Digital Commons Network^™

Empowering Emergency Department Nurses To Utilize The Steadi Program For Fall Prevention, Edmond M. Woods

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: A fall is defined as an event that results in a person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground, floor, or other lower levels (World Health Organization, 2022). Nationally the incidence of falls among older adults has steadily increased over the last ten years. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "Falls among older adults aged 65 years and older caused over 34,000 deaths in 2019, making it the leading cause of injury contributing to death for that group" (CDC, 2019, para 1). These individuals who fall for the first time often have another fall unless …

Implementing The Use Of The Emergency Severity Index Triage Tool In Urgent Care, Sakeena Spencer

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Background: The urgent care sector has quickly grown in the last decade. Patients who visit healthcare facilities seeking treatment for exacerbations of chronic conditions or episodic illnesses such as asthma without scheduled appointments receive healthcare services from Urgent Care Centers (UCC) or Emergency Departments (E.D.s). Upon visiting the UCC, these patients report life-threatening symptoms; hence require immediate medical attention. UCC healthcare workers should distinguish between non-acute and acute patients to prioritize providing healthcare to patients, ensuring they are not at risk for fatal outcomes. Using the Emergency Severity Index (ESI) triage tool while delivering healthcare services to these patients has …

2022-2023 Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum Handbook, Morehead State University. Nursing Department.

Nursing Department Publications Archive

2022-2023 Family Nurse Practitioner Practicum Handbook of the Department of Nursing at Morehead State University.

Aging After Stroke: How To Define Post-Stroke Sarcopenia And What Are Its Risk Factors?, Sheng Li, Javier Gonzalez-Buonomo, Jaskiran Ghuman, Xinran Huang, Aila Malik, Nuray Yozbatiran, Elaine Magat, Gerard E Francisco, Hulin Wu, Walter R Frontera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, generally described as "aging-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function", can occur secondary to a systemic disease.

AIM: This project aimed to study the prevalence of sarcopenia in chronic ambulatory stroke survivors and its associated risk factors using the two most recent diagnostic criteria.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING: A scientific laboratory.

POPULATION: Chronic stroke.

METHODS: Twenty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors (12 females; mean age=57.8±11.8 years; time after stroke=76±45 months), hand-grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured to define sarcopenia. Risk factors, including motor impairment and spasticity, were identified using regression …

Aging After Stroke: How To Define Post-Stroke Sarcopenia And What Are Its Risk Factors?, Sheng Li, Javier Gonzalez-Buonomo, Jaskiran Ghuman, Xinran Huang, Aila Malik, Nuray Yozbatiran, Elaine Magat, Gerard E Francisco, Hulin Wu, Walter R Frontera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, generally described as "aging-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function", can occur secondary to a systemic disease.

AIM: This project aimed to study the prevalence of sarcopenia in chronic ambulatory stroke survivors and its associated risk factors using the two most recent diagnostic criteria.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING: A scientific laboratory.

POPULATION: Chronic stroke.

METHODS: Twenty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors (12 females; mean age=57.8±11.8 years; time after stroke=76±45 months), hand-grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured to define sarcopenia. Risk factors, including motor impairment and spasticity, were identified using regression …

Aging After Stroke: How To Define Post-Stroke Sarcopenia And What Are Its Risk Factors?, Sheng Li, Javier Gonzalez-Buonomo, Jaskiran Ghuman, Xinran Huang, Aila Malik, Nuray Yozbatiran, Elaine Magat, Gerard E Francisco, Hulin Wu, Walter R Frontera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, generally described as "aging-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function", can occur secondary to a systemic disease.

AIM: This project aimed to study the prevalence of sarcopenia in chronic ambulatory stroke survivors and its associated risk factors using the two most recent diagnostic criteria.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING: A scientific laboratory.

POPULATION: Chronic stroke.

