Journal of Ageing and Longevity

Persons with Parkinson’s Disease (pwPD) exhibit an underlying systemic inflammation which is thought to contribute to neurodegeneration. The root cause of this chronic inflammatory state is unclear. We hypothesised that one factor contributing to it is the accumulation of late-differentiated/senescent immune cells, exacerbated by infection with persistent pathogens, especially cytomegalovirus (CMV). To test whether CMV infection impacts pwPD differently than healthy matched controls, we determined the frequencies of peripheral blood immune cells (including late-differentiated/senescent T-cells, NK-cells, NKT-cells, B-cells and monocytes) of 75 CMV-seronegative (median, 68 years old) and 99 CMV-seropositive pwPD (69 yo) using flow cytometry. Further, we included a control group of 10 CMV-seronegative (67 yo) and 14 CMV-seropositive individuals (68 yo). Our analyses of blood immune cell phenotypes confirmed a strong impact of CMV infection in both controls and pwPD, but with very few differences attributable to disease state. However, independent of any confounding effects of CMV-serostatus, the levels of CXCR2 expression on NK-cells (p = 0.007), NKT-cells (p = 0.016) and T-cells (p = 0.015) of pwPD were higher compared to controls. The results are consistent with enhanced migration of immune cells into the brain, potentially contributing to disease pathology and offering actionable therapeutic targets.

Older adults perceived various benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, including benefits related to social connectedness and everyday life. The research aimed to identify a multidimensional set of benefits that older adults perceive when using ICT in the post-COVID-19 era. We used a qualitative research paradigm. We compiled the views of 15 older adults on the benefits of ICT use through semi-structured, in-depth, and individual interviews. The interviewees ranged in age from 65 to 87 years. We analyzed the data using a qualitative content analysis. The analysis identified eight main categories, which were subsequently organized into four higher-order analytical domains according to their conceptual focus. These include social and psychological benefits; functional benefits; economic and practical benefits; cognitive and experiential benefits; changes in benefit perception; altered learning and support processes; factors that shape these changes; and risks and limitations. When understanding the perceived benefits of ICT use in an aging society after the COVID-19 pandemic, a holistic approach that considers individual, social, educational, and technological factors is necessary. Such an understanding provides better insight into the benefits of ICT use for active, safe, and dignified aging.

Older adults face increasing challenges related to healthcare access, social isolation, and digital exclusion. Community-based interventions such as time banking offer a potential approach to addressing these interconnected needs. This study examined changes in social well-being, perceived healthcare access, and technology acceptance of a digital time banking platform following participation in a community-based intervention in Malaysia. A pre–post intervention study was conducted among 184 participants, including older adults, caregivers, volunteers, and community support personnel recruited from community centres in Perak, Malaysia. Following the six-month intervention, 145 participants completed the post-intervention assessment. Participant records were retrospectively matched across both assessments, resulting in 93 matched participants for the paired pre–post analysis. Paired-samples t-tests showed significant improvements in healthcare access, social participation and social well-being, and technology acceptance of time banking, with the largest improvement observed in technology acceptance. A total of 1812 service exchanges were completed, representing 2347 h of community-based support. These findings suggest that community-based time banking may support social participation, perceived healthcare access, and technology acceptance among participants. However, the absence of a control group means that the observed changes cannot be attributed solely to the intervention. Time banking may represent a feasible community-based approach for supporting healthy ageing and community engagement in Malaysia.