Premium
P1‐414: Promoting Adoption of Brain Healthy Eating Patterns: A Pilot Study Using Problem‐Solving Training
Author(s) -
Dawson Deirdre,
Parrott Matthew D.,
Marzolini Susan,
Ajwani Fatim,
Ricupero Maria,
Atlas Barbara
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.1166
Subject(s) - thematic analysis , cognition , cognitive decline , clarity , context (archaeology) , psychology , cognitive training , intervention (counseling) , qualitative research , medicine , disease , gerontology , dementia , psychiatry , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , paleontology , pathology , sociology , biology
Background: “Mental disorders” along aging constitute a clinical picture including mild cognitive impairment associated with some psychiatric symptoms. These disorders are affected by the lifestyle (diet, active aging, social inclusion, no substance abuse). In the Italian Smart Health 2.0 Project, we deployed the first ICT telemonitoring platform (SMARTAGING) for the prevention of mental disorders and Alzheimer’s disease. Methods: SMARTAGING includes the following ICT cloud-based telemonitoring tools (Figure. 1): 1) Educational material promoting healthy lifestyle and active aging; 2) Unobtrusive daily control of the lifestyle (i.e. diet, physical activity, socio-affective inclusion, smoking), basic physiological parameters (weight, blood pressure, temperature), and cognitive training at subjects’ home; 3) Point of care for the extraction of blood biomarkers of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular-pulmonary risk factors in the proximity of subjects’ home (i. e. Pharmacy); and 4) Weekly automatic, personalized feedback on the telemonitored variables and encouragement to the healthy lifestyle (i.e. a customized document with simple explanations and graphics). This platform was designed by Italian Telecom (www.telecomitalia.com) and is scalable to large populations worldwide. A clinical proof of concept was performed for 16 weeks in 10 seniors (5 being oncological long-survivors) with age of 67.7 ys. (61-77), education of 14.4 ys. (10-25), and Mini-mental state evaluation score of 27.7 (25.2-30). Results: Needs and requirements. All subjects expressed the need of education and assistance on the healthy lifestyle even by self-monitoring home programs. Most subjects (87.5%) expressed preference for ICT-based home over institutional programs to improve the lifestyle. Usability, Satisfaction, and Impact. All subjects scored >8 (0 min-10 max) on simplicity, clarity, adequacy, and satisfaction with the use of SMARTAGING. Furthermore, they reported a positive impact on their quality of life, and asked to continue the trial. Overall, more than 6,000 telemonitoring data were acquired. Conclusions: SMARTAGING fits seniors’ needs to improve their healthy lifestyle, and is perceived as simple and efficient. These results encourage the transfer of this platform in larger and longer clinical trials for the education and telemonitoring of the lifestyle in seniors for the prevention of mental disorders and Alzheimers’ disease.