METHODS: Twenty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors (12 females; mean age=57.8±11.8 years; time after stroke=76±45 months), hand-grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured to define sarcopenia. Risk factors, including motor impairment and spasticity, were identified using regression …

Age Cutoff For Early‐Onset Parkinson's Disease:Recommendations From The International Parkinson And Movement Disorder Society Task Force On Early Onset Parkinson's Disease, Raja Mehanna, Katarzyna Smilowska, Jori Fleisher, Bart Post, Taku Hatano, Maria Elisa Pimentel Piemonte, Kishore Raj Kumar, Victor Mcconvey, Baorong Zhang, Eng-King Tan, Rodolfo Savica, International Parkinson And Movement Disorder Society Task Force On Early Onset Parkinson's Disease

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Early-onset Parkinson's disease (EOPD)/young-onset Parkinson's disease (YOPD) is defined as Parkinson's disease (PD) with an age at onset (AAO) after age 21 years but before the usual AAO for PD. Consensus is lacking, and the reported maximal age for EOPD/YOPD has varied from 40 to 60 years, leading to a lack of uniformity in published studies and difficulty in harmonization of data. EOPD and YOPD have both been used in the literature, somewhat interchangeably.

OBJECTIVE: To define the nomenclature and AAO cutoff for EOPD/YOPD.

METHODS: An extensive review of the literature and task force meetings were conducted. Conclusions were …

Aging After Stroke: How To Define Post-Stroke Sarcopenia And What Are Its Risk Factors?, Sheng Li, Javier Gonzalez-Buonomo, Jaskiran Ghuman, Xinran Huang, Aila Malik, Nuray Yozbatiran, Elaine Magat, Gerard E Francisco, Hulin Wu, Walter R Frontera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Background: Sarcopenia, generally described as "aging-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function", can occur secondary to a systemic disease.

Aim: This project aimed to study the prevalence of sarcopenia in chronic ambulatory stroke survivors and its associated risk factors using the two most recent diagnostic criteria.

Design: A cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: A scientific laboratory.

Population: Chronic stroke.

Methods: Twenty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors (12 females; mean age=57.8±11.8 years; time after stroke=76±45 months), hand-grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured to define sarcopenia. Risk factors, including motor impairment and spasticity, were identified using regression …

Wellness In The Face Of Frailty Among Older Adults In First Nations Communities, Morgan Slater, Gabrielle Bruser, Roseanne Sutherland, Melissa K Andrew, Wayne Warry, Kristen M Jacklin, Jennifer D Walker

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: First Nations people report high levels of wellness despite high rates of chronic illness. Our goal was to understand the factors associated with wellness among First Nations adults in Ontario who were considered frail.

METHODS: Using the First Nations Regional Health Survey, we created a profile of First Nations adults (aged 45+) who were categorized as "frail" (weighted sample size = 8121). We used multivariate logistic regression to determine associations between wellness (as measured by self-reported physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual balance) and determinants of health.

RESULTS: Rates of reported wellness were high among those who were frail, ranging …

Correlations Between Peripheral Levels Of Inflammatory Mediators And Frontolimbic Structures In Bipolar Disorder: An Exploratory Analysis, Satyajit Mohite, Haitham Salem, Thiago Cordeiro, Jonika Tannous, Benson Mwangi, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Jair C Soares, Marsal Sanches, Antonio L Teixeira

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Altered peripheral immune/inflammatory system and brain volumetric changes have been implicated in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD). This study aimed to evaluate how peripheral levels of cytokines are related to volumetric brain changes in euthymic patients with BD.

METHODS: Euthymic patients with BD (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 22) were enrolled in this exploratory study. Blood samples were collected on the same day of clinical assessment and neuroimaging. Cytokines were measured through cytometric bead array method. Neuroimaging data were acquired using a sagittal three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging T1-weighted fast field echo sequence and was processed …

Association Between State Regulations Supportive Of Third-Party Services And Likelihood Of Assisted Living Residents In The Us Dying In Place, Emmanuelle Belanger, Nicole Rosendaal, Joan M. Teno, David M. Dosa, Pedro L. Gozalo, Paula Carder, Kali S. Thomas

Institute on Aging Publications

Importance Older adults are increasingly residing in assisted living residences during their last year of life. The regulations guiding these residential care settings differ between and within the states in the US, resulting in diverse policies that may support residents who wish to die in place.

