bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MEASURING SOCIAL ISOLATION AMONG OLDER ADULTS WITH DEMENTIA: TRENDS, CHALLENGES, AND NEXT STEPS
Authors: Pomeroy Mary Louise , Umoh Mfon , Qian Yiqing , Ornstein Katherine , Cudjoe Thomas
Published: January 2025

A growing body of literature demonstrates a strong association between social isolation and the risk of incident dementia. However, research examining objective social isolation among persons living with dementia (PLWD) has been limited. The behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia may reduce social connection. Research that uses population-based, national surveys to examine this issue among PLWD must consider missing data and proxy interview responses. We report new evidence on the prevalence of social isolation among a national sample of community-dwelling PLWD and offer strategies to attenuate missing proxy data. Using 2015 data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study and a multi-domain measure of social isolation that considers living arrangement, core discussion network size, religious attendance, and social participation, we identified that 41.3% (n=313/757) of interviews with PLWD were completed using a proxy respondent. In proxy interviews, one of the four social isolation items is not asked. We classified social isolation status when a sum score based on the three remaining items equaled 0 (socially isolated; n=19/313) or 2 or 3 (not socially isolated, n=99/313). This strategy resolved 37.7% (n=118/313) of the missing proxy data and reduced missing social isolation data across PLWD to 26.0% (197/757). About 32.1% (n=180/560) of PLWD were socially isolated, irrespective of proxy status. Social isolation was more prevalent among PLWD who completed the interview with no proxy (36.4%; n=161/442) compared to those with a proxy (16.1%; n=19/118) (X2(1)=17.6; p<.001). Future work should consider imputation strategies when assessing social isolation in PLWD using proxy interviews.
MITOCHONDRIA, METABOLISM, AND GLUTATHIONE AS MEDIATORS OF COGNITIVE DECLINE IN AGING AND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Authors: Sekhar Rajagopal , Taffet George
Published: January 2025

Aging is the most important risk factor for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and age-related cognitive decline (ACD) is widely prevalent in older adults (OA). However, the mechanistic underpinnings of cognitive impairment in aging and AD remain poorly understood, and are a high-priority research focus toward finding solutions. Of all organs of the body, the brain requires a maximal amount of energy which is generated by mitochondria. Interruptions in energy availability could be critical to cognitive impairment in both ACD and AD. In parallel, defects in metabolism (glutathione/redox metabolism, glucose metabolism, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction) are also implicated as contributors to cognitive impairment. This symposium will discuss novel mechanistic underpinnings of cognitive decline in terms of glutathione deficiency, mitochondrial dysfunction and abnormalities in metabolism, discuss a novel intervention to reverse these defects in aging, and its applicability in AD. The symposium re will begin with a talk by Dr. Mahapatra on impaired mitochondrial energetics in patients with AD. Then Dr. Kumar will discuss cognitive decline in old mice and link it to underlying brain brain defects in glucose metabolism, mitochondrial impairment and glutathione deficiency, and present data on successfully reversing these defects with GlyNAC supplementation. Dr. Sekhar will discuss translation of GlyNAC supplementation to ACD and present results from a human trial showing improvements in cognition, glutathione deficiency, and novel defects in metabolism and mitochondria. As Discussant, Dr. Taffet will present data from 91 humans showing that glutathione deficiency as a key, novel defect in AD, and discuss symposium presentations.
BRAIN GLUTATHIONE, MITOCHONDRIA, GLUCOSE METABOLISM, AND COGNITION IN AGED MICE: IMPACT OF GLYNAC SUPPLEMENTATION
Authors: Kumar Premranjan , Osahon Ob , Sekhar Rajagopal
Published: January 2025

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) remains unsolved, and is associated with brain defects including mitochondrial dysfunction, impaired glucose uptake, inflammation, and glutathione deficiency. These defects also occur in ‘age-related cognitive decline’ (ACD). Mouse models have been developed to study AD, however because mice do not develop AD naturally, these models are artificial as defects are induced in mice. To understand the mechanistic basis of cognitive decline in aging, it is important to investigate naturally-occurring defects directly in the brain, and this is only possible in animal models because performing brain biopsies in humans is not practical. To overcome these challenges, we studied mitochondrial function, glucose uptake, inflammation, redox status, genomic damage and neurotropic factors directly in the brains of old-mice (OM, 98-weeks) and young-mice (YM, 28-weeks), and also measured their cognitive performance (via maze-running). Compared to YM, the cognitively impaired OM had the severe defects in the brain: (a) lower glutathione concentrations; (b) elevated oxidative stress; (c) abnormal immunoblot expressions of: lower GLUT1 and GLUT3 (transporters regulating glucose uptake); lower PGC1a; electron-chain complexes and ATP5A (mitochondrial dysfunction); lower LC3A/B and PINK1 (autophagy/mitophagy); higher TSPO (inflammation), higher pH2AX (genomic damage), and lower BDNF, GDNF and NGF (neurotropic factors); (d) impaired mitochondrial respiration (respirometry); (e) impaired cognition (maze-time). After 8-weeks of supplementing GlyNAC (combination of glutathione precursors glycine and N-acetylcysteine), all defects improved/corrected in the brains of OM, and cognitive performance improved significantly. Study findings suggest that correcting glutathione deficiency could be important for improving brain health and cognition in ACD and in AD.
IMPROVING GLUTATHIONE, MITOCHONDRIA, INFLAMMATION, AND COGNITIVE DECLINE: A PILOT CLINICAL TRIAL OF GLYNAC IN AGING
Authors: Sekhar Rajagopal , Kumar Premranjan , Liu Chun , Hsu Jean , Shaji Chacko , Farook Jahoor , Charles Minard
Published: January 2025

