Older Adults

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).

Falls are a leading cause of injury-related hospitalization among older women. Age-related declines in gait speed and postural stability are known risk-factors for falls. While exercise is well-known to help maintain or improve these losses, only 24.4% of older Canadian women are considered physically active. Dance can act as a fun and social way to engage older women in exercise. Line dancing in particular has been shown to improve gait speed, knee extensor strength and endurance; however high doses are needed to achieve gains. Clifford and colleagues found that program lengths of 24 hours are needed to effect change, while Merome and colleagues recommend 3 hours per week. These high training doses may not be feasible for participants or community centres who offer programming. The time to commute to classes, find parking and caregiver roles at home are all cited as barriers to physical activity. We also propose that BFR could be a novel addition to increase the physiologic strain of online dance classes, which we hypothesize have a lower intensity and thereby lead to less fitness adaptations. Online classes are of interest as they can serve to reduce barriers to physical activity often experienced by older adults in Canada. * We propose online dance classes have reduced efficacy in stimulating adaptations to gait speed, strength and endurance when compared to in-person classes. * We propose blood flow restriction (BFR) as a novel addition to dance classes in order to aid in reaching physiological overload in more efficient time-frame. BFR works by partially reducing blood flowing in and out of working muscles, thereby reducing oxygen availability, promoting anaerobic energy pathways and keeping metabolites in the muscles for a longer time period. Numerous studies have confirmed that when combined with low-intensity exercise BFR is capable of producing similar strength gains as high-intensity exercise. Additionally, BFR is safe and has been widely used among older adults and individuals with various medical conditions, including cardiovascular conditions. While the benefits of BFR for muscle strength and hypertrophy have been greatly studied, there is limited research on its effects on gait and postural stability. Additionally, there is minimal research on potential combinations of BFR with dance-based activity. * This study will examine the differences between online and in-person delivery of 90 minute line dance classes on the postural stability and gait of older females over 10-weeks. * This study will then investigate the effects of combining BFR with 10-weeks of 90 minute line dancing classes for the postural stability and gait of older females. Finally, muscle oxygenation and kinematic analysis will be conducted to help provide insight into any potential changes in gait and postural stability. The intervention will consist of 10-weeks of line dancing classes, during which half the groups will be randomized to wear elasticized BFR bands pulled tight to a 7/10 of perceived pressure. Classes will be once per week for 90 minutes and will include a warm-up, 4 pre-set choreographies and a cool down. Breaks will be provided throughout the class. Assessments will occur at pre, mid and post. Gait will be assessed during a 6-minute walk test. During the test, participants will be filmed from a sagittal view to obtain kinematics. They will also be asked to wear a heart-rate monitor and muscle oxygenation sensors on their lower limbs. Postural stability will be assessed via 30-seconds of quiet standing on force plates in conditions of eyes open, eyes closed and foam. Participants will also be asked to wear an accelerometer on their upper back during the assessment to obtain correlation to force plate data. Functional strength will be assessed using 30-second sit to stand (with a secondary timer to obtain 5 time sit to stand length) and the Calf-Raise Senior test. Dynamic balance and mobility will be evaluated using the Functional Reach Test, and the Timed Up and Go in both single and dual-tasks. Aerobic capacity will be measured using a 3 minute Step Test while the participant wears a heart-rate monitor and muscle oxygenation sensors. Finally scales of fears of falling, social connectedness, and overall mental health will be collected. It is expected that this study will have great practical implications as the accessibility of this program can provide opportunities to older adults from various remote locations to increase their levels of physical activity in a safe manner. The affordability may also aid in adoption by community health and recreation centers as an easy-to-implement program that helps to improve the postural stability and gait of older women, thereby promoting independence and quality of life.

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 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 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.

This observational study will enroll approximately 100 participants evenly split by cognitive status (Cognitively Impaired vs Non-Cognitively Impaired), and involves four clinic visits over one year (at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months), each followed by 7 days of remote monitoring to assess the long-term feasibility of PAMSys+ (Physical Activity Monitoring System).

Team Alice's Medication Safety and Empowerment Curriculum (MedSEC) helps older adults and caregivers learn how to safely manage medications. Many seniors take multiple medications, which can lead to harmful side effects or unnecessary treatments. This program, developed at the University at Buffalo, will be offered at senior centers in Western New York. It includes two interactive sessions that teach participants how to recognize medication risks and talk with their doctors about safer options. The curriculum uses videos, group discussions, and hands-on tools to build confidence and knowledge. It follows the "4Ms" of Age-Friendly Health Systems: What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility. A "Train-the-Trainer" model will help senior center staff continue the program long-term. The goal is to reduce medication harm, improve communication with healthcare providers, and support healthy aging in the community.

This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial will evaluate whether daily calcium beta-hydroxy-beta-methylbutyrate (calcium-HMB) plus vitamin D3 preserves muscle mass, physical function, and resting metabolism in adults aged 65 to 85 years with type 2 diabetes who are newly starting semaglutide as part of usual clinical care. Participants will receive calcium-HMB plus vitamin D3 or matching placebo for approximately 6 months. The primary outcome is change in appendicular lean mass measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry from baseline to month 6. Secondary assessments include body composition, muscle strength, physical performance, gait, physical activity, resting metabolic rate, metabolic measures, and whole-body quantitative computed tomography. An optional mechanistic substudy of up to 36 participants will include D3-creatine dilution, nonradioactive stable isotope infusions, repeated blood sampling, a standardized meal, breath sampling, and vastus lateralis muscle biopsies at baseline and month 6.

