Search Results (731)

Introduction: Community-based day center programs may support healthy ageing by promoting functional ability, mental well-being, and social participation among older adults, but real-world evidence from Latin America remains limited. Objective: We aimed to examine changes in functional status, mental health, and quality of life among older adults participating in the CEDIAM program in the Maule Region of Chile in 2022 and 2023. Methods: Pre–post observational study using routinely collected data from 15 CEDIAM centers. The 2022 and 2023 datasets were analyzed as independent cohorts. Functional status was assessed with the Barthel Index, the Lawton and Brody scale, and the Timed Up and Go test; mental health with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale; and quality of life with the EuroQol-5D visual analogue scale. Paired comparisons, category-transition analyses, and multivariable logistic regression models of improvement were performed. Results: Baseline samples included 894 participants in 2022 and 897 in 2023. In 2022, all continuous outcomes improved significantly (all p ≤ 0.001). In 2023, the Barthel Index, the Timed Up and Go test, and the Geriatric Depression Scale improved (all p < 0.0001), and the EuroQol-5D visual analogue scale also improved (p < 0.01), whereas the Lawton and Brody scale (p = 0.204) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (p = 0.725) did not. Category-transition analyses showed significant improvements in basic activities of daily living and mobility in both cohorts (both p < 0.001), while significant categorical changes in instrumental activities of daily living, global cognition, depressive symptoms, and self-rated quality of life were observed only in 2022 (all p ≤ 0.01). Rural residence was associated with higher odds of improvement in basic activities of daily living (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.17–2.25; p = 0.004), whereas age ≥75 years was associated with lower odds of improvement in depressive symptoms (OR 0.56, 95% CI 0.41–0.76; p < 0.001) and self-rated quality of life (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.45–0.94; p = 0.023). Conclusions: Participation in CEDIAM was associated with favorable changes, particularly in basic functional status and mobility, although responses varied across outcomes and participant subgroups. Full article

Falls among older adults are a major public health concern due to their association with functional decline and increased healthcare utilization. This study investigated factors associated with fall occurrence by comparing older adults enrolled in a community-based physical activity program with sedentary older adults. This observational cross-sectional study included 67 older adults: 35 participants enrolled in the Niterói 60 Up program (G60UP; 68 ± 4 years) and 32 sedentary older adults in a sedentary comparison group (SCG; 70 ± 7 years). Assessments included anthropometric measurements, medication use, Timed Up and Go (TUG), Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and orthostatic testing. Compared with the SCG, G60UP participants reported fewer falls during the previous year (0.26 ± 0.51 vs. 0.78 ± 0.83; p = 0.005), higher Tinetti scores (24.51 ± 2.54 vs. 18.28 ± 5.94; p < 0.001), shorter TUG times (8.66 ± 1.63 vs. 13.00 ± 4.31; p < 0.001), higher MMSE scores, better sleep quality (lower PSQI scores), and lower blood pressure and abdominal adiposity indicators. In the total sample, fall occurrence was associated with lower Tinetti scores (ρ = −0.416; p < 0.001), longer TUG times (ρ = 0.321; p = 0.008), older age (ρ = 0.328; p = 0.007), higher Conicity Index (ρ = 0.281; p = 0.021), and poorer sleep quality (ρ = 0.243; p = 0.047). No variable remained independently associated with falls in the exploratory multivariable logistic regression model. Participants enrolled in the 60 Up program presented more favorable functional, cognitive, sleep-related, and health-related profiles than those in the SCG. Due to the cross-sectional design, these findings should be interpreted as associations rather than causal relationships. Full article

This study investigated the effects of an 8-week Square-Stepping Exercise (SSE) program on lower-extremity muscle function and cognitive function in pre-frail older women. Sixty pre-frail older women aged 65 years and older were assigned to either an exercise group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). The SSE program was performed twice weekly for 60 min over 8 weeks. Functional mobility was assessed using the Time Up and Go (TUG) test, balance using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), lower-extremity muscle strength using the 30 s Chair Stand Test, and cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Measurements were obtained at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Significant group × time interactions were observed for TUG (p < 0.001), lower-extremity muscle strength (p < 0.05), and MMSE (p < 0.001). The exercise group showed significant improvements in TUG, BBS, muscle strength, and MMSE values, whereas the control group showed no significant changes except for a slight change in TUG. TUG was significantly correlated with balance, muscle strength, and cognitive function. These findings suggest that an 8-week SSE program may improve selected physical function measures and global cognitive status, as assessed by the MMSE, in pre-frail older women. Full article

