Dementia

Songs from adolescence and early adulthood enhance mood and social engagement among people with dementia, according to new study

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 24 Jun 2024 21:18:46 +0000

Songs from adolescence and early adulthood enhance mood and social engagement among people with dementia, according to new study Mary Cunningham Mon, 06/24/2024 - 17:18

Around 46% of residents in U.S. nursing homes have Alzheimer's or other dementias, and 13% of them are treated with antipsychotic medications, according to the National Partnership to Improve Dementia Care in Nursing Homes.

Photo by Getty Images

Antipsychotic medications that affect a person’s mental state have been widely prescribed for people living with dementia in nursing facilities to treat their behavioral (social) and psychological (mood) symptoms, though positive results are limited, and the drugs can come with serious side effects. ��AV College of Public Health faculty are part of a growing group of researchers who are seeking therapeutic ways to improve the quality of life of these residents without medication.

New research, led by principal investigator Megumi Inoue, found that personalized music intervention is effective at reducing the use of antipsychotic and antianxiety medication, alleviating agitation levels, and enhancing mood and social engagement among residents.

Personalized playlists were developed based on family member suggestions regarding what songs, artists, and/or genres the participants listened to when they were around 15 to 25 years old, an age when more memories are available for potential recollection. Facility staff played the personalized playlists for the intervention group twice a week, aiming for at least 30 minutes each session, for four weeks. Participants in the control group continued their usual schedule during these four weeks.

Associate Professor of Social Work Megumi Inoue

“This study provides evidence that personalized music intervention can be used to manage distressing behavioral and psychological symptoms associated with dementia,” said Inoue, an associate professor in the Department of Social Work. "This low-cost, easily implementable intervention, requiring no special licensure for administration, can significantly enhance the quality of life for nursing facility residents

Overall, the intervention group experienced a decrease in average antipsychotic medication use after the intervention, and the control group, which did not receive any music, had an increase in medication use during the same time period. The observational data also revealed that this intervention can improve the mood of residents living with dementia and help them connect with others, while surveys from administrative staff and activity directors highlighted their positive views of the intervention.

“In addition to improving patients’ quality of life, this intervention can create an improved environment throughout the nursing home,” said Inoue. "For example, if personalized music helps reduce residents’ challenging symptoms, they will become easier to work with for direct care workers. In addition, the reduction of medications to treat residents’ psychological and behavioral symptoms will contribute to creating an overall safer facility because such medications have sedating effects that can cause falls."

She added, "Using the personalized music intervention may be perceived as extra work by some staff members, but ultimately, it can ease their work processes as its positive effects have indirect impacts on their work and facility environment."

“A Personalized Music Intervention in Nursing Home Residents Living With Dementia: Findings From a Randomized Study” was published online in the Journal for Applied Gerontology in June 2024. This research was supported by a Civil Money Penalty (CMP) Fund from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services through the Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services.

Additional authors include Emily S. Ihara, Catherine J. Tompkins, Shannon Layman, Sarah Nosrat, Morgan Moore, and Kimberly A. McNally from George Mason’s College of Public Health; Meng-Hao Li from George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government; Samreen Mehak from George Mason’s Department of Biology; George Mason alumna Kendall Barrett from Wise Mind Psychotherapy; and Catherine Magee from Paving the Way MSI.

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Megumi Inoue, PhD

Mason CARES intervention reduces stress and feelings of burden of family caregivers of older adults with dementia

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 29 May 2024 15:50:53 +0000

Mason CARES intervention reduces stress and feelings of burden of family caregivers of older adults with dementia Mary Cunningham Wed, 05/29/2024 - 11:50

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Dr. Cathy Tompkins

Gilbert Gimm, PhD

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of those living with dementia receive informal care from family members or friends. This equates to 16 million family caregivers in the U.S. However, caring for family members with dementia is often associated with increased caregiver burden (which includes emotional, physical, and financial strain), stress, and worse physical health for the caregiver.

Catherine Tompkins, principal investigator, professor of social work, and associate dean of faculty and staff affairs in the College of Public Health.