Although aging is associated with cognitive decline, mechanisms contributing to ‘age-related cognitive decline’ (ACD) are not well understood. Aging is associated with glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, insulin resistance and endothelial function (many of these identified as aging hallmarks and are key defects in Geroscience), and these defects could compromise lead to cognitive impairment. Based on prior translational studies in aging where we found evidence that supplementing GlyNAC (combination of glutathione precursors glycine and N-acetylcysteine) could improve glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction and glucose tolerance, we conducted a 36-week pilot human clinical trial comparing young-adults (YA) and older-adults (OA). We found that compared to YA, OA had evidence of cognitive decline together with glutathione deficiency, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, insulin resistance and endothelial dysfunction and deficiency of BDNF (brain-derived neurotropic factor). Supplementing GlyNAC for 24-weeks reversed these defects and improved cognition, but stopping GlyNAC for 12-weeks led to redevelopment of these defects. Using tracer methodologies we also identified a novel ‘brain glucose steal’ phenomenon wherein, due to mitochondrial impairment, non-brain organs were found to be utilizing glucose intended for the brain, and GlyNAC supplementation led to reversal of the ‘brain glucose steal’ phenomenon. Collectively, the findings from this trial provide proof-of-concept supporting GlyNAC supplementation in OA to improve multiple mechanistic defects related to cognitive impairment, and thereby also cognitive function and brain health. As many of these defects also occur in human Alzheimer’s disease (AD), these findings also have implications for improving brain health in AD.
GLUTATHIONE DEFICIENCY AS A NOVEL RISK FACTOR FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE: IMPLICATIONS FOR GLYNAC SUPPLEMENTATION
Authors: Taffet George , Kumar Premranjan , Osahon Ob , Onyechi Chimaoge , Minard Charles , Masdeu Joseph , Sekhar Rajagopal
Published: January 2025

Cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is linked to defects such as oxidative stress (OxS), mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation and insulin resistance. These defects also occur in aging where they are linked to deficiency of the intracellular antioxidant glutathione. We recently reported that GSH deficiency was present in the brains of cognitively-impaired aged mice, and that both glutathione deficiency and cognition improved after supplementation with GlyNAC (combination of glutathione precursors glycine and N-acetylcysteine). We hypothesized that patients with AD with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) would have greater glutathione deficiency than older-adults (OA), and tested our hypothesis by comparing intracellular red-blood cell glutathione concentrations in young-adults (YA), OA without cognitive impairment, and patients with AD+MCI (AD-MCI). Red-blood cell total glutathione (tGSH), reduced GSH (rGSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations from 32 AD-MCI patients in an ongoing randomized clinical trial were compared to historical data from 32 OA and 19 YA from our published studies to determine whether, and to what extent glutathione levels are deficient in AD-MCI. We found that YA had the highest levels of tGSH and rGSH, followed by OA and the lowest levels were seen in AD-MCI. GSSG levels were also significantly lower in AD-MCI compared to OA and YA. These data indicate that AD-MCI is associated with severe glutathione deficiency. Because GlyNAC improves/corrects glutathione deficiency, (a potential key defect in AD), a randomized clinical trial is in progress to test whether GlyNAC supplementation can improve glutathione deficiency, metabolic and mitochondrial defects, and cognitive function in patients with AD-MCI.
RESPONDERS AND NONRESPONDERS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS TO TRANSCRANIAL DIRECT CURRENT STIMULATION
Authors: Park Juyoung , Tong Heling , Kang Yixin , Miao Hongyu , Ahn Hyochol
Published: January 2025