Background: Benzodiazepines are widely prescribed to older adults in primary care despite concerns regarding their potential cognitive adverse outcomes. Evidence on the association between benzodiazepine use and cognitive impairment remains inconsistent and is limited in middle-income countries, particularly in routine primary care settings. Objectives: To evaluate the association between benzodiazepine use and cognitive impairment among older adults in a primary care hospital in Mexico and to explore clinical factors associated with benzodiazepine prescribing patterns. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted using non-probabilistic convenience consecutive sampling in a sample of 228 in adults aged ≥60 years attending a primary care hospital in Irapuato, Mexico, during 2025. Cognitive status was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and classified as normal cognition, mild/moderate cognitive impairment, or major cognitive impairment. Benzodiazepine exposure was identified through pharmacy records and categorized by duration of exposure (<3 years, 3–6 years, and >6 years). Sociodemographic variables were collected. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests, and crude logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). An additional exploratory analysis assessed clinical factors associated with benzodiazepine type using a dichotomized outcome to ensure model stability. Results: A total of 228 older adults with documented benzodiazepine use were included. The sample represents the complete population of eligible benzodiazepine users during the study period. Cognitive impairment was identified in 61.8% of participants. Longer duration of benzodiazepine use was significantly associated with worse cognitive status (χ² = 25.81; p < 0.001), with the highest proportion of major impairment observed in individuals with more than six years of use. In exploratory analyses, benzodiazepine prescribing patterns were significantly associated with sleep disorders (χ² = 11.56; p = 0.009), polypharmacy (χ² = 10.28; p = 0.016), and MMSE category (χ² = 13.87; p = 0.031). In adjusted models, polypharmacy was associated with increased odds of receiving the most frequently prescribed benzodiazepine (OR 2.37; 95% CI 1.27–4.41; p = 0.007), while sleep disorders (OR 2.10; 95% CI 1.10–3.90; p = 0.009) and cognitive status (OR 1.85; 95% CI 1.05–3.20; p = 0.031) also showed significant associations. No comparisons with non-users were performed due to lack of comparable cognitive assessment; however, this comparison should be interpreted cautiously due to differences in assessment methods between groups. Conclusions: Among benzodiazepine users in primary care, longer duration of exposure was associated with worse cognitive status. Additionally, prescribing patterns were influenced by clinical factors such as polypharmacy, sleep disorders, and cognitive status, suggesting a predominantly clinically driven approach. These findings highlight benzodiazepine use as an important marker of cognitive vulnerability and underscore the need for careful prescribing, regular medication review, and deprescribing strategies in older adults. Full article