Objective To examine the association between state regulations and the likelihood of assisted living residents dying in place. The study hypothesis was that regulations supporting third-party services, such as hospice, increase the likelihood of assisted living residents dying in place.

Design, Setting, and Participants This retrospective cohort study combined data about assisted living residences …

Loma Linda Nurse - Vol. 30, Loma Linda University School Of Nursing

Loma Linda Nurse

FEATURES

4 | Elizabeth Bossert— Reflecting on a Journey

8 | Gloria Huerta— A Vision for Leadership

10 | Dawn Graves—First Flight

12 | The Path to Excellence

16 | Nursing Anesthesia Around the Globe

LLUSN HIGHLIGHTS

20-25 | ALUMNI NEWS

26-29 | HOMECOMING

30-33 | ACADEMICS

34-35 | FACULTY UPDATES

Aging After Stroke: How To Define Post-Stroke Sarcopenia And What Are Its Risk Factors?, Sheng Li, Javier Gonzalez-Buonomo, Jaskiran Ghuman, Xinran Huang, Aila Malik, Nuray Yozbatiran, Elaine Magat, Gerard E Francisco, Hulin Wu, Walter R Frontera

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Sarcopenia, generally described as "aging-related loss of skeletal muscle mass and function", can occur secondary to a systemic disease.

AIM: This project aimed to study the prevalence of sarcopenia in chronic ambulatory stroke survivors and its associated risk factors using the two most recent diagnostic criteria.

DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational study.

SETTING: A scientific laboratory.

POPULATION: Chronic stroke.

METHODS: Twenty-eight ambulatory chronic stroke survivors (12 females; mean age=57.8±11.8 years; time after stroke=76±45 months), hand-grip strength, gait speed, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) were measured to define sarcopenia. Risk factors, including motor impairment and spasticity, were identified using regression …

Plasma High-Density Lipoprotein Cargo Is Altered In Alzheimer's Disease And Is Associated With Regional Brain Volume, Steve Pedrini, James D. Doecke, Eugene Hone, Penghao Wang, Rohith Thota, Ashley I. Bush, Christopher C. Rowe, Vincent Dore, Victor L. Villemagne, David Ames, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Giuseppe Verdile, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Manfred R. Raida, Kevin Taddei, Sam Gandy, Colin L. Masters, Pratishtha Chatterjee, Ralph N. Martins, Aibl Research Group

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Cholesterol levels have been repeatedly linked to Alzheimer's Disease (AD), suggesting that high levels could be detrimental, but this effect is likely attributed to Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. On the other hand, High-Density Lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol levels have been associated with reduced brain amyloidosis and improved cognitive function. However, recent findings have suggested that HDL-functionality, which depends upon the HDL-cargo proteins associated with HDL, rather than HDL levels, appears to be the key factor, suggesting a quality over quantity status. In this report, we have assessed the HDL-cargo (Cholesterol, ApoA-I, ApoA-II, ApoC-I, ApoC-III, ApoD, ApoE, ApoH, ApoJ, CRP, and SAA) …

The Effect Of The Care Transitions Intervention On Ed Revisits And Outpatient Clinic Follow-Up Among Older Adults Who Live Alone, Clara V. Kuranz, Rebecca K. Green, Angela Gifford, Gwen C. Jacobsohn, Thomas V. Caprio, Amy L. Cochran, Jeremy T. Cushman, Courtney M.C. Jones, Amy J. H. Kind, Michael Lohmeier, Manish N. Shah

Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine

INTRODUCTION: Older adults frequently return to an emergency department (ED) within 30 days of an initial visit. In this study, we examined the effectiveness of an adapted Care Transitions Intervention (CTI) at reducing risk of ED revisits within 30 days for older adults who live alone. We also explored the interaction between receiving help with healthcare needs and receiving the CTI on the risk of 30-day ED revisits.

