa-FINGERS further integrates cutting-edge state-of-the-art multimodal biomarker …

Association Analysis Of Mitochondrial Dna Heteroplasmic Variants: Methods And Application, Xianbang Sun, Katia Bulekova, Jian Yang, Meng Lai, Achilleas N Pitsillides, Xue Liu, Yuankai Zhang, Xiuqing Guo, Qian Yong, Laura M Raffield, Jerome I Rotter, Stephen S Rich, Goncalo Abecasis, April P Carson, Ramachandran S Vasan, Joshua C Bis, Bruce M Psaty, Eric Boerwinkle, Annette L Fitzpatrick, Claudia L Satizabal, Dan E Arking, Jun Ding, Daniel Levy, Chunyu Liu

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

We rigorously assessed a comprehensive association testing framework for heteroplasmy, employing both simulated and real-world data. This framework employed a variant allele fraction (VAF) threshold and harnessed multiple gene-based tests for robust identification and association testing of heteroplasmy. Our simulation studies demonstrated that gene-based tests maintained an appropriate type I error rate at α = 0.001. Notably, when 5 % or more heteroplasmic variants within a target region were linked to an outcome, burden-extension tests (including the adaptive burden test, variable threshold burden test, and z-score weighting burden test) outperformed the sequence kernel association test (SKAT) and the original burden …

Senescence Biomarkers And Trajectories Of Frailty And Physical Function After Kidney Transplantation, Elizabeth C Lorenz, Byron H Smith, Hani M Wadei, Girish Mour, Cassie C Kennedy, Carrie A Schinstock, Walter K Kremers, Andrea L Cheville, Latonya J Hickson, Elizabeth J Atkinson, Thomas A White, Andrew D Rule, Nathan K Lebrasseur

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Cellular senescence is a biological mechanism of aging and age-related diseases. The aim of this study was to examine whether senescence biomarkers are associated with frailty and physical function trajectories in patients undergoing kidney transplantation (KT). We also discussed the relationship between senescence biomarkers and KT function. In this multicenter study, we prospectively assessed plasma levels of senescence biomarkers, frailty as measured by the Physical Frailty Phenotype, and physical function as measured by the Short Physical Performance Battery prior to KT. Frailty, physical function, and KT function were also measured 1 year after KT. Variable associations were assessed using Cox …

Bridging Big Data In The Enigma Consortium To Combine Non-Equivalent Cognitive Measures, Eamonn Kennedy, Shashank Vadlamani, Hannah M Lindsey, Pui-Wa Lei, Mary Jo-Pugh, Paul M Thompson, David F Tate, Frank G Hillary, Emily L Dennis, Elisabeth A Wilde, Enigma Clinical Endpoints Working Group Collaborators

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Investigators in neuroscience have turned to Big Data to address replication and reliability issues by increasing sample size. These efforts unveil new questions about how to integrate data across distinct sources and instruments. The goal of this study was to link scores across common auditory verbal learning tasks (AVLTs). This international secondary analysis aggregated multisite raw data for AVLTs across 53 studies totaling 10,505 individuals. Using the ComBat-GAM algorithm, we isolated and removed the component of memory scores associated with site effects while preserving instrumental effects. After adjustment, a continuous item response theory model used multiple memory items of varying …

Parallel Electrophysiological Abnormalities Due To Covid-19 Infection And To Alzheimer’S Disease And Related Dementia, Yang Jiang, Jennifer Neal, Pradoldej Sompol, Görsev Yener, Xianghong Arakaki, Christopher M. Norris, Francesca R. Farina, Agustin Ibanez, Susanna Lopez, Abdulhakim Al-Ezzi, Voyko Kavcic, Bahar Güntekin, Claudio Babiloni, Mihály Hajós

Neurology Faculty Publications

Many coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) positive individuals exhibit abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) activity reflecting “brain fog” and mild cognitive impairments even months after the acute phase of infection. Resting-state EEG abnormalities include EEG slowing (reduced alpha rhythm; increased slow waves) and epileptiform activity. An expert panel conducted a systematic review to present compelling evidence that cognitive deficits due to COVID-19 and to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) are driven by overlapping pathologies and neurophysiological abnormalities. EEG abnormalities seen in COVID-19 patients resemble those observed in early stages of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ADRD. It is proposed that similar EEG abnormalities in …