A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Gerontology, led by ��AV researchers, found that a 9-week online stress management intervention program for family caregivers reduced burden scores by 15% for 97 family caregivers of older adults living with dementia. The Stress-Busting Program for Family Caregivers TM, intervention was specifically designed to help family caregivers manage their own stress when caring for older adults living with dementia or a chronic illness

“In this study, we found evidence of a range in average caregiver burden levels based on the dementia severity category of care recipients. The findings show that an online Zoom intervention in a peer group setting can be beneficial for family caregivers of older adults with mild, moderate, or severe dementia,” said Catherine Tompkins, principal investigator, professor of social work, and associate dean of faculty and staff affairs in the College of Public Health.

The intervention provided family caregivers with education and strategies to manage stress when caring for someone living with dementia. Examples of self-care techniques included breathing and meditation; troubleshooting behaviors associated with dementia; and peer-to-peer support within a virtual group setting.

Associate Professor Gilbert Gimm

“Reducing caregiver burden and managing stress are critical to the well-being of families. These findings show that effective stress management interventions for family caregivers can be facilitated through online peer groups,” said Gilbert Gimm, first author and associate professor of health administration and policy.

“Mason Caregivers Aiming for Resilience, Empowerment, and Support Study: Assessing Family Caregiver Burden Post-Intervention” was published online in April 2024. Co-authors include George Mason Associate Professor Megumi Inoue, Professor Emily Ihara, Mason CARES Project Manager Shannon Layman, and Master of Social Work alumna graduate Harveen Pantleay. This study was supported by a grant (#2021048) from the Retirement Research Foundation (RRF).

The study is part of a larger project, entitled Mason CARES (Caregivers Aiming for Resilience, Empowerment, and Support), that implemented and assessed interventions for family caregivers.

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Innovate for Good: Mason Professor continues study of social media intervention for Chinese American caregivers with grant from NIH National Institute on Aging

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:20:01 +0000

Innovate for Good: Mason Professor continues study of social media intervention for Chinese American caregivers with grant from NIH National Institute on Aging Mary Cunningham Fri, 09/01/2023 - 11:20

As Baby Boomer generation continues to age, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) is increasing. Today, more than six million Americans are living with dementia. Family caregivers of people living with ADRD experience high levels of psychosocial distress, and many of the caregivers themselves are older adults themselves. There is a lack of support for these family caregivers, and Chinese American caregivers face additional challenges in caregiving and self-care due to their immigrant and minority status.

Professor in ��AV's College of Public Health Y. Alicia Hong received a one-year $115,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health—National Institute of Aging Emory Roybal Center to expand her study of a social media intervention for Chinese American caregivers of people with dementia. The interprofessional team will test the Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) intervention program, an app-based personalized behavior intervention, to improve their confidence in caregiving and reduce social-emotional distress.

“Caring for a family member or loved one with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) is challenging and stressful, caregivers often experience negative health outcomes as a result. As American population becomes older and more diverse, more support is needed for family caregivers, but interventions for racial minority caregivers have been limited. WECARE is designed for Chinese American dementia caregivers to enhance their caregiving skills, reduce stress, and improve well-being,” said Hong, the principal investigator.

With a 2021 seed grant from Virginia Center for Aging, Hong and her team first developed the WECARE protocol, which was published in JMIR Aging in June 2022. From there, the team piloted the protocol with 24 Chinese American dementia caregivers. The results from the pilot were published in JMIR Aging in April 2023.

The pilot study indicated WECARE is feasible, acceptable, and effective as a culturally tailored intervention via a social media app. Study participants reported that using the app reduced depressive symptoms and caregivers’ burden. This study informs future research on digital interventions to support dementia caregivers, especially underserved minority caregivers.

Using funding from the National Institute of Aging grant, the team will add more personalized features to WECARE and test it with a larger sample size of participants. Caregivers will learn to apply problem-solving strategies, which can boost self-efficacy and master of caregiving, leading to positive health outcomes for themselves and those they care for. The program will include personalized feedback to reinforce learning, social networking to enhance social support, and location-specific resources.

