The PROtein enriched MEDiterranean Diet and EXercise (PROMED-EX) randomised controlled trial (RCT) aims to determine the efficacy of a protein-enriched Mediterranean diet, with and without exercise, in comparison with standard care, on nutritional status and cognition in adults at risk of undernutrition with subjective cognitive decline. The project will explore the mechanistic pathways in diet-exercise induced change in nutritional status and cognition.
Queen's University Belfast
Early, non-invasive, inexpensive biomarkers of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) are much needed. Those with Down syndrome (DS) are the largest patient group at increased risk of AD. Evidence suggests that imaging the eye could be a non-invasive biomarker to screen for AD. However, there is limited information regarding ocular changes in DS. Our group was the first to image the lens in DS, revealing the presence of small ‘dot’ opacities in the lens in 54% of individuals with DS.
Aim(s):
(i) To characterise patterns of hearing problems and of hearing aid use in NICOLA and to compare these patterns in a qualitative fashion with those found in TILDA.
(ii) To evaluate the cross-sectional relationship between hearing problems and cognitive functioning, using regression modelling.
(iii) To evaluate loneliness, social isolation, and social engagement as moderators of the putative relationship between hearing problems and cognitive functioning, using a structural equation modelling approach.