The straightforward, 5 minute neck scan could detect the likelihood of dementia developing in the brain years out from symptoms exhibiting.

Those in the medical community believe the scan could be a pivotal component of the screening approach for middle-age persons at risk of developing the disease.

The Science Behind The Study

Researchers explained that healthy, elastic blood vessels near the heart are integral to healthy brain and body functioning.

These healthy, elastic blood vessels function to soften the energy and pulse from each heartbeat, protecting the fragile blood vessels found elsewhere in the body.

Unfortunately what can occur through ageing and health deterioration is that these vessels are pressured into stiffening and consequently lose their protective abilities.

The fallout from this process is that strong pulses from the heart can reach delicate brain vessels.

As time progresses and as these delicate blood vessels are exposed to stronger energy pulses, damage is more likely to occur in the delicate blood vessels of the brain.

Experts believe that structural changes in the blood vessel network of the brain and what are known as mini strokes all may trigger the development of dementia.

Cognitive Decline

The University College London team spent 15 years thoroughly scanning 3200 of brains.

Their focus was acutely monitoring the strength of the pulse between the heart and the brain.

Researchers found that those that exhibited the strongest pulse intensity at the commencement of the study were around 50% more likely to display increasing cognitive decline over the following 15 years compared to their volunteer counterparts.

It is in detecting the pulse strengths and reach of individual brains that the study’s powerful contribution to dementia detection occurs.

The scan will be integral in detection and information gathering, not only giving medical professionals more time to assist but allowing individuals and families to have greater options and opportunities.

What The Study Will Mean For Testing

The associate medical director of the British Heart Foundation, Professor Metin Avkiran says, “This test may provide a new way to identify people at risk of cognitive decline long before they display any noticeable symptoms.

“What we need now is further research, for example to understand whether lifestyle changes and medicines that reduce pulse wave intensity also delay cognitive decline.”

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While hospitals and ambulatory care have seen high adoptions of new technologies and benefits, aged care facilities have largely been behind this trend.

In an encouraging new US study, experts have spent time understanding the particular benefits that technology could lend the aged care sector.

Helpfully, the study delves further into the question of tech and aged care, uncovering unique difficulties facing the aged care sector for technology to be adopted well.

The study offers that in an honest and thorough understanding of the aged care sector, hesitations about technology adoption may be managed well in partnership and with support.

Why was the study conducted?

The study was lead by Professor Gregory Alexander, a professor of clinical informatics at Missouri University.

Across 2 years, Alexander and his colleagues collected information relating to technology adoption in nursing homes, how the residents felt and any improvements.

“We already knew that information technology can help create better care outcomes, but this study helped us see which technologies improve which elements of care,”

“As IT capabilities and extent of IT use improved in nursing homes, we saw an associated decline in urinary tract infections, among other correlations.”

The benefits found

Across the information received, Alexander and his team discovered that there were improvements in three main categories.

• Facilities that reported using advanced IT capabilities in administrative activities displayed a lower percentage of residents with moderate to severe pain.
• With the increased use of clinical technologies, including laboratory sources, facilities exhibited a decrease in residents with urinary incontinence
• Facilities that increased their technology use within resident care saw a decrease in residents with new or worsening pressure ulcers.

Obstacles to be overcome

Alexander and his team discovered that two facilities lost capabilities along the two year study.

Addressing this Alexander says, “Many homes don’t have a trained expert to manage the technology, so even if they do decide to upgrade their IT capabilities, they may abandon certain ones because they are too difficult or expensive to manage.

If they aren’t being reimbursed for investing in information technology, they may decide it isn’t worth the time and money.”

Lessons learnt

Alexander says that the study hopes to help aged care facilities and their administrators discern which IT and technology capabilities are most needed and appropriate for them.

It is in understanding which tech capabilities and features will particularly help each facility that the study hopes to lend itself.

The future of the aged care sector and IT is likely to have a fruitful future.

It is within the right information getting to facilities, to make informed decisions as to design and implementation of technology, that make studies such as Alexanders so useful and needed.

The post Looking Forward: What’s on the Horizon for Aged Care? appeared first on Autumn Aged Care.