Falls are a common problem in adults within the age of 55-80 years and can lead to injury and loss of independence. This study is testing a new type of balance training using augmented reality (AR). In this intervention, participants will see virtual objects, such as obstacles, placed in their environment and will practice stepping over or moving around them. The system will adjust the difficulty based on each person's performance. Participants will complete training sessions over several weeks. We will measure changes in balance, walking ability, and confidence before and after the program. The goal is to see if this training can help improve balance and reduce the risk of falls in older adults.

Choose to Move (CTM) is a 3-month, choice-based health-promoting program for low active older adults being scaled-up across British Columbia (BC), Canada. Recently, the investigators adapted CTM for the \>14000 people in BC who are on surgical waitlists for total knee replacement or total hip replacement (TKR/THR) for osteoarthritis (OA). The primary goals of this observational study are to describe how the adapted program, Choose to Move Replacement Ready (CTM-RR), is implemented in BC and determine if the adapted program improves health outcomes in people with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis who are on surgical waitlists for TKR/THR. The investigators will also evaluate whether any health benefits achieved by CTM-RR participants are maintained three months after they finish the program and also during the remaining time that they wait for their TKR/THR surgery. The investigators will work with referral partners from hospitals and orthopaedic clinics in BC to recruit participants into CTM-RR. Participants who enrol in CTM-RR will answer online survey questions about the program and about their physical activity, mobility, pain, function, quality of life, willingness to undergo surgery, overall perception of their joint condition, psychosocial health, self-efficacy, social isolation, loneliness, and sedentary time. CTM-RR activity coaches will also answer online survey questions about the program. CTM-RR participants, activity coaches, and referral partners will also participate in interviews about the program.

Subjects are divided into two groups, (1) Control (Ctrl) and (2) Smart Exercise (SE) group. Participants in the Ctrl group are instructed to perform combined muscle strength and coordination exercises twice weekly, with each session lasting 30 minutes, following an exercise guide recommended by a physical therapist. Participants in the SE group perform combined muscle strength and coordination training using the Smart Exercise System twice weekly, with each session lasting 30 minutes, for 12 weeks. Physical fitness tests, coordination tests, and questionnaires are administered to participants in both groups before and after the 12-week exercise program.

Subjects are divided into two groups, (1) Control (Ctrl) and (2) Smart Exercise (SE) group. Participants in the Ctrl group are instructed to perform resistance band training twice weekly according to a paper-based exercise guide, whereas participants in the SE group are instructed to perform resistance band training twice weekly for 12 weeks using the Resistance Band Training System. The physical fitness tests and questionnaire of both groups are performed before and after the 12-week exercise program.

Delayed neurocognitive recovery is a common neurocognitive complication in older patients after surgery, especially those with preoperative neurocognitive decline. Transcranial photobiomodulation therapy is a novel neuromodulation technique using transcranial low-power light to modulate brain biological functions. This technique has been used to treat various neurological or psychiatric conditions, including ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, and major depression. This study is designed to explore whether using transcranial photobiomodulation therapy during the perioperative period can reduce the incidence of delayed neurocognitive recovery in older patients with pre-existing neurocognitive impairment.

To examine the long-term effects of the Geriatric Trauma Care Program (GTCP) regarding pain, functional disability, depression, loneliness, and health-related quality of life among older adults with traumatic injuries who live alone.

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 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.

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a novel psychosocial intervention is effective in helping adults over 50 with serious mental illness (SMI) increase their social connections and participate in more healthy lifestyle activities. The Hopeful and Healthy Living (HHL) intervention combines social skills training and training in cognitive self-management strategies in order to help older adults build healthy lifestyle and social routines. We predict that: * Individuals who participate in the HHL intervention will improve more in perceived social support (i.e., what people get from relationships such as reliance, reassurance of worth, attachment) and loneliness at the 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up assessments than those who receive treatment as usual (TAU). * Individuals who participate in the HHL intervention will improve more in overall psychosocial functioning at the 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up assessments than those who receive TAU. * Individuals who participate in the HHL intervention will improve more in cognitive functioning at the 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up assessments than those who receive TAU. * Individuals who participate in the HHL intervention will improve more in healthy behaviors (sleep, activity, diet) at the 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-up assessments than those who receive TAU. In this trial, participants will be either receive the HHL intervention or participate in their regular treatment activities (treatment as usual). HHL vs. TAU will be compared to see if there are any differences in social support, cognition, loneliness, psychosocial functioning, or healthy lifestyle activities including physical activity, sleep, and diet. Participants will be asked to complete an interview-based assessment at baseline, 4-months, 8-months, and 12-months. After completing the baseline assessment, those who are in the experimental group will participate in the 16-week long HHL group intervention.

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.

The investigators aim to conduct a randomized controlled trial to compare two symptom-management programs for Black older adults with early cognitive decline (self-reported confirmed by testing) and chronic pain. The programs are Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy with Walking (MBCT+w) and Active Living Every Day (ALED). The investigators will assess how each program may help in improving physical, cognitive, and emotional function. The investigators will also assess whether improvements in outcomes from the two programs are maintained through a 6-month follow-up.

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.

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.