Background and Aims: Cognitive impairment (CI) and depression are frequent comorbidities in chronic hemodialysis (HD) patients with substantial impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study examined their prevalence, predictors, and independent associations with HRQoL. Methods: A cross-sectional study enrolled 70 adult maintenance HD patients. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA); depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI); and HRQoL with the Kidney Disease Quality of Life instrument (KDQOL-SF). Logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis were applied. Results: CI (MoCA ≤ 24) was present in 54.3% of patients; clinically significant depressive symptoms (BDI ≥ 14) were present in 44.4%. BDI was not correlated with MoCA (p = 0.656) or MMSE (p = 0.880), confirming independence of the two dimensions in cross-section. Older age (OR = 1.106, p = 0.001) and male sex (OR = 4.523, p = 0.022) were independent predictors of CI. BDI significantly correlated with 15 of 19 KDQOL domains and was the dominant predictor across 10 domains in multiple linear regression (Adj. R² up to 0.358). MoCA correlated with only two KDQOL domains. Mediation analysis confirmed that MoCA does not mediate the BDI–HRQoL relationship (indirect effect: −0.004, 95% bootstrap CI: −0.106 to +0.097). Conclusions: CI and depression are highly prevalent and clinically distinct dimensions in HD patients, though subtle longitudinal interactions cannot be excluded. Depression is the dominant determinant of impaired HRQoL, acting through a direct, cognitively independent pathway, and represents the primary modifiable target for improving quality of life in this population. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal changes in physical and cognitive function in individuals with chronic stroke over five years and to explore factors associated with long-term outcomes. Methods: This ambispective cohort study included individuals with chronic stroke who had participated in a previous cross-sectional study conducted between 2018 and 2019. Assessments were performed at baseline and five-year follow-up (2023–2024). Primary outcomes were physical function, assessed using the six-minute walk test (6MWT), comfortable and fast gait speeds measured by the ten-meter walk test (10MWT), and cognitive function, assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Results: Thirty-two individuals participated (mean age 63.5 ± 10.3 years; median time since stroke 7.0 years). The six-minute walk distance declined by 22% (263.7 to 206.8 m, p < 0.001), whereas no significant changes were observed in gait speed or cognitive function. Age, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score, baseline values of the 6MWT and 10MWT, and nutritional status (Mini Nutritional Assessment–Short Form; MNA-SF) showed associations with physical outcomes. For cognitive outcomes, baseline NIHSS score, baseline MMSE score, MNA-SF score, and education level showed associations. However, sensitivity analyses suggested that the associations involving MNA-SF and education level were not robust. Conclusions: Physical function declines over five years in individuals with chronic stroke, highlighting the importance of long-term follow-up. While global cognition (MMSE) remained stable, domain-specific declines cannot be ruled out. Baseline stroke severity, nutritional status, and initial functional and cognitive performance may be associated with long-term outcomes. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) often shows ceiling effects in community-dwelling older adults, limiting the detection of subtle functional vulnerability. We examined whether an age-adjusted score derived from the Color Kanji Pick-Out Test (CKPT) app could identify functional heterogeneity among older adults with near-ceiling MMSE scores. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 155 community-dwelling older adults aged ≥65 years underwent CKPT app assessment. An age-adjusted score (ΔINDEX1) was calculated as the residual from a linear regression of INDEX1 on age, and participants were classified into two groups using a median split. Group differences in cognitive, physical, psychological, and lifestyle variables were examined across 70 indicators retained after consolidation (Spearman’s |r| ≥ 0.75). Effect sizes (rank-biserial r and Cramer’s V) were reported, and false discovery rate (FDR) correction was applied (Benjamini–Hochberg). Results: MMSE scores were uniformly high in both the ΔINDEX1 groups (median 29–30, p = 0.138). Of the 70 indicators, 10 reached uncorrected significance (p < 0.05). After FDR correction, both Timed Up and Go (TUG) time (p < 0.001, r = 0.33, q = 0.029) and maximum walking speed (p = 0.001, r = 0.30, q = 0.044) remained statistically significant. Other uncorrected associations (single-leg stance, step length, usual walking speed, sarcopenia, bodily pain, and BMI) did not survive FDR correction and should be regarded as exploratory. Conclusions: Age-adjusted CKPT app profiling was associated with mobility-related differences in TUG and maximum walking speed, both significant after FDR correction, despite uniformly high MMSE scores. Psychosocial and lifestyle associations were preliminary and require confirmation in future studies. Because ΔINDEX1 was both derived and tested within the same predominantly female sample (86.5% women), these cross-sectional findings require external validation before generalization, particularly in older men. Full article

