A study in Neurobiology of Aging suggests the possibility of screening individuals at increased genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) before onset of cognitive decline by measuring pupil dilation during cognitive testing, reports Medical Xpress . The pupillary response the researchers explored is triggered by the locus coeruleus (LC), a cluster of neurons in the brainstem, which is involved in regulating arousal and modulates cognitive function. The tau protein — the earliest occurring known biomarker for AD — first manifests in the LC, and has a stronger association with cognition than amyloid-beta. Earlier research demonstrated that adults with mild cognitive impairment exhibited greater pupil dilation and cognitive effort than cognitively normal individuals, and the latest study connects pupillary dilation responses with identified AD risk genes. "These results are proof-of-concept that measuring pupillary response during cognitive tasks could be another screening tool to detect Alzheimer's before symptoms appear," said University of California, San Diego Professor William S. Kremen.

The Mayo Clinic and Google have announced a 10-year agreement to integrate their respective data and health expertise to "redefine how healthcare is delivered," reports Politico Pro . Mayo's Steve Peters said the deal includes efforts to develop machine learning models to boost treatment precision and effectiveness, with anticipated innovations that lower provider and administrative burdens. Google CEO Sundar Pichai explained that the alliance offers "an extraordinary opportunity to develop services that will significantly improve lives." Under the agreement, Google Cloud will secure, supervise, and store Mayo Clinic's data, giving Epic database users at Mayo an opportunity to crunch numbers for more accurate medical care and research. Neither partner has revealed how the knowledge gained from this effort will be commercialized. Peters suggested potential applications such as a machine learning algorithm licensed to other healthcare systems. Google will open an office for its engineers at Mayo's headquarters in Rochester, Minn. However, skepticism is ripe, with Scripps Research's Eric Topol stating that "there is no institution or cloud platform or tech titan that 'will redefine how healthcare is delivered.'"

Baby boomers eager to stay independent after retirement are opting for different living arrangements like cohousing and cohabitation, reports Fast Company . Cohousing communities appeal to those desiring cooperative living based on shared values, like environmental sustainability, social justice, or spirituality. These communities typically have an overlapping vision statement communicating vital principles, along with hierarchical governance and decision-making. Cohousing residents live in individual homes but share certain spaces, like kitchens, libraries, and exercise rooms, while patios and gardens are oriented to encourage interaction. Observation showed that living in a shared-governance communal housing arrangement offered growth opportunities, with residents noting they were more patient and vital, open to new learning, and more likely to consider multiple perspectives. These experiences correlate with the gerotranscendence theory of aging, which suggests that as a person ages, they can "transcend" previous understandings and gain new viewpoints on basic existential matters, the meaning and value of relationships, and definitions of self.

A study in Obesity of older adults who lost weight in a lifestyle program found subjects who kept up their weight loss and those who regained weight afterwards were both prone to bone mineral density (BMD) erosion at the hip, reports Healio . "Our data . . . suggest that for older adults, weight-loss-associated hip bone loss persists into the following year, regardless of weight regain status," said Wake Forest University Professor Kristen M. Beavers. The team analyzed bone health trajectories for 77 participants, who all had weight loss after being randomly assigned to regimens focusing on weight loss alone, weight loss with aerobic exercise, or weight loss plus resistance exercise for 18 months, with follow-up through the 30th month. The researchers measured height and weight and calculated trabecular bone score, total body fat mass, total body lean mass, and hip, femoral neck, and lumbar spine BMD at 18 months and 30 months. Thirty-six participants regained at least 5 percent of their total body mass during follow-up, and 41 had weight fluctuations of less than 5 percent or maintained weight. Those who regained weight experienced a 3.9 percent reduction in total hip BMD at 18 months, and those who maintained weight loss saw a 2.4 percent reduction. "Results . . . suggest that among older adults, weight regain may only partially recover weight loss-induced hip bone loss," Beavers concluded.