The research team includes Pramita Bagchi in Mason’s Department of of Statistics and Jessica Lin in Mason’s Department of Computer Science. Additional consultants on the project include Van Ta Park at the University of California San Francisco School of Nursing, Hae-Ra Han at Johns Hopkins University, and Kate Lu from the Chinese Culture and Community Service Center.

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how Mason faculty in the College of Public Health are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes. If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

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Y. Alicia Hong, PhD

Jessica Lin

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In the George

Mason researchers develop first social media intervention for Chinese American dementia caregivers

Mary Cunningham — Wed, 02 Nov 2022 14:06:40 +0000

Mason researchers develop first social media intervention for Chinese American dementia caregivers Mary Cunningham Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:06

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Y. Alicia Hong, PhD

Led by Alicia Hong, professor of Health Administration and Policy, the interdisciplinary team developed a culturally-tailored WeChat wellness program to improve caregiver skills and reduce their stress.

More than 6 million Americans aged 65 years and older are living with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias (ADRD). More than 11 million family caregivers of ADRD provide an estimated 15.3 billion hours of unpaid care valued at $255.7 billion a year. Family caregivers of ADRD experience high rates of psychosocial distress and negative health outcomes. Minority and immigrant family caregivers face additional barriers; however, few culturally tailored mobile health (mHealth) were designed for these populations.

To address this public health need, ��AV researcher Alicia Hong, professor of Health Administration and Policy, led a multidisciplinary research team to develop Wellness Enhancement for Caregivers (WECARE) program to improve caregiving skills, reduce distress, and improve psychosocial well-being of underserved Chinese American family caregivers of ADRD. The protocol development of WECARE was recently published on JMIR Aging. To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, this is the first culturally tailored social media-based interventions for Chinese American dementia caregivers.

According to Hong, several cultural factors can influence caregivers’ experience. Chinese American family caregivers tend to keep problems within the family and do not seek external help because of the stigma associated with dementia and their cultural value of “saving the face.” The isolation is exacerbated by their minority and immigrant status, and those without English proficiency are further marginalized. Caregivers have limited knowledge and use of formal care and support services; they are also disconnected from “mainstream” dementia support groups due to language and cultural barriers.

“We developed this wellness program for Chinese American caregivers with the specific barriers they face in mind. We wanted them to see themselves in the program and get the most out of it to help them and the family member they care for. We hope more mHealth interventions can be developed for immigrant and minority caregivers,” said Hong.

WECARE is a seven-week mHealth program delivered via WeChat, a social media app popular among Chinese Americans. By subscribing to the WECARE official account, users can receive multiple interactive multimedia articles pushed to their WeChat accounts each week. Users also have the option of joining group chats for peer support.

Other team members of WECARE include Kang Shen, a recent Mason graduate from the Health Informatics master’s program; Kate Lu and Hsiaoyin Chen from Chinese Culture and Community Center, Inc; Yang Gong of University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Biomedical Informatics; Van Ta Park of University of California San Francisco School of Nursing; and Hae-Ra Han of Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing.

The team is currently testing the feasibility and effectiveness of WECARE. The study was funded by Virginia Center for Aging Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award Fund. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of ��AV.

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Innovate for Good: Multidisciplinary Research Explores Wearable and Music Technologies to Support Cognitive Impairment

Mary Cunningham — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 18:27:17 +0000

Innovate for Good: Multidisciplinary Research Explores Wearable and Music Technologies to Support Cognitive Impairment Mary Cunningham Fri, 07/22/2022 - 14:27

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Emily Ihara, PhD, MSW, FGSA

Megumi Inoue, PhD

Mason’s Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA) aims to connect Mason’s world class research community with other communities to engage in cutting edge work to shape the future of our digital society, promoting equality, wellbeing, security and prosperity.

Several Department of Social Work faculty were awarded 2021 IDIA seed grants, which are for projects that focus on what’s known as disruptive digital innovation, aimed at helping organizations reduce costs, improve services, or bring about a paradigm shift.

The next part of our Innovate for Good series explores how College of Health and Human Services faculty are expanding research on dementia and palliative care.