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), a common musculoskeletal condition in older adults, often leads to long-term disability. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has received much attention as a noninvasive treatment for knee pain due to its neuromodulatory effect. However, there is variability in the response to tDCS among KOA patients, and little is known about the factors predicting response to tDCS for knee pain. The purpose of the study was to identify responders and nonresponders to the tDCS intervention and characterize their differences in knee pain reduction post intervention. Sixty participants assigned to the home-based active tDCS (five 20-minute sessions of 2 mA direct current), under real-time supervision by the research staff, were included; 41 were classified as responders (64.90 years, 41.50% White, 61.00% women) and 19 were classified as nonresponders (66.21 years, 47.40% White, 78.90% women). Changes in pain intensity scores from baseline to post intervention indicated more significant decreases in responders than in nonresponders (p <.001); the mean decrease in pain intensity from baseline to post intervention was 34.17 (SD = 17.40) for the responder group and 2.26 (SD = 10.70) for the nonresponder group. The responder group showed higher BMI, height, and weight than the nonresponder group. The results indicated that responder and nonresponder groups and their treatment outcomes can be predicted for tailoring tDCS interventions. More research is needed to identify reasons for nonresponse to tDCS (e.g., medical comorbidities) to reduce nonresponse rates to tDCS.
POLICY SERIES: TECHNOLOGY IN AGING: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Authors: Perone Angela , Lindberg Brian
Published: January 2025

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is increasingly being used in aging research and gerontological education to analyze vast amounts of data and identify patterns that may offer insights into aging across the life course. By utilizing AI algorithms, researchers, practitioners, and educators can more efficiently study factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and social and environmental influences that contribute to aging. Machine learning techniques may also help predict the onset of age-related diseases and potential interventions. The incorporation of AI in aging research and gerontological education has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of aging and improve the quality of life for older people. Yet, it is not without ethical dilemmas that have sparked increased policy focus in recent months. This interactive session, organized by the GSA Public Policy Advisory Panel, is an interdisciplinary discussion addressing the use of AI in aging research and gerontological education and the related public policy implications. The panelists represent the six sections of GSA: ESPO, BS, BSS, SRPP, HS, and AGHE, along with the Minority Issues in Aging Advisory Panel and the Humanities, Arts, and Culture Gerontology Advisory Panel.
ENHANCING GERONTOLOGY EDUCATION: AN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Authors: Sterns Harvey
Published: January 2025

Beginning in 1972 with support from the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Ad Hoc Committee on Development of Gerontology Resources was formed to mobilize gerontological resources in response to the Administration on Aging’s proposal for the establishment and funding of regional gerontology centers. A major aspect of this initiative was to provide educational opportunities at all levels. This effort was based on the anticipated need for personnel to serve the present and future number of older adults. The work of this committee led to the formation of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) with a formal affiliation with the Gerontological Society in 1973. Programs were supported by AoA to develop undergraduate and graduate certificates with degrees in disciplines related to aging; associate, bachelor, and master’s degrees in Gerontology; and minors in Gerontology. This early funding played an important role in colleges and universities developing programs in gerontology education. Over the last 50 years, important work has been done to optimize the development of gerontology education, including the AGHE Standards and Guidelines and the AGHE Gerontology Competencies for Undergraduate and Graduate Education that serve as the basis for accrediting gerontology degree programs through the Accreditation for Gerontology Education Council. The need for gerontology education programs is even greater today given the shortage of personnel in all areas of gerontological services. However, the number of programs has grown slowly with increasing concern about how to maintain support for existing programs and find new funding to develop new programs.
THE CURRENT STATUS OF ACADEMIC GERONTOLOGY PROGRAMS IN THE US
Authors: Sugar Judith
Published: January 2025

With the growing population of older people in the U.S., it is more important than ever to increase the number of well-educated gerontology professionals. It is no surprise to GSA members that America’s aging population is projected to grow by leaps and bounds over the next several decades—reaching 82 million by 2050. Yet, the number of academic gerontology programs, and hence graduates from those programs, have not been keeping pace with the need for professionals with knowledge and skills in gerontology. This presentation uses recently compiled data to demonstrate that we are falling behind in our ability to educate a workforce competent to provide services for older people and their loved ones, and to positively impact older adults’ quality of life and their ability to make valuable contributions to our society. When compared with data from 20 years ago, we have had virtually no change in the number of associate, baccalaureate, or master’s degree programs, nor in the aggregated number (all levels) of certificates. The only category in which growth has occurred is in the number of undergraduate minors. The numbers, the needs for services, and the prospects for providing products and services for older adults and their loved ones offer more possibilities than ever before for professionals who are well-educated in Gerontology. It is time to re-energize the field of Gerontology to strengthen and grow our academic programs and recruit more students to take advantage of the opportunities and meet the challenges of our aging population.
HOW INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS DEFINE ADVANCE CARE PLANNING: A CONTENT ANALYSIS
Authors: van der Steen Jenny , de Wit Emma , Visser Mandy , Nakanishi Miharu , Van den Block Lieve , Korfage Ida , Der Schmitten Jürgen In , Sudore Rebecca
Published: January 2025