METHODS: We conducted a subgroup analysis of community-dwelling older (age≥60 years) ED patients who reported living alone as part of a randomized controlled trial of CTI effectiveness following discharge home from one …

Quantitative And Qualitative Criteria For Assessing Gait Speed In Women Aged 60–75 Years – A Pilot Study, Zbigniew Ossowski

Baltic Journal of Health and Physical Activity

Introduction: The use of the Gait Speed (GS) test in clinical practice has been documented in many scientific studies. However, there is a lack of tools to use the aforementioned test for diagnosis and follow-up of changes in the process of health training in postmenopausal women. Having considered the foregoing, the main objective of this study was to develop quantitative and qualitative criteria to assess gait speed in women aged 60–75 years. Material and methods: Sixty women aged 60–75 years participated in the study. The structure of the gait speed rating scale was based on Zaciorski's model. The data collected …

Case-By-Collaboration: An Adaptable Soft Skills-Based Educational Model For Health Disciplines, Elizabeth Gockel Blessing, Tyler A. Wood, Nicholas E. Grahovec

Internet Journal of Allied Health Sciences and Practice

Purpose: The purpose of this study was two-fold and consisted of the development of a skills-based model for Case-by-Collaboration (CBC) and the collection of qualitative data from students and teachers aimed at answering the research question: What skills do individuals (students) apply during the completion of a hypothetical medical laboratory management-based Case-by-Collaboration capstone project? Method: A consensual qualitative research design was selected for this study. Students and their instructors from three Medical Laboratory Science programs located in Texas, New York, and Missouri were recruited. Students were given a case that centers on the fictitious Cheapskate Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). The …

Does Crime Trigger Genetic Risk For Type 2 Diabetes In Young Adults? A G X E Interaction Study Using National Data, Fangqi Guo, Kathleen Mullan Harris, Jason D. Boardman, Jennifer W. Robinette

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Living in neighborhoods perceived as disordered exacerbates genetic risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D) among older adults. It is unknown whether this gene-neighborhood interaction extends to younger adults. The present study aims to investigate whether crime, an objectively measured indicator of neighborhood disorder, triggers genetic risk for T2D among younger adults, and whether this hypothesized triggering occurs through exposure to obesity.

Methods

Data were from the Wave I (2008) National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. A standardized T2D polygenic score was created using 2014 GWAS meta-analysis results. Weighted mediation analyses using generalized structural equation models were conducted …

Chronic Neuropsychiatric Sequelae Of Sars-Cov-2: Protocol And Methods From The Alzheimer's Association Global Consortium, Gabriel A. De Erausquin, Heather Snyder, Traolach S. Brugha, Sudha Seshadri, Maria Carrillo, Rajesh Sagar, Yueqin Huang, Charles Newton, Carmela Tartaglia, John Blangero, Gladys E. Maestre, Sarah Williams Blangero

School of Medicine Publications

Introduction

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) has caused >3.5 million deaths worldwide and affected >160 million people. At least twice as many have been infected but remained asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic. COVID‐19 includes central nervous system manifestations mediated by inflammation and cerebrovascular, anoxic, and/or viral neurotoxicity mechanisms. More than one third of patients with COVID‐19 develop neurologic problems during the acute phase of the illness, including loss of sense of smell or taste, seizures, and stroke. Damage or functional changes to the brain may result in chronic sequelae. The risk of incident cognitive and neuropsychiatric complications appears independent from the severity …

Dyadic Digital Health Interventions: Their Rationale And Implementation, Kelly M. Shaffer, Lindsay S. Mayberry, Emily Georgia Salivar, Brian D. Doss, Amanda M. Lewis, Kimberly Canter

Department of Pediatrics Faculty Papers

While most psychosocial and behavioral digital health interventions have been designed to be consumed by an individual, intervening at the level of a dyad – two interdependent individuals – can more comprehensively address the needs of both individuals and their relationship. The clinical utility of the dyadic digital health intervention approach, as well as the practical implementation of this design, will be demonstrated via three examples: eSCCIP, FAMS, and OurRelationship.