Improving Dementia Care with Wearable Technologies

Emily S. Ihara, chair of the Department of Social Work

Building off a successful research project called the Music and Memory initiative, a multidisciplinary team of Mason faculty members is collecting physiological data points to determine what happens to the body when those with dementia hear certain types of music.

Known as “Smart Music Intervention Program for Older Adults with Cognitive Impairment: A Protocol Development,” the project will develop a wearable technology device to measure things like heart rate and skin temperature in dementia patients.

The team is comprised of Emily S. Ihara, chair of the Department of Social Work; Megumi Inoue, associate professor in the Department of Social Work; Cathy Tompkins, professor in the Department of Social Work; Y. Alicia Hong in the Department of Health Policy and Administration; plus Parth Pathak and Huzefa Rangwala in the Department of Computer Science.

“The goal of this project is to develop an easily accessible, automatic, personalized digital music intervention program for older adults living with cognitive impairment,” said Ihara. “We already know that personalized music has been shown to decrease negative psychological and behavioral symptoms for individuals living with cognitive impairment.”

“Nursing homes and long-term care organizations are implementing this nonpharmacological and affordable intervention both nationally and internationally,” said Ihara. But what’s next?

Given the benefits of personalized music for individuals living with dementia, development of a wearable device will give researchers some hard data on how listening to music can physically impact a person’s body.

“Our data thus far is observational,” said Ihara. “We see that patients are humming or smiling or rocking to the music. But we want to see what to see what’s going on inside—and we have the technology now to collect that information,” she said.

Through the prototype development process, the research team will triangulate the physiological, observational, and self-reported effects of personalized music for individuals living with dementia. This will inform how to further digitize the intervention, allowing for scale-up in a large randomized clinical trial.

Understanding and Combating Misconceptions about Palliative Care Using Artificial Intelligence

Megumi Inoue, associate professor in the Department of Social Work

On the surface, machine learning and big data may not seem to play an important role in palliative care. Megumi Inoue, associate professor in the Department of Social Work, is quick to correct misconceptions about palliative care, pointing out that the term “palliative care” does not necessarily mean end-of-life care.

“Palliative care is about symptom management,” said Inoue. “One of the misconceptions about palliative care is that it’s the same as hospice care. But that’s not true—with palliative care, anyone can use it.”

With such pervasive misinformation about palliative care, Inoue made it her mission to address these misconceptions. And what better way than to go the source of many of these misnomers—the internet.

Inoue is working with an interdisciplinary team: Mahdi Hashemi from Mason’s College of Engineering and Computing, Naoru Koizumi and Rajendra Kulkarni from Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government, Denise Mohess from Inova Fairfax Hospital, and Matthew Kestenbaum from Capital Caring Health.

The team received a 2021 seed grant from Mason’s Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA) for their project “Understanding the Impact of Misinformation on Palliative Care Demand Using Machine Learning and Qualitative Methods.”

The project will apply a methodology used mainly in the field of computer science to see what type of misinformation exists about palliative care online. They will use artificial intelligence (AI) information mining to scour the internet, including Twitter and Google, to see what is being said about palliative care.

“The impact of social media is huge,” she said “It’s a new data source for us and its reach is very important.”

Once the team goes through the data, the next step will be to conduct interviews and focus groups to further understand how misinformation about palliative care is heard and spread. The team’s goal is to help healthcare organizations strategically communicate about the benefits of palliative care to work with patients and their families more effectively.

“Palliative care is one of the fastest-growing medical specialties in health care,” said Inoue. “It saves money by reducing unnecessary treatment and it also provides comfort to patients.”

“At the same time, palliative care faces various challenges including misconceptions among the general public, a lack of awareness of its benefits, and limited and sporadic access and coverage by insurance companies,” Inoue said. She hopes her research can change this for the better.

Innovate for Good is an ongoing series that examines how Mason faculty in the College of Health and Human Services are harnessing technology to improve health outcomes.

If you have stories to share as part of the Innovate for Good series, email Mary Cunningham at mcunni7@gmu.edu.

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Institute for Digital InnovAtion (IDIA)

Tech Talent Investment Pipeline (TTIP)

TTIP

Tech Talent Investment Program

Dementia

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