Planning for future medical care, referred to as Advance Care Planning (ACP), has evolved to a focus on conversations that explore values and preferences in a broad sense. It is unclear how this conceptualization has been adopted internationally, given diverse practices. Therefore, we examined how experts from across the globe define ACP and whether this differs by profession. In an explorative study embedded in a Delphi study on ACP in dementia, experts in ACP in persons with dementia and other diseases reported at baseline how they define ACP “in one sentence, off the top of your head.” We analyzed reported definitions with content analysis, created codes to identify definition elements, then merged them into categories. Almost half (45%) of 87 experts from 30 countries phrased ACP from a patient perspective (29% neutral, 26% professional). Codes (131) were merged into 19 categories. Five categories appeared in more than half of the definitions: ‘Choosing between options’, ‘Care and treatment’, ‘Planning for the future’, ‘Individual person’ and ‘Having conversations.’ ‘End of life’ and ‘Documenting’ were mentioned by a minority of experts. The definition of categories and perspectives did not appreciably differ between physicians and other professions. In conclusion, international experts from 30 countries typically defined ACP as person-centered conversations to choose future care and treatment, without focusing on end of life or documentation. Future research should evaluate the extent to which such conceptualization of ACP is present within clinical programs and practice recommendations and monitor changes over time.
MODERATING ROLE OF NEIGHBORHOOD CHARACTERISTICS ON INTRINSIC CAPACITY AND FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS
Authors: Liu Minhui , Wang Shuomin , Zhang Ruiqi , Li Qianyuan , Peng Wenting , He Haiyan , Chen Zijing , Huang Chongmei
Published: January 2025

The construct of intrinsic capacity (IC) provides a new approach to health aging. According to the ecological theory of aging, neighborhood characteristics might have important implications for functional ability. However, the potential moderating effect of perceived neighborhood characteristics on IC and functional limitations remained unknown. Using data from Round 5 of the National Health and Aging Trend Study, our sample included 7,494 community-dwelling older adults. The IC score was generated with a 2-parameter logistic Item response theory (IRT) model, using 14 dichotomous indicators covering 5 domains of capacity: cognition, locomotion, sensory function, vitality, and psychological well-being. Functional limitations were assessed by mobility, self-care, and household activities using three four-category hierarchal scales. We used negative binomial regression models to examine the association between IC and functional limitations and the moderating role of perceived neighborhood characteristics (physical disorder and social cohesion). IRT model converged successfully with a good fit (RMSEA =0.052, TLI = 0.927, CFI = 0.939), and higher IC scores were associated with less functional limitations (Mobility: Prevalence risk ratio [PRR] = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.91-0.92; Self-care: PRR = 0.93, 95% CI: 0.93-0.94; Household: PRR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.91-0.92). Neighborhood characteristics play a moderating role between IC and functional limitations. Specifically, self-care limitations were associated with IC × physical disorder (Coef.= -0.011, p= 0.021), and household limitations were associated with IC × social cohesion (Coef.= -0.013, p= 0.037). Future research is needed to incorporate neighborhood factors into targeted interventions on the IC to maintain independent living among older adults.
THE ASSOCIATION OF AN ONLINE NATURE-BASED ASSISTED LIVING GROUP ACTIVITY PROGRAM AND RESIDENTS’ SOCIAL NETWORKS
Authors: Mauldin Rebecca , Baek Jihye , Anderson Keith , Westmore Megan , Tulloh Anna
Published: January 2025

Assisted living (AL) residents may face a risk for social isolation related to high rates of disability, compromised social networks due to relocation, and segregation from their broader communities. Many AL communities offer opportunities for residents to connect with one another through shared meals, common areas, and group activities. Since COVID-19, online content is increasingly used in AL for economical and quarantine-resistant group activity content. We present findings from a mixed method study investigating changes in residents’ social networks associated with RASCALS: Reinforcing and Advancing Social Connectedness in Assisted Living. RASCALs is a group activity program that delivers and engages with content from online nature-focused livestreaming platforms. We presented Days at Dunrovin (livestreams, broadcasts, and videos from a ranch in Montana) twice a week for three months. Using a roster of resident names (N = 58), social networks (i.e., socializing partners and confidants) were assessed pre- and post-test. The number of socializing partners in the social networks in the assisted living buildings that received RASCALs programming increased during the quasi-experiment, while those in the comparison groups remained the same. There were no increases in the confidant networks of either group. In qualitative interviews, residents reported that RASCALs provided conversation topics and allowed residents to engage in increased small talk but did not foster close relationships with other residents. Findings indicate online nature-based group activities such as RASCALs may facilitate weak ties and socializing partners, relationships which have been associated with increased well-being, among assisted living residents.
IMPACT OF SOCIAL SUPPORT AND LIVING ARRANGEMENT ON CAREGIVERS: ADDRESSING LONELINESS THROUGH A SUPPORTIVE NETWORK
Authors: Garrison Brianna
Published: January 2025

