Duke University researchers have designed a new imaging device that measures the retina's thickness and texture in the search for Alzheimer's biomarkers, reports Being Patient . "By adding a light-scattering technique to the measurement, we've found that the retinal nerve fiber layer in people with Alzheimer's is also rougher and more disordered," said Duke Professor Adam Wax. "Our hope is that we can use this insight to create an easy and cheap screening device that wouldn't only be available at your doctor's office, but at places like your local pharmacy as well." Wax added that "the retina can provide easy access to the brain, and its thinning can be indicative of a decrease in the amount of neural tissue, which can mean that Alzheimer's is present." He is hopeful that such technology could give clinicians Alzheimer's indicators to help persuade people to follow an intervention treatment program before the disease overwhelms them.

A study commissioned by BT Skills for Tomorrow found that millions of seniors feel disconnected due to a lack of technical knowledge, reports Feed Leader . A survey of 1,000 adults with a relative older than 70 found more than 50 percent think their loved one would wait for an appointment with their general practitioner in person rather than trying to engage them online. Meanwhile, 53 percent of respondents said their loved one has already struggled to acclimate to an altered lifestyle due to the coronavirus pandemic. Another 60 percent said their older relatives are feeling more isolated than ever because of the global crisis. "To combat loneliness, we must ensure that older people can take advantage of the benefits that technology provides, from accessing vital services to staying in touch with family and friends," said BT Professor Kerensa Jennings. BT is working with the Good Things Foundation to equip older adults with the digital skills required to stay connected and healthy during the quarantine. Good Things Foundation CEO Helen Milner said the BT study corresponds with wider research on digital isolation. "We know that due to the coronavirus pandemic more people are willing to try new things online and improve their digital skills, so this is the perfect time to give them the tools and guidance to do so," she noted.

On May 15, Baltimore City Mayor Jack Young and Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks Executive Director Reginald Moore jointly announced the launch of Chat & Chew: Free Virtual and Call-in Senior Classes, reports WMAR-TV . The new program will let local seniors participate in health and wellness classes during the current pandemic, to be offered every Tuesday at 11:30 a.m. from May 19 through July 17. The virtual classes will cover topics that include chair yoga, music with the Lyric Opera House, book discussions with the Enoch Pratt Free Library, and art. Other offerings will focus on guided meditation, Hawaiian dance, chair zumba, and cellphone fundamentals. "It is important that we continue to provide ways to keep our older adults active and engaged, especially during this stressful time," explained Young. "The goal of the Chat & Chew virtual series is to help alleviate some of the stress while also motivating our older adult community to stay physically and mentally healthy."

Amid the coronavirus epidemic, seniors are using social media to establish an online presence as a bulwark against pessimism and isolation, reports the Christian Science Monitor . This is turning them into "grandfluencers," drawing audiences by documenting their daily lives while in lockdown, offering advice, and more. One popular grandfluencer is "Nonna Rosetta" from southern Italy, who filmed a video of humorous suggestions for living with the pandemic, which has gone viral and been translated into English, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Romanian, and Spanish. "By having Nonna Rosetta at home, in her kitchen, sitting on her chair, talking directly to the audience, we tried to share a message that is both serious and reassuring, to be truly listened to because you recognize Grandma has enough experience, and wisdom, to be listened to," says Renata Perongini, whose production company Casa Surace made the video. However, King's College London's Shir Shimoni said the advent of grandfluencers may partly constitute a tacit celebration of seniors who do not require societal aid — a troublesome assumption as older adults are most vulnerable to COVID-19.

A study in PLoS One found that certain presentations of memory issues by older adults are predictive of future dementia, reports Medical Xpress . "We found that when older adults go to their general practitioner with memory-specific subjective cognitive complaints, it would be wise to take it seriously as they may predict future dementia," said Katya Numbers at the University of New South Wales' Center for Healthy Brain Aging (CHeBA). She added that subjective cognitive complaints can potentially capture everyday memory problems that clinical tests may overlook. "They can refer to specific changes in memory ability or changes in other cognitive domains like language or processing speed," Numbers said. Her work builds on an earlier investigation into the relationship between self-reported memory or other cognitive concerns and those provided by family or friends (informants). CheBA Professor Henry Brodaty said comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations conducted initially and annually for six years determined that participant and informant memory-specific cognitive complaints were linked to the rate of global cognitive decline. "The risk of dementia at follow-up was also greater if participants complained about poorer memory or if their informant noted changes in memory and non-memory types of cognition," he added.