Background and Objectives: A relationship between cognitive decline (CD) and chronic coronary syndrome (CCS), common among the elderly population, has not yet been clearly established. Our study aims to evaluate the link between severe cognitive impairment and cognitive impairment, as measured by various neuropsychological tests in patients with or without CCS. In addition, we sought to identify cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) that influence the severity of CD and severe cognitive impairment. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted on 264 people with CVRFs. Of the 264, 132 were classified as patients with CCS and 132 as control subjects without CCS. Neuropsychological assessment tools included the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) scales, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15). Clinical characteristics, echocardiographic measures, and vascular parameters of all subjects were also evaluated. Results: Patients with CCS had significantly lower cognitive performance (MMSE, p = 0.010; MoCA, p = 0.021), reduced functional status (IADL, p = 0.030; ADL, p = 0.012), and higher depression scores (p = 0.004) compared with controls. They also had worse cardiovascular profiles, including lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (p = 0.001), higher NT-proBNP levels (p = 0.005), and increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) (p < 0.05). IMT and blood pressure values were negatively correlated with cognitive and functional scores and positively correlated with depression severity (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified systolic and diastolic blood pressure, age, body mass index, heart rate, reduced daily activity, and depression as independent predictors of cognitive decline in patients with CCS. In the GDS-15 score, each unit increase was associated with a 32.1% higher risk of cognitive decline and a 37.1% higher risk of MMSE-defined severe cognitive impairment, while improved ADL scores significantly reduced this risk. Conclusions: CCS is associated with an increased risk of severe cognitive impairment and also with cognitive decline, influenced by hypertension, subclinical atherosclerosis, depression, and reduced functional status. These findings emphasize the importance of early identification and multidisciplinary management of cognitive impairment in patients with CCS to prevent progression to severe cognitive impairment. Full article

Background/Objectives: Cognitive impairment can compromise toothbrushing and other oral self-care functions, increasing the risk of oral diseases and related complications. However, how toothbrushing ability declines across stages of cognitive impairment remains unclear. This study aimed to describe functional deficits in toothbrushing among older adults with different levels of cognitive function. Method: Sixty-five older adults (14 cognitively healthy and 51 with documented cognitive impairment) were classified into five cognitive levels based on Standardized Mini-Mental State Examination scores. Participants completed a toothbrushing task as they normally would at home. Performance was videotaped, coded, and evaluated across four domains (task initiation, completion, thoroughness, and quality) with total scores reflecting overall toothbrushing ability. Overall performance, functional deficits, and assistance needs were analyzed in relation to cognitive levels. Results: Participants averaged 76.5 years of age. Toothbrushing ability declined gradually with worsening cognitive impairment, followed by a sharp deterioration at the profound stage (e.g., SMMSE ≤ 5). Compared with cognitively healthy participants (n = 14), those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 20) or mild (n = 10), moderate (n = 10), or severe dementia (n = 11) lost an average of 3%, 8%, 12%, and 37% of overall toothbrushing ability, respectively. Brushing efficiency declined earlier and more rapidly, decreasing by 13% in MCI and up to 46% in severe dementia (p < 0.001). All participants with MCI or mild dementia completed the task independently, whereas 20% with moderate dementia and 80% with severe dementia required assistance to initiate or complete the task. Conclusions: Overall toothbrushing ability remains relatively preserved until the later stages of cognitive impairment, but brushing quality deteriorates much earlier and quicker. These findings highlight the importance of early caregiver–patient partnerships, functionally tailored oral self-care rehabilitation, and personalized caregiver training to support oral hygiene among older adults with cognitive impairment. Full article

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is highly prevalent in older adults and has been increasingly recognised as a potential contributor to cognitive decline, depressive symptomatology, and functional impairment. However, the clinical significance of specific 25-hydroxyvitamin D thresholds in relation to this multidomain geriatric phenotype remains incompletely characterised. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 1438 consecutive patients aged 65 years or older admitted for comprehensive geriatric assessment at a tertiary centre in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, between January 2023 and November 2025. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] was categorised as deficient (<20 ng/mL), insufficient (20–30 ng/mL), or sufficient (≥30 ng/mL). Cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), depressive symptoms using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30 and GDS-SF), and functional status using Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL). Multivariable linear regression analyses were adjusted for age, body mass index, serum albumin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Results: Suboptimal vitamin D status was highly prevalent in this geriatric cohort, with 43.3% of participants meeting criteria for frank deficiency (<20 ng/mL). Lower 25(OH)D concentrations were significantly associated with worse cognitive performance, greater depressive symptom burden, and higher functional dependency. Serum 25(OH)D correlated positively with MoCA and MMSE scores and inversely with ADL, IADL, and GDS scores. In adjusted models, vitamin D remained independently associated with MoCA, IADL, and GDS. Stratified analyses suggested that the main clinical deterioration occurred below 20 ng/mL, while the 20–30 ng/mL range behaved as an intermediate phenotype closer to sufficiency than to frank deficiency. Conclusions: In this large cohort of hospitalised older adults, serum 25(OH)D deficiency below 20 ng/mL was independently associated with poorer cognition, more depressive symptoms, and greater functional impairment. These findings support routine vitamin D assessment in geriatric practice and suggest that the <20 ng/mL threshold identifies a clinically relevant high-risk phenotype. Full article