This presentation aims to examine the relationship between caregiver of persons living with dementia’s loneliness, living arrangement, and social support. Chronic progressive diseases like dementia can be risk factors for loneliness and social isolation (National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, & Medicine, 2020). Caregivers of persons living with dementia are at greater risk of loneliness throughout the trajectory of their caregiving role (Adams, 2008; Moyle et al., 2011). Living arrangement is a social environment factor shown to impact loneliness in those living with dementia (Cohen-Mansfield et al., 2015; Shiells et al., 2019), but a dearth of literature exists exploring the effects on the caregiver. Lack of quality social support can influence the experience of loneliness of both caregivers and persons living with dementia (Chatters et al., 2018; Cohen-Mansfield et al., 2016; Pinquart & Sorenson, 2001). This mixed methods study of caregivers of persons living with dementia (N = 158) explored the impact of living arrangement on the loneliness of the caregiver and how social support may impact the relationship between these two variables. This study found social support is a significant predictor of reducing loneliness among caregivers for persons living with dementia in all living arrangements. In the qualitative interviews (N = 22), caregivers reported social support impacted their loneliness throughout their care recipients’ disease trajectory. This study highlights the importance of understanding the unique physical and social environmental factors that may influence caregivers of persons living with dementia’s experience of loneliness and how quality social support may decrease the impact.
A SCOPING REVIEW OF THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE–BASED CONVERSATIONAL AGENTS ON MENTAL HEALTH CARE FOR OLDER ADULTS
Authors: Chen Xiayu , Wen Wan
Published: January 2025

Conversational Agents (CAs) are increasingly applied in the mental health sector, offering scalable and diverse applications from psychoeducation, symptom assessment, to self-management of mental wellness. The recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), such as the Large Language Model, have further transformed CAs into more sophisticated systems that allow personalized and intelligent interactions. However, most mental health CAs were not originally designed with the unique needs and preferences of older adults in mind. This oversight highlights the necessity for tailored features that better accommodate older adults’ user experience. Current scholarly research and interventions that focus on AI-based CAs for older adults are scarce. To address this gap, this scoping review aims to offer a comprehensive overview of existing mental health AI-based CA for older adults. We conducted an extensive systematic literature search across thirteen databases, including PubMed, Scopus, IEEE Explore, ACM Digital Library, Web of Science and others. After a thorough selection process, nine peer-reviewed articles were identified for review. Our preliminary findings underscore the usability and effectiveness of AI-based CAs in enhancing the mental well-being of older adults, showing an overall positive user satisfaction and a capability for therapeutic intervention. Nevertheless, challenges such as the need for increased technological literacy and accessible designs specifically tailored for older adults persist. These findings provide critical insights for researchers and practitioners into how AI-based CAs, as promising and accessible applications and interventions, can be optimized to meet the unique mental health needs of older adults.
REPRESENTATION OF RURAL OLDER ADULTS IN AI HEALTH RESEARCH: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW
Authors: Shiroma Kristina , Miller Jacqueline
Published: January 2025

The demographic shift towards an aging population is particularly pronounced in rural areas, where access to healthcare and social services can be limited. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a promising avenue for transforming healthcare, particularly for older adults. However, concerns exist regarding equitable access and representation, particularly for geographically isolated, marginalized populations in rural areas. This systematic review investigates the existing research on AI interventions designed to support older adults and their healthcare needs. We searched key health and information science databases for peer-reviewed studies published between 2013 and 2023 that explored AI research with and for older adults. Our systematic analysis identified a robust body of research on AI for older adults. However, a critical gap emerged: a dearth of studies explicitly focusing on older adults in rural communities. While some studies included geographically diverse samples, data disaggregation to examine the specific experiences of rural older adults was challenging to identify. This lack of representation raises concerns about the generalizability of findings and the potential for exacerbating existing healthcare disparities in rural areas. The review underscores the need for research that specifically addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by older adults living outside of urban centers. Future scholarship should prioritize targeted recruitment strategies for rural participants; develop culturally-sensitive AI policies, practices, and products; and explore solutions that address limited representation in these communities. By working to bridge the digital divide through the future of AI research, we can achieve inclusive technology for older adults.
WE FOUND DIGITAL, WHERE IS INCLUSION?: TOPIC MODELING OF DIGITAL INCLUSION STUDIES
Authors: Kim Ha Neul , Kim Manjun
Published: January 2025