A study in Alzheimer's & Dementia found that synaptic positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging uncovered significant brain alterations in people in the early phases of Alzheimer's disease, reports Health Imaging . "Our new methods enable us to detect widespread synaptic losses throughout the brain," said Yale University School of Medicine Professor Adam Mecca. "This gives us confidence that we may use these results as a biomarker outcome for therapeutic trials, which could help speed development of new drugs to combat the disease." The new PET method assessed the synapses of 34 people with Alzheimer's and 19 without the disease by imaging the binding of synaptic vesicle glycoprotein 2A. Previous approaches have broadly visualized brain tissue losses or reduced metabolism. "These methods will allow us to examine synaptic loss at still earlier stages of disease — when people have evidence of Alzheimer's pathogenesis but have not yet manifested symptoms," said Yale Professor Christopher van Dyck.

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning recommends resistance training by older adults to improve their longevity and well-being, reports WorldHealth . The study specifies 11 practical applications categorized into four main components — program design variables, physiological adaptations, functional benefits, and considerations for frailty and other chronic conditions. Applications cover suggestions on training types as well as amounts of repetitions and intensities, cohorts that will require modifications, training models, and how programs can be amended for older adults with disabilities and those in assisted living and skilled nursing communities. The authors said that "in most cases, the vast benefits of resistance training largely outweigh the risks," especially if undertaken in compliance with safety guidelines. The researchers hope that the study will help to mitigate fears among seniors about strenuous exercise and resistance training.

Retirees in assisted-living communities in Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, and elsewhere have become disc jockeys for a new online radio hour to give seniors and others a sense of community while under coronavirus restrictions, reports the Associated Press . The 60-minute "Radio Recliner" show started airing in April, beginning with quarantined retirees in middle Tennessee, and was kickstarted by Birmingham-based marketing firm Luckie. After the DJs were recruited, they recorded their introductions and transitions on their phones, with the recordings then handed to production staffers to oversee the technical details. Listeners can make song requests dedicated to family or friends, which are included in the daily show, while new content airs weekdays at noon and earlier segments playing in rotation. "For this generation, radio was the original social media," said Luckie Chief Creative Officer Mitch Bennett. "Dedicating a song to someone you love, and having them hear it along with everyone else, is a special way of connecting. It's a great time to bring that feeling back."

With the coronavirus pandemic putting special pressures on older Americans nearing retirement, those concerned about being forced into early retirement have a number of options to consider, reports FOX 10 Phoenix . Such individuals should first take stock of their financial situation. "We want to start looking at all sources of income and assets that you have because, you might be surprised, if you put it all together you may not have a terrible situation," said Ubiquity Retirement + Savings CEO Chad Parks. When considering 401(k)s or IRAs, it may be worth the effort to adjust allocations if one's positions have been more aggressive and vulnerable to recent market turmoil. Kestra Financial's Taylor Hammons recommended that people should become more mindful of harvesting their savings rather than accumulating, and to be watchful for pitfalls of tapping retirement account balances during downturns. Parks and Hammons also agreed that individuals should know how claiming benefits at different ages will affect their overall retirement plans. Delaying collection can actually boost benefits by as much as 32 percent.

A study found that persons with dementia are three times as likely to develop severe coronavirus, reports the London Telegraph . Experts argue that this should prompt the addition of dementia sufferers to the shielded list. Whereas the overall rate for U.K. retirees developing severe coronavirus who required hospital treatment was one in 200, that of people with dementia was nearly seven in 200. This may be a partial explanation of why coronavirus is so rampant in U.K. care communities, where 80 percent of residents have some form of dementia. "These initial results suggest that some risky pre-existing diseases in older people may have been overlooked," said Professor David Melzer at the University of Exeter. "Our results suggest that shielding should be considered, as many people with dementia will have both the increased risks due to advancing age, plus the specific additional risk we have shown from having dementia as well."