Racial Ethnic Disparities In Functional Limitations And Depression Symptoms During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Hui Liew

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Purpose: This study seeks to examine how the impacts of physical and mental comorbidities and functional limitations on depressive symptoms vary by the major racial ethnic groups (i.e. Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics).Methods: The empirical work of this is based on the United States using data from the 2020 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) COVID-10 Project.Results: Findings suggest that physical and mental comorbid conditions, functional limitations and depressive symptoms co-occur more commonly than expected for all racial ethnic groups. Females fare worse than males in terms of functional imitations (for all racial ethnic groups) and depressive symptoms (Whites only). Education has …

The Intersection Between Toxicology And Aging Research: A Toxic Aging Coin Perspective., John P. Wise Jr.

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

We are imminently faced with the challenges of an increasingly aging population and longer lifespans due to improved health care. Concomitantly, we are faced with ubiquitous environmental pollution linked with various health effects and age-related diseases which contribute to increased morbidity with age. Geriatric populations are rarely considered in the development of environmental regulations or in toxicology research. Today, life expectancy is often into one’s 80s or beyond, which means multiple decades living as a geriatric individual. Hence, adverse health effects and late-onset diseases might be due to environmental exposures as a geriatric, and we currently have no way of …

Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (Agacnp) Diagnostics & Psychomotor Skills Competency Verification Book, Francisco Guido-Sanz

Nursing Handouts, Tools, and Other Documents

This checklist for Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (AGACNP) skills and competencies was developed to assess, document, and verify diagnostic and psychomotor skills taught in the AGACNP curricula.

The skills checklist is divided in two sections; data collection (i.e., vital signs recording and review of systems [ROS], physical assessment) and psychomotor skills (i.e., basic wound management, musculoskeletal, general ultrasonography, airway management, hemodynamics, special procedures and others).

In addition this verification book include the rubrics for students' weekly Lab evaluation and final Lab evaluation that includes appraisal of diagnostic skills competencies and skills integration challenge.

Association Between Socioeconomic Status And Mental Health Among China’S Migrant Workers: A Moderated Mediation Model, Yubo Shao, Huang Ying, Xiaoming Li Ph.D., Lian Tong

Faculty Publications

Mental health problems are prevalent among China’s internal migrant workers. However, research on the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and mental health is insufficient. Therefore, this study, utilizing the China’s National Dynamic Monitoring Survey data from a sample of 15,997 migrant workers aged 15–59 years to explore differences in the relationship between migrants’ objective and subjective SES and mental health status in 2015. Both the mediating effect of perceived interpersonal discrimination and the moderating effect of age were examined through structural equation modeling. The results indicated that subjective SES has a stronger direct relationship with mental health than objective SES. …

Two Mental Models Of Integrated Care For Advanced Liver Disease: Qualitative Study Of Multidisciplinary Health Professionals, Jennifer Arney, Caroline Gray, Anne M Walling, Jack A Clark, Donna Smith, Jennifer Melcher, Steven Asch, Fasiha Kanwal, Aanand D Naik

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this paper is to present two divergent mental models of integrated advanced liver disease (AdvLD) care among 26 providers who treat patients with AdvLD.

SETTING: 3 geographically dispersed United States Veterans Health Administration health systems.