Background and Objectives: To quantify behavioral complexity in probable Alzheimer’s disease (AD), compare complexity phenotypes, and determine whether behavioral complexity provides clinically meaningful information beyond total neuropsychiatric burden. We also explored whether global amyloid extent and lobar amyloid topography added explanatory value. Methods: In this cross-sectional retrospective study, we analyzed 245 psychotropic drug-naïve patients with probable AD, positive ¹⁸F-FC119S amyloid positron emission tomography (PET), and complete neuropsychiatric, cognitive, functional, and regional PET data. Behavioral complexity was derived from 12 Korean Neuropsychiatric Inventory domains using symptom count, normalized Shannon entropy of the frequency × severity profile, and a composite index. Patients were classified into tertiles. Multivariable regression and burden-stratified analyses examined associations with cognition, dementia severity, function, and amyloid measures. Results: Higher behavioral complexity was associated with lower Korean Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) scores and higher Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) and Global Deterioration Scale (GDS) stages. In multivariable analysis, higher CDR, higher GDS, and lower Barthel Index independently predicted greater complexity, whereas amyloid extent did not. After adjustment for total neuropsychiatric burden, higher CDR remained independently associated with the composite complexity index and normalized entropy, while amyloid extent remained non-significant. Complexity-related clinical differences were most evident in the lowest burden stratum and attenuated at higher burden levels. Regional amyloid analyses yielded only selective signals. Conclusions: Behavioral complexity is a clinically meaningful neuropsychiatric phenotype in AD. Although strongly related to total neuropsychiatric burden, it is not fully reducible to it, with its clearest independent association seen for global dementia severity, particularly at lower overall burden. Full article

Background/Objectives: Persons living with dementia (PLwD) receive informal care services from loved ones, commonly referred to as care partners (CPs). While the symptoms (e.g., depressive affect, cognitive impairment) experienced by PLwD are recognized to influence CP wellbeing, longitudinal investigations into the association of CP QoL and PLwD symptoms have yet to be fully explored. The present study sought to address this gap and highlight how CP QoL and PLwD symptoms systematically covary over time. Methods: Participants were composed of 33 dyads (PLwD and their CP) who partook in the Voices in Motion project, a social-cognitive intervention for dementia. CP QoL (WHOQOL-BREF), PLwD depressive symptomology (Patient Health Questionnaire-9) and PLwD global cognitive functioning (Mini-Mental State Examination) were assessed every three to four weeks in an intensive repeated-measures design. Time-varying covariation models using multilevel modeling examined systematic covariation between CP QoL and PLwD symptoms between and within dyads. Results: Increased CP psychological and social QoL were both associated with increased PLwD global cognitive functioning between dyads and vice versa (p < 0.05). Within dyads, increased CP social QoL was associated with improved PLwD depressive symptoms (p < 0.05), while increased CP environmental QoL was associated with increased depressive symptoms (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Significant coupling associations were observed both between and within dyads. Such results highlight the association between CP QoL and the symptoms experienced by their care recipient and provide important, novel longitudinal contributions to the literature. Full article