An increasing number of scholars agree that digital inclusion is to mitigate the digital divide and enhance social inclusion. However, since there is no consensus on the definition of digital inclusion, as of now, it is important to explore key concepts of digital inclusion studies to better understand what constitutes digital inclusion. The study employed a topic modeling methodology to analyze extensive collections of abstract data. Topic modeling methodology was applied to analyze vast amounts of abstract data. In total, 1,741 abstracts from book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers published by 2023 were analyzed. Data pre-processing included deleting stopwords, determining synonyms and compound words, extracting nouns, and identifying keywords based on word frequency and co-occurrences. A co-occurrence matrix was used to generate semantic networks, and community detection was applied based on modularity, the measurement of closeness within and distance across keyword groups. This study showed that there are six themes under digital inclusion studies: Policy and systematic intervention for digital inclusion (29.5% of keywords), Technology experience for older adults (27.87%), Digital divide in accessibility (16.05%), Online education and training resources (10.85%), Delivery of healthcare and equity (10.85%), and Digital inclusion in business and market (4.88%). The biggest cluster showed how digital inclusion is not only a matter of having access online or learning digital literacy but a systematic concern that involves policy intervention. However, unlike the name referring to certain ‘inclusion’, the topics that were studied so far, yet built social domain.
THE PROMISE AND PERIL OF RUNNING A CENTER/PROGRAM ON AGING
Authors: Teaster Pamela , Saunders Pamela , Saunders Pamela
Published: January 2025

Gerontology centers abound across the country in various forms. Despite an unprecedented rise in the worldwide population of older adults, some programs flourish while others struggle. This symposium examines the promise of running gerontology programs as well as the perils of doing so. Offering examples and insights, Dr. Pamela Teaster (Virginia Tech) will discuss how a nearly 50 year old gerontology center has morphed since its beginnings to planning for its 50th anniversary celebration. Dr. David Burdick (Stockton University) will present the long view of leading a gerontology program for 25 years and a center for 15 years, and along with Dr. Christine Ferri will discuss the experience of succession planning for both program and center. Dr. Christopher Kelley (University of Nebraska at Omaha) describes the importance of partnerships with public and private stakeholders at the national, state, and local levels. Dr. Pamela Saunders (Georgetown University) will make observations about differences and common themes among the presentations.
GERIATRIC SCHOLARS: INNOVATIVE SUPPORT FOR CAREGIVERS OF VETERANS WITH DEMENTIA
Authors: Koufacos Nicholas , Howe Judith
Published: January 2025

As the general population ages, the number of Veterans living with dementia continues to grow. Veterans often rely on informal caregivers to manage their daily needs and ensure their health and safety. Caregivers may experience high levels of chronic stress, overwhelm, and fatigue as a result of their caregiving. Chronic stress may negatively affect the mental, physical, and emotional health of the caregiver, and consequently, the care recipient may also experience poor health outcomes. As such, it may be vitally important to promote self-care and stress-reduction among caregivers. Programs designed to support caregivers such as respite care may be difficult to access due to nationwide staffing shortages, and this is especially true in rural areas. In order to test whether an intervention designed specifically to assist caregivers with reducing stress would be effective, in June 2020, a Geriatric Scholars Program called the Rural Interdisciplinary Team Training (RITT) created an innovative expansion to their team trainings in rural areas. A palliative care certified social worker was appointed by RITT to function as the Dementia Care Coordinator (DCC) and offer virtual supportive counseling sessions and a virtual monthly support group for caregivers of Veterans with dementia. The DCC utilized the VHA’s Whole Health Approach which emphasizes mindful awareness of various domains of self-care. Responses from a survey completed by 24 participating caregivers suggested that caregivers appreciated the focus on stress-reduction and self-care, valued both the individual and group support, and that participation led to reduction in stress among participants.
MULTIDIMENSIONAL SLEEP HEALTH METHODS: FROM THE SIMPLE TO THE SUBLIME
Authors: Wallace Meredith
Published: January 2025

The multidimensional sleep health framework presents a promising framework for improving sleep – and its health consequences – at a population level. However, there are several methodological challenges to sleep health research. including operationalizing sleep health, incorporating multiple sleep features, domains, and modalities into analytic strategies, organizing differential findings across multiple populations and health outcomes, and clarifying heterogeneity in multidimensional sleep health patterns across individuals. In this presentation, Dr. Wallace will outline several of these important methodological challenges and delineate the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches that can be used to address them. Specifically, she will discuss a range of methods, including methods for sleep data harmonization, weighted and unweighted sleep health composite scores, factor analysis to define sleep dimensionality, clustering to clarify heterogeneity in sleep health patterns, and supervised machine learning to evaluate the extent to which sleep health predicts health outcomes. Finally, Dr. Wallace will demonstrate these methods using an international multi-cohort sample of older adults, including data from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study, the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, the Rush Memory and Aging Project, and Minority Aging Research Study, and the Rotterdam Study. With these data and methods, she will discuss the role of sleep health in relation to longitudinal trajectories of depression and cognitive outcomes.
SLEEP HEALTH: IMPLICATIONS FOR CARDIOVASCULAR AND COGNITIVE FUNCTION
Authors: Knutson Kristen
Published: January 2025