PARTICIPANTS: 26 professionals (20 women and 6 men) participated, including 9 (34.6%) gastroenterology, hepatology, and transplant physicians, 2 (7.7%) physician assistants, 7 (27%) nurses and nurse practitioners, 3 (11.5%) social workers and psychologists, 4 (15.4%) palliative care providers and 1 (3.8%) pharmacist.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: We conducted qualitative in-depth interviews of providers caring for patients with AdvLD. We used framework analysis …

Enhancing Grant-Writing Expertise In Build Institutions: Building Infrastructure Leading To Diversity, Robert A. Hiatt, Yazmin P. Carrasco, Alan L. Paciorek, Lauren Kaplan, Marc B. Cox, Carlos J. Crespo, Andrew Feig, Karsten Hueffer, Harris Mcferrin, Multiple Additional Authors

Community Health Faculty Publications and Presentations

Background

The lack of race/ethnic and gender diversity in grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a persistent challenge related to career advancement and the quality and relevance of health research. We describe pilot programs at nine institutions supported by the NIH-sponsored Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) program aimed at increasing diversity in biomedical research.

Methods

We collected data from the 2016–2017 Higher Education Research Institute survey of faculty and NIH progress reports for the first four years of the program (2015–2018). We then conducted descriptive analyses of data from the nine BUILD institutions that had …

Resilience: Key Factors Associated With Resilience Of Older People In Botswana, Magen Mhaka-Mutepfa, Sheila Shaibu

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

This study aims to determine key factors that predict resilience in older people. A cross-sectional design and quantitative methods were used for this study. Four districts were selected in Botswana using cluster random sampling. Data on resilience from 378 older adults aged 60 years+ [Mean Age (SD) = 71.1(9.0)] was collected using snowballing technique. Data on socio-demographics, protective and risk factors were also collected from urban and rural areas. CHAID (Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection) analysis was used to predict the strengths of the relationships among resilience and all predictor variables because the data were skewed. Five major predictor …

Adult Day Services In Maine: Benefits, Challenges, And Opportunities, Elizabeth Gattine Jd, Eileen Griffin Jd, Kimberly I. Snow Mhsa, Ba

Disability & Aging

In Maine and nationally, adult day services tend to be underfunded and underutilized compared to other types of long term services and supports (LTSS). In part, investment in adult day services is hampered by a lack of standardized data collection and limited research on issues of accessibility, cost-effectiveness, and the impact of adult day services on the broader health system. Lack of uniformity in state regulatory frameworks for licensing, program design, service delivery, and other administrative requirements further complicates cross-state comparisons. Considering these limitations, a key goal of this report is to provide a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of …

Epigenetic Grimage Acceleration And Cognitive Impairment In Bipolar Disorder, Camila N C Lima, Robert Suchting, Giselli Scaini, Valeria A Cuellar, Alexandra Del Favero-Campbell, Consuelo Walss-Bass, Jair C Soares, Joao Quevedo, Gabriel R Fries

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

Bipolar disorder (BD) has been previously associated with clinical signs of premature aging, including accelerated epigenetic aging in blood and brain, and a steeper age-related decline in cognitive function. However, the clinical drivers and cognitive correlates of epigenetic aging in BD are still unknown. We aimed to investigate the relationship between multiple measures of epigenetic aging acceleration with clinical, functioning, and cognitive outcomes in patients with BD and controls. Blood genome-wide DNA methylation levels were measured in BD patients (n = 153) and matched healthy controls (n = 50) with the Infinium MethylationEPIC BeadChip (Illumina). Epigenetic age estimates were calculated …

Disease Burden Affects Aging Brain Function, Lori L Beason-Held, Danielle Fournier, Andrea T Shafer, Elisa Fabbri, Yang An, Chiung-Wei Huang, Murat Bilgel, Dean F Wong, Luigi Ferrucci, Susan M Resnick

2020-Current year OA Pubs

BACKGROUND: Most older adults live with multiple chronic disease conditions, yet the effect of multiple diseases on brain function remains unclear.

METHODS: We examine the relationship between disease multimorbidity and brain activity using regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) 15O-water PET scans from 97 cognitively normal participants (mean baseline age 76.5) in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). Multimorbidity index scores, generated from the presence of 13 health conditions, were correlated with PET data at baseline and in longitudinal change (n = 74) over 5.05 (2.74 SD) years.

RESULTS: At baseline, voxel-based analysis showed that higher multimorbidity scores were associated …