A new Elsevier report observed a growing focus on sleep and other behaviors in Alzheimer's research, according to Medical Xpress . Elsevier reviewed research published since the 1970s to gain a wide-ranging global perspective spanning 50 years. The study found researchers investigating sleep are developing new theories on early warning signs of Alzheimer's that could help retard its development. Concurrent with growing emphasis on sleep is increasing interest in dominant subjects like the amyloid-ß protein, and behavioral topics such as learning and gait. "Using our research analytics platform SciVal, which computes granular bibliometric analyses from Scopus data, we're able to drill down deep into sometimes hidden clusters of citation activity within Alzheimer's research," said Elsevier Analytical Services' Maria de Kleijn. "Although the portion of papers that focus on the relationship between sleep and Alzheimer's is relatively small, citation activity within that cluster tells us that it could be where research is heading in the future." Analysis noted more research is carried out with male rather than female subjects. Moreover, the main research clusters are related to the molecular mechanisms involved in producing toxic entities in cells, and to studies with human subjects in clinical research, epidemiology, and population health research contexts.

The UsAgainstAlzheimers.org blog touts "Dementia Friendly Worship: A Multifaith Handbook for Chaplains, Clergy and Faith Communities." Published earlier this year and available for purchase directly from the publisher here , the book is a product of Faith United Against Alzheimer's. Religious faith has been a powerful source of comfort and support for many individuals and families dealing with dementia. Faith leaders, though, often need help in adapting their ministries to address the spiritual needs of this group. This handbook by 45 different authors represents diverse faith traditions, ranging from Christianity, Islam, and Judaism to Buddhism, Sikhism, and Native American. Together, they provide practical help and advice on developing services and creating dementia-friendly faith communities.

A Pew Research Center survey found older Americans' use of digital technologies has experienced the most growth in the last seven years, reports United Press International . About 75 percent of Generation Xers currently use social media versus 64 percent in 2012, while 59 percent of boomers are on social media as are almost 30 percent of Americans 74 and older. Moreover, 55 percent of Gen Xers and 52 percent of baby boomers own tablets versus 33 percent among older generations.

A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine suggests older, low-income Americans in more affluent regions enjoy better health, reports Scope . They also have better physical well-being across the board, with less incidence of many chronic conditions, especially if they reside in rural communities. Stanford University's Maria Polyakova and the University of Pennsylvania's Lynn Hua looked at roughly 6.4 million Medicare beneficiaries in 2015 aged 66 to 100, who received low-income support under Medicare Part D. They explored the prevalence of 48 chronic conditions among these subjects, including common conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. Locations where the poor tend to have a high prevalence of one disease or ailment were likely to have a high prevalence of all 48 conditions. "There is a general sense that differences in the social fabric and lifestyle in rural areas . . . could contribute to this pattern," Polyakova notes. "It appears that better health in affluent, rural areas persists, despite challenges of accessing formal care."

The Papa startup, launched by Florida entrepreneur Andrew Parker, offers "grandkids on demand" to seniors in need, reports Considerable . Papa matches college students with older adults to help them with basic living activities, ranging from chores to basic companionship to car rides to appointments. These so-called "Papa Pals" also can assist with technologically challenging tasks like setting up tablets and smartphones for their senior clients. Papa Pals' backgrounds are thoroughly checked, with many majoring in nursing or social work. All of them must express an interest in working with "surrogate grandparents."

Host of "The Dr. Oz Show" Mehmet Oz this week shared his mother's Alzheimer's diagnosis on air, along with his personal regret that he did not spot it sooner, reports USA Today . Oz noted the first symptoms of the disorder can be hard to identify. "If the right word was, 'You look beautiful today,' she would use, 'You look pretty prettier today,'" he recalled. Oz continued, "My wishful thinking was that it was just mom being a little bit older, she's stressed out, my dad was ill. And so we lost our truth." Oz also shared that he has learned that he carries the gene for Alzheimer's, as well. "I know that there are millions of other people like me, who probably feel guilt the way I do, knowing that if we could have figured this out earlier I could have intervened a little bit," he lamented. Viewers expect more episodes of his show in the months and years to come dedicated to the disease.