Objectives: Fear of falling (FoF) is a common psychological phenomenon in later life and is often accompanied by avoidance behavior and activity restriction. Although FoF is associated with anxiety, depressive symptoms, reduced self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy, older adults with FoF may differ substantially in the configuration of these characteristics. The present study aimed to identify data-derived profiles of older adults based on FoF, avoidance behavior, self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy, and to examine profile-specific psychological predictors of FoF and avoidance behavior. Methods: The main analytical sample included 217 older adults aged 60–97 years (M = 76.45, SD = 10.14) with Mini-Mental State Examination scores of 20 or higher. Latent profile analysis was conducted using FoF, avoidance behavior, self-efficacy, and fear of loss of autonomy. Anxiety components, depressive symptoms, coping strategies, pain catastrophizing, and loneliness-related indicators were examined in class-specific regression models. The stability of the class solution was tested across different MMSE cut-off scores. Between-class comparisons were conducted for functional, fall-related, socio-demographic, and psychological indicators. Results: A three-class solution was selected and interpreted as adaptive, vulnerable, and maladaptive profiles. The profile structure remained relatively consistent across MMSE cut-off scores, including in the broader sample with MMSE ≥ 15. The classes did not differ significantly in postural balance or number of falls, suggesting that the profiles could not be fully explained by objective fall-risk indicators. Significant between-class differences were found for age, daily pain level, and state social defense. Class-specific regression models suggested that psychological variables associated with FoF and avoidance behavior differed across profiles. Pain appraisal and emotion-related coping were more relevant in the adaptive profile, phobic anxiety and anxious appraisal of future events in the vulnerable profile, and anxiety-related, depressive, interpersonal, and coping-related factors in the maladaptive profile. All reported associations remained significant after false discovery rate correction. Conclusions: FoF and avoidance behavior are related but not identical phenomena and vary across data-derived psychological profiles. A profile-oriented approach may provide a more differentiated understanding of activity restriction in older adults and help identify profile-specific targets for psychological support. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may precede dementia, and safe nutritional strategies able to support cognitive function are of clinical interest. Dietary nucleotides may contribute to membrane phospholipid synthesis, synaptic function, and neuroprotective pathways; however, clinical evidence in older adults with MCI remains limited. This randomized placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of nucleotide-rich yeast extracts from Kluyveromyces fragilis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Methods: Seventy-two participants (mean age 73.5 ± 7.7 years; range 60–85) were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive K. fragilis extract, S. cerevisiae extract, or placebo once daily for 180 days. Cognitive outcomes were assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) at baseline (T0), 90 days (T1), and 180 days (T2); quality of life was assessed using the SF-12 questionnaire at T0 and T2. Treatment effects were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models adjusted for age and sex. Results: After 180 days, MoCA scores increased by 4.42 points in the K. fragilis group and 3.92 points in the S. cerevisiae group, compared with 0.58 points in the placebo group (time × treatment p < 0.001; T0–T2 within-group p < 0.001 for both active groups and p = 0.14 for placebo). MMSE scores increased by 1.62 and 3.11 points in the K. fragilis and S. cerevisiae groups, respectively, compared with 0.25 points in the placebo group (time × treatment p < 0.001; T0–T2 within-group p < 0.001 for both active groups and p = 0.57 for placebo). The SF-12 mental component score increased by 7.50 and 9.16 points in the two active groups, respectively (time × treatment p = 0.022; T0–T2 p = 0.0013 and p < 0.001, respectively), while physical quality-of-life scores did not change significantly (PCS time × treatment p = 0.11). No adverse events were reported. Conclusions: Nucleotide-rich K. fragilis and S. cerevisiae yeast extracts were well tolerated and were associated with improved cognitive scores over six months in older adults with MCI. Larger multicenter trials are needed to confirm these findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Approximately 17 million individuals worldwide experience stroke annually. Stroke-induced cerebral hypoxia or infarction can impair multiple cognitive domains. This study aims to monitor the cognitive abilities of patients with acute stroke through the intervention of electroencephalogram (EEG) devices. Methods: Patients from the neurology ward were invited to participate after obtaining study approval from the research ethics committees of a medical center in northern Taiwan. Participation was explained to the eligible individuals, and only those who met the criteria and signed the informed consent form were included. The participants were those who agreed to undergo 10 sessions of the EEG training. Ultimately, 30 valid samples were collected. The effectiveness of the intervention was analyzed using the pre- and post-test results of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Conners’ Continuous Performance Test (CPT3). Results: After 10 EEG intervention sessions, the patients showed significant differences in the pre- and post-test results of the MMSE and CPT3 (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.007, respectively). The EEG training suggests a possible association with changes in cognitive performance following stroke. Conclusions: EEG-based interventions may be potentially associated with cognitive improvement. The effects appeared similar across patient subgroups; however, given the pilot nature of this study and the absence of a control group, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. Further well-designed controlled studies are needed to confirm these preliminary observations and evaluate their clinical applicability. Full article