Journal of Clinical Medicine

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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce that the next Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine will be entitled "Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Physical, Cognitive and Mental Health in Older Adults".

The ageing population is increasing due to longer life expectancy and lower birth rates, leading to a higher proportion of older people in the world's population. Several functional changes are related to the aging process, cognition being one of the main impacted aspects of this stage. Cognitive impairment is considered a public health problem due to its high prevalence, the socioeconomic burden it causes and the impact it has on patient quality of life. It has been estimated that the annual rate of transition from normal cognition to cognitive impairment is 5%, although this figure could be as high as 30% when it is considered that an individual with normal cognition may have some type of unidentifiable cognitive impairment. Likewise, cognitive impairment is characterized as a risk factor for the development of dementias that are just as disabling worldwide owing to the association of cognitive function at lower levels with reduced functional capacity, alterations in mood or behavior, and impaired cognitive functions. Hence, it is necessary to study the different associations related to these diseases and to test different strategies that improve the physical, mental and cognitive health of people with cognitive impairment or dementia.

This Special Issue of the Journal of Clinical Medicine (JCM) will address the current state of the knowledge on the links between cognitive impairment and dementia with the physical, mental and cognitive health of older adults. We are eager to publish original research papers and reviews. Researchers are also encouraged to submit manuscripts studying new approaches to or strategies for the management of cognitive impairment and dementia.

Prof. Dr. Fidel Hita-Contreras
Prof. Dr. Agustín Aibar Almazán
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

cognitive decline
dementia
physical health
cognitive health
mental health
older adults

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Public Knowledge about Dementia in Poland—A Survey Study

by Alicja Skowronek, Katarzyna Bojkowska-Otrębska and Beata Łabuz-Roszak

J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(24), 7675; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12247675 - 14 Dec 2023

Viewed by 724

Abstract

Background: Based on worldwide estimates, the number of people with dementia will increase significantly in the coming decades. Therefore, knowledge about dementia and its modifiable risk factors plays a crucial role in prevention. Although dementia is still incurable, an early diagnosis might help to slow down its progression and improve the quality of patients’ lives. The aim of the study was to assess public knowledge about dementia and its risk factors in Poland. Methods: The research was conducted in 2022 using a self-constructed questionnaire by applying computer-assisted web interviewing (CAWI). Results: A total of 304 completed surveys were obtained (mean score of 16.95 ± 2.79 points out of 23.6). The scores were significantly higher for people associated with the medical community in comparison to those unrelated to the medical community (18.23 ± 2.61 and 16.15 ± 2.59, respectively; p = 0.0001). A moderate negative correlation was found between the results and the ages of the respondents (R = −0.44; p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences were reported in the results between people involved in providing care to patients with dementia or those who had a patient with dementia in the family and those who were not involved in such care or had no relative with dementia. Conclusions: Knowledge about dementia and its risk factors in Poland is not satisfactory and should be improved. Special attention should be paid to educating the families and caregivers of people with dementia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Physical, Cognitive and Mental Health in Older Adults)

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Review

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15 pages, 1123 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Impact of Rhythmic Physical Activity on Mental Health and Quality of Life in Older Adults with and without Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

by Marcelina Sánchez-Alcalá, Agustín Aibar-Almazán, Diego Fernando Afanador-Restrepo, María del Carmen Carcelén-Fraile, Alexander Achalandabaso-Ochoa, Yolanda Castellote-Caballero and Fidel Hita-Contreras

J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12(22), 7084; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12227084 - 14 Nov 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1133

Abstract

(1) Background: Nowadays, it is essential to implement new non-pharmacological strategies, such as rhythmic physical activity, to improve mental health and quality of life in both individuals experiencing normal brain aging and those with cognitive impairment. Therefore, the objective of this study is to identify the effects of rhythmic physical activity interventions on mental health and quality of life in older adults, with or without mild cognitive impairment; (2) Methods: We conducted a systematic review with a meta-analysis, searching the Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Plus databases using specific keywords. We selected studies that included rhythmic physical activity as the primary intervention for patients aged 65 and above, with or without cognitive impairment. We assessed the methodological quality of the articles using the PEDro scale; (3) Results: Out of 961 identified studies, we included 11 in this review, all of which employed rhythmic physical activity as an intervention. The selected studies consistently measured depression, anxiety, and quality of life; (4) Conclusions: This review demonstrates that rhythmic physical activity can effectively improve depression, anxiety, and quality of life in older adults, whether or not they have mild cognitive impairment. However, it is worth noting that while we have identified beneficial outcomes, the evidence supporting the use of rhythmic physical activity in enhancing depression, anxiety, and quality of life in older adults with or without mild cognitive impairment remains somewhat limited. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Decline and Dementia: Physical, Cognitive and Mental Health in Older Adults)

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