A study in Alzheimer's and Dementia found frontotemporal dementia (FTD) can be slowed by a physically and mentally active lifestyle, even among persons with a genetic predisposition to the disorder, reports Medical Xpress . The researchers looked at 105 people with dominant, disease-causing genetic mutations who were mainly asymptomatic or had mild, early-stage symptoms. The subjects' functional decline, as determined by their family members, was 55 percent slower in the most active 25 percent of participants compared to the least active 5 percent. Furthermore, participants' lifestyles did not significantly change the degeneration of brain tissue associated with FTD, yet the most mentally and physically active participants still performed twice as well as the least active participants on cognitive tests. The implication is that active lifestyles may decelerate FTD symptoms by providing some form of cognitive resilience to the effects of brain degeneration.

A study in the Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine determined a new blood test can accurately identify which seniors who have suffered a concussion lack brain tissue damage and do not require computed tomography (CT) scans, reports Philly Voice . This is the first blood test to assess concussion in persons who may have intracranial bleeding. The test measures glial fibrillary acidic protein and ubiquitin carboxyle-terminal esterase L1. The test was 100 percent accurate at identifying who did not have brain tissue damage, but it could not accurately identify individuals with damage. Consequently, the test can be effective as a rule-out test, but is limited as a rule-in test, according to Robert H. Christenson at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. His recommendation is that hospitals use the test in the triage process for seniors with concussion, but not as a substitute for CT scans.

A study by University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine researchers in Aging and Mental Health observed an apparent epidemic of loneliness among adults in senior living or retirement communities, reports Fox 5 San Diego . The researchers estimated that 85 percent of the interviewed residents had moderate to severe levels of loneliness. "Loneliness is a growing public health concern, and it's important that we identify the underlying causes of loneliness from the seniors' own perspectives so we can help resolve it and improve the overall health, well-being, and longevity of our aging population," said UCSD School of Medicine Professor Dilip V. Jeste. All 100 study subjects lived in an independent housing section of senior-living communities in San Diego. Loss of a spouse, sibling, or friend seemed to be a common factor for most older adults, and Jeste added that many residents found making new friends to be difficult and not as fulfilling as those with whom they grew up. Loss of purpose also was a quite common variable, while coping strategies included performing good deeds for someone else or coming to terms with aging.

Fierce Biotech is reporting that Biogen has placed another wager on Alzheimer's disease research and development, paying Pfizer $75 million upfront for an early-phase prospect. The candidate, known as PF-05251749, came through tests in healthy volunteers at Pfizer prior to getting derailed by the Big Pharma's retreat from neuroscience R&D two years ago. The CK1 inhibitor moved into the clinic having proved it can cross the blood-brain barrier and regulate circadian rhythms, thereby improving both behavioral and neurological symptoms in Alzheimer's patients and those with other diseases. Biogen executives think the data generated to date supports further development. In addition to the $75 million upfront payment, Biogen is committing up to $635 million in development and commercialization milestones to add the drug to its pipeline.

Butler Hospital in Rhode Island offers a program to help older adult at risk for suicide, reports NBC News 10 . Participants in the hospital's Intensive Outpatient Program meet three hours a morning, three times a week. Social worker and program therapist Jonathan Zimmerman says senior adults are "the largest growing population and there really aren't behavioral health services that are adequate." Claire MacKenzie, who works as an occupational therapy assistant for the program, says in her capacity: "I come in looking at trying to develop life skills. We offer skills to help them live life to the fullest." Zimmerman adds that groups in the program are arranged into topics like resilience, finding meaning, and purpose in life. Butler Associate Chief Medical Officer Ghulam Surti says all program participants are seen by a physician, "so, they do get medical help with it along with therapy."

The Trump administration is devising a plan to tighten eligibility mandates for disability benefits, especially for older Americans, as part of a wider initiative to reduce federal safety-net programs, reports the Wall Street Journal . The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) seeks to amend eligibility for disability benefits based on age, education, and work experience, and more than 8 million Americans are currently beneficiaries. "Evidence shows that in the modern economy the vocational impacts of age, education, and work experience are markedly different from what they were when we published the current vocational regulations," states the text of the draft rule. The new rule would raise the age at which education and work experience are considered in determining eligibility from 50 to 55, and update information on occupational skills that the SSA agency uses to determine eligibility, based on new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. "They're chipping away at all of these various programs," said Kathleen Romig with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. "The sum total of it just makes it more difficult for people to meet their needs when they fall on hard times — really basic needs like housing, food, healthcare, and income."

For just the second time in history, females outnumbered males as the majority of the U.S. paid workforce in December, buoyed by rapid job growth in health care and education over the last year as well as the ongoing tight-labor market, the Philadelphia Inquirer . The shift is tiny and easy to miss at initial glance. Women worked 50.04 percent of payroll jobs last month, up from 49.99 percent a month earlier. The figure, though, reflects a larger and ongoing trend. Of the 145,000 jobs picked up in December across the American economy, females won approximately 139,000 of them, according to Labor Department data. Betsey Stevenson, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, calls the latest numbers "a milestone because it's really heralding the future and not just telling us where we are today." Economists note that this narrowing in the gender gap comes as women have been getting college degrees in larger numbers than males.

Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and wearable devices are among the technologies that could reshape the job interview in the years ahead, reports the Wall Street Journal . Technology is being developed to allow employers to analyze candidates' online history, biometric data, and real-time reactions to simulated on-the-job challenges. Employers may rely less on résumés and interviews and more on a candidate's behavior, cognitive abilities, personality traits, and physiological responses to decide whether someone is a good fit for a job. "If we accept the fact that jobs are going to be disrupted and replaced, and 80 percent of the jobs you will find in 2030 or 2040 don't exist today, and there is a devaluation of expertise and knowledge, then you have to bet on things like curiosity, learning ability, people skills, and motivation," says Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, chief talent scientist at ManpowerGroup and a professor of business psychology at University College London and Columbia University.

The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's center in Naples, Fla., is the sole rehab location to support an older-adult program for addiction, reports Next Avenue . Executive Director Brenda Iliff says seniors, especially baby boomers, are becoming more receptive to outpatient rehab programs. Naples resident Paul Heflin admits senior adults tend to be more communal in peer-group settings. The growing incidence of addiction among 60-and-older or even 50-and-older people is driven by a combination of factors, including: the free time many retirees have, easy access to alcohol at older-adult living communities, grief from death or divorce, and a lack of purpose. Age-related metabolic changes also can contribute to addiction, and the addition of anti-anxiety medication can make things worse. Nevertheless, older men and women are usually more amenable to rehab. Iliff adds that boomers who have come to Hazelden have shown an increased willingness to discuss their problems in its tailored program.

A study in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests an association between common medication and dementia, reports WJLA-TV in Washington, D.C. Anticholinergic drugs including popular medications like certain antidepressants, anti-Parkinson's drugs, antipsychotics, drugs for frequent urination and incontinence, and anti-epilepsy medications may have a link to dementia. MedStar Health's Cheryl Iglesia noted millions of people are on anticholinergics, some of which can cross the blood-brain barrier — a situation that can be exacerbated by age-related metabolic changes. "You can't get rid of the drug as fast as you typically could when you were younger and there's more chances for these molecules to cross the blood-brain barrier and lead to cognitive dysfunction," she said. The researchers said long-term anticholinergic use significantly increases dementia risk. Iglesia said doctors should be aware of these risks in order to recognize symptoms like memory loss as side effects, and not necessarily the disorder itself.