Healthy sleep is characterized by more than just adequate sleep duration or the absence of a sleep disorder. Indeed, there are numerous dimensions of sleep that are important for overall health, including sleep quality, sleep regularity and sleep timing. Sleep architecture is also an important dimension of sleep health. Prior research has demonstrated that sleep health is linked to numerous health domains, including cardiovascular and cognitive function. Further, sleep health varies by sociodemographic characteristics, such as age, gender and race, which has implications for disparities in both sleep health and in the consequences of poor sleep health, such as hypertension, cardiometabolic disease and cognitive impairment. This presentation will show data from two recent population-based studies that collected data on certain dimensions of sleep health. One study is from Brazil that collected polysomnography in people’s homes to assess sleep architecture and measured cardiovascular risk factors and cognitive function. The second study was conducted in Chicago, USA among adults 55 years of age and older and collected subjective and objective estimates of sleep and measured cardiovascular and cognitive function. This presentation will describe gender differences in the associations between sleep architecture and aging and in the associations between sleep architecture and CVD risk factors in Brazil. The racial differences in sleep health characteristics among older adults will be presented. Finally, associations between these various dimensions of sleep health and cognitive function from both studies will be described. Sleep health is multidimensional and is associated with health outcomes particularly important for older adults.
TRANSLATION AND CULTURAL ADAPTATION OF A DEMENTIA EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM FOR FAMILY CAREGIVERS
Authors: Delgado Roxana , White Carole , Neidre Daria , Peacock Kimberly , Luy Luis
Published: January 2025

Culture influences how family caregivers provide care. The role of culture is especially critical when assisting care recipients with complex conditions like Alzheimer’s Disease and other related dementias. The “Aprendiendo Juntos/Learning Together” intervention is a cultural adaptation of “Learning Skills Together”, an evidence-based intervention to support Latino family caregivers in providing care for a family member with dementia. Adapting an evidence-based intervention should focus on language translation as well as integrating cultural values and practices. The adaptation of the 6-week virtual intervention “Aprendiendo Juntos/Learning Together” used a community participatory approach to inform the intervention’s structure, content, and design. Guided by an Advisory Council of Latino family caregivers, we used a mixed methods design consisting of surveys and individual interviews with Latino family caregivers (n=13) to inform the intervention adaptation. Three main recommendations for adaptation based on our partnership with the advisory council and the results of the individual interviews related to 1) tailoring of the content around dementia, 2) greater focus on caregiver self-care, and 3) care planning. The adapted intervention was tested using a randomized wait-list control design. We enrolled 46 Latino family caregivers, n=32 English-speaking participants, and n=14 Spanish-speaking participants. Recruiting Latino caregivers through community partners and using snowball sampling amplified the reach to the community. Testing of the adapted intervention has been completed. Given the cultural sensitivity of a group’s unique challenges, barriers, and needs, rigor in the methods is critically important in the adaptation process.
ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS TO ADDRESS ANXIETY IN LATINO/A CAREGIVERS OF OLDER ADULTS WITH CANCER
Authors: McConnell Kelly , Gilliland Jaime , Salner Andrew
Published: January 2025

Approximately two-thirds of the 2.8 million U.S. cancer caregivers care for an older adult and spend an average of 32.9 hours per week providing care. In this difficult context, over one-third of cancer caregivers report clinically significant anxiety that is often more severe than patient anxiety. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is efficacious and considered a first-line anxiety treatment. However, CBT was developed and tested primarily in white populations. In 2019, Latino/a individuals made up 18% of the U.S. population with 60.6 million individuals. Approximately 149,000 Latino/a individuals are diagnosed with cancer each year, making cancer the leading cause of death in this population. Latino/a cancer caregivers report significant distress and reduced quality of life following the patient’s diagnosis. Yet, few psychosocial interventions have been developed for Latino/a caregivers. The purpose of this project was to develop a culturally competent CBT intervention for anxiety in Latino/a caregivers of older adults with cancer. Latino/a older adults with cancer (n=7) participated in focus groups to provide feedback on an initial version of the intervention. Qualitative analyses identified multiple themes including the role of faith in coping with cancer, the importance of social support in managing anxiety, and the benefits of connecting with others who are experiencing cancer. These themes provide insight into the mental health needs of Latino/a caregivers of older adults with cancer and informed modifications to the intervention. The feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of the intervention will be examined in future clinical trials.
NATURE EXPOSURE IS ASSOCIATED WITH POSITIVE VIEWS ON AGING
Authors: Nikitin Jana , Rupprecht Fiona , Ristl Christina , Korlat Selma
Published: January 2025

Could nature help us perceive the aging process more positively? We hypothesized that time spent in nature is associated with more positive views on aging (i.e., perceiving aging as more of a gain and less of a loss) because nature improves health and well-being and gives meaning in life. Study 1 (N = 289, age = 40-91 years) and Study 2 (N = 521, age = 40-88 years) were correlational studies examining self-reported frequency of spending time in nature in middle-aged and older adults. Both studies showed that spending more time in nature is associated with more positive views on aging. This relationship was mediated by subjective health, subjective well-being (Study 1) and meaning in life (Study 2), even after controlling for socioeconomic status. In Study 3, a field study (N = 338, age = 18-87 years), we surveyed people who were currently in a more or less natural environment (green spaces outside the city vs. city parks). We found that older (but not younger) participants in the more natural environment reported more positive attitudes on aging. This relationship was partially mediated by high levels of current subjective well-being and persisted after controlling for current physical activity and social context. In summary, contact with nature is of great benefit to us all, but particularly to older people when it comes to their attitudes to aging. Therefore, ensuring access to green spaces for older people is crucial and could serve as an intervention to promote positive experiences in old age.
VOICES IN CLIMATE ACTION: INTERGENERATIONAL PERSPECTIVES AMONG OLDER ADULT ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS
Authors: Liu Zeyu , Cope Marie , Schultz Leslie , Pillemer Karl
Published: January 2025

Intergenerational collaboration is a critical approach for addressing climate change and related environmental challenges. However, research has also uncovered underlying intergenerational tensions and ageism in public discourse around climate change. A gap in existing research is the perspectives of older adults on the role of younger people’s involvement in and intergenerational connections relating to climate change action. This study inductively analyzed data using a thematic analysis approach to identify and categorize perceived intergenerational issues in climate change. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 45 committed climate change activists (10+ hours a week of engagement), ages 65-89. The analysis revealed four major intergenerational themes: 1) concern for future generations as a motivator for climate change action; 2) benefits of intergenerational engagement around climate change; 3) barriers to intergenerational interaction/collaboration on climate change; 4) opportunities for mutual mentoring. Generativity emerged as a major overarching theme, in which respondents expressed both a sense of responsibility for the current situation and a desire to help and inspire younger people. The findings emphasize the importance of shared environmental concerns and active participation in facilitating communication between older and younger individuals. The study also identified challenges such as role transitions and differing perspectives on environmental responsibility. Based on these insights, recommendations are provided to enhance the effectiveness of intergenerational environmental programs, highlighting the need for strategic interaction management and the integration of diverse generational viewpoints.
INDIVIDUAL CAREGIVING HISTORY TRAJECTORIES’ IMPACT ON LATER-LIFE SELF-PERCEPTIONS OF AGING
Authors: Hu Rita
Published: January 2025

This study assesses the impact of caregiving history trajectories and characteristics on later-life self-perceptions of aging (SPA) using data from the Health and Retirement Study. Caregiving history was collected using the event calendar method in the Life History Mail Survey, and SPA was measured in the 2016/2018 waves of the Psychosocial and Lifestyle Questionnaire. Employing sequence analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis on 2,215 participants, the research identifies caregiving history trajectories and examines their associations with later-life SPA, focusing on caregiving relationship types, duration, timing, and intensity. Four caregiving history trajectories were identified: Lifelong Diverse Caregivers, Later-life Spouse Caregivers, Parent Caregivers, and Later-life Non-Relative Caregivers. Linear regression analyses revealed that compared to caregivers in the Parent Caregivers cluster, those in the Lifelong Diverse Caregivers cluster were more likely to report higher negative later-life SPA (β= 0.18, SE = 0.06, p < 0.01) after controlling for current sociodemographic and health status. Also, earlier start age of caregiving, caring for child(ren), and caring for multiple people in the same year were all associated with higher later-life SPA. These associations remained significant after controlling for current sociodemographic characteristics. However, the associations were no longer statistically significant after adding in current health status. The findings reveal that caregiving experiences can be dynamic and lifelong and may have long-lasting impacts on later-life SPA. This highlights the necessity for targeted interventions to support caregivers’ well-being and suggests that current health status plays a crucial mediating role in the relationship between caregiving history and later-life SPA.
CELL REJUVENATION AND DISEASE
Authors: Belmonte Juan Carlos Izpisua
Published: January 2025

Aging is characterized by the functional decline of tissues and organs and the increased risk of aging-associated disorders. Different rejuvenating interventions have been proposed to delay aging and the onset of age-associated decline and disease to extend healthspan and lifespan. These interventions include metabolic manipulation, heterochronic parabiosis, pharmaceutical administration and senescent cell ablation. As disease and aging are associated with altered epigenetic mechanisms of gene regulation, such as DNA methylation, histone modification and chromatin remodelling, and non-coding RNAs, the manipulation of these mechanisms might be central to the effectiveness of treating disease as well as age-delaying interventions. I will discuss some of the epigenetic changes that occur during disease and aging and how partial reprogramming by the Yamanaka factors might be a potential avenue to restore cell health and resilience through cellular rejuvenation programming to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life.