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Title: Effect of amyloid beta on nutrient uptake and ATP in the brain cells.
Creator: To, William, Tao, Rui, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Abstract/Description: Unintentional weight loss in older adults often precedes Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Positron emission tomography (PET) scan reveals that AD patients exhibit reduced uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose into brain cells, defined as ‘hypometabolism’. However, cellular mechanisms underlying weight loss and hypometabolism have not received much attention. The primary goal of the study was to test the hypothesis that cells become starved in confrontation with amyloid beta proteins (Aβ), which are...
Show moreUnintentional weight loss in older adults often precedes Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Positron emission tomography (PET) scan reveals that AD patients exhibit reduced uptake of fluorodeoxyglucose into brain cells, defined as ‘hypometabolism’. However, cellular mechanisms underlying weight loss and hypometabolism have not received much attention. The primary goal of the study was to test the hypothesis that cells become starved in confrontation with amyloid beta proteins (Aβ), which are increasingly aggregated in the AD brain. Cellular ATP is known as a biomarker indicating for cell starvation. We found that Aβ caused a dose-dependent reduction in ATP of astrocytes. This effect was similar to those of cells being deprived from nutrients (i.e., glucose, pyruvate and glutamine). Together, the data of the present study support the hypothesis that cell starvation is likely associated with weight loss and hypometabolism in AD patients.
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Date Issued: 2022
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013941
Subject Headings: Alzheimer Disease, Amyloid, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Adenosine Triphosphate
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Amyloid Beta Clearance in Alzheimer’s Disease: A PET Imaging and Data Science Study.
Creator: Hall, Rudolf, Tao, Rui, Florida Atlantic University, Department of Biomedical Science, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
Abstract/Description: Amyloid beta (Aβ), a byproduct of amyloid precursor protein, is constantly cleared from the CNS. Aβ kinetics are visualized using 18F-florbetapir PET imaging, typically analyzed through 2D coregistration with MRI or CT followed by visual evaluation. Aβ was thought to coexist in the white matter of both Alzheimer’s disease (AD; Aβ+) patients and cognitively unimpaired (CU; Aβ-) individuals. However, this coexistence is likely a misperception of 2D imaging. In this study, data science...
Show moreAmyloid beta (Aβ), a byproduct of amyloid precursor protein, is constantly cleared from the CNS. Aβ kinetics are visualized using 18F-florbetapir PET imaging, typically analyzed through 2D coregistration with MRI or CT followed by visual evaluation. Aβ was thought to coexist in the white matter of both Alzheimer’s disease (AD; Aβ+) patients and cognitively unimpaired (CU; Aβ-) individuals. However, this coexistence is likely a misperception of 2D imaging. In this study, data science techniques were used to evaluate PET images, transforming Aβ imaging into topographical pixel arrays for 3D reconstruction. Canal-like networks in the brain, skull, and neck were discovered to be part of the non-CNS fluid (NCF) compartment, which quarantines Aβ. In CU/Aβ- subjects, Aβ is transported to peripheral lymphatics. In AD/Aβ+ subjects, Aβ becomes congested in the NCF, diffusing into CNS interstitial fluid, leading to progression and neurodegeneration.
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Date Issued: 2024
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00014531
Subject Headings: Alzheimer Disease, Amyloid beta-Peptides, Positron-Emission Tomography
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of small molecule modulators and Phospholipid Liposomes on βeta-amyloid (1-40) Amyloidogenesis.
Creator: Morris, Clifford, Du, Deguo, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Abstract/Description: Beta-Amyloid (1-40) (Aβ40) is an aggregation prone protein, which undergoes a nucleation-dependent aggregation process causing the pathological neurodegeneration by amyloid plaque formation implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. In this thesis, we investigated the effects of small molecule modulators extracted from the marine invertebrate Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae on the Aβ40 amyloidogenic process using in- vitro ThT fluorescence assay and atomic force microscopy. We also investigated the...
Show moreBeta-Amyloid (1-40) (Aβ40) is an aggregation prone protein, which undergoes a nucleation-dependent aggregation process causing the pathological neurodegeneration by amyloid plaque formation implicated in Alzheimer’s disease. In this thesis, we investigated the effects of small molecule modulators extracted from the marine invertebrate Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae on the Aβ40 amyloidogenic process using in- vitro ThT fluorescence assay and atomic force microscopy. We also investigated the effects of neutral and anionic phospholipid liposomes on Aβ40 aggregation. Our results show that a marine natural product Pseudopterosin-A and its derivatives can suppress and modulate the Aβ40 aggregation process. Furthermore, our results demonstrate that a neutral phospholipid liposome inhibits Aβ40 fibril formation, whereas the anionic liposomes promote it.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004453, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004453
Subject Headings: Aggregation (Chemistry), Alzheimer's disease -- Pathogenesis, Alzheimer's disease -- Research, Amyloid beta protein, Molecular biology, Molecular dynamics, Prions, Proteins -- Metabolism -- Disorders
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Studies of Site-Specific Dynamics of Aβ Amyloid Formation and Effect of Macromolecules on Aβ Amyloidogenesis.
Creator: Liu, Haiyang, Du, Deguo, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Abstract/Description: The aim of this dissertation was 1) to explore early stage aggregation kinetic behavior of Amyloid-β 1-40 (Aβ1-40) by incorporation of unnatural amino acid pcyanophenylalanine as a site-specific fluorescence reporter, 2) to explore the effect of macromolecules on the aggregation of Aβ1-40. Chapter One provides an introduction of Alzheimer’s disease as an amyloidogenic disease, amyloidogenic peptide and amyloid formation. Details were shown about the research progress of Aβ1-40 aggregation and...
Show moreThe aim of this dissertation was 1) to explore early stage aggregation kinetic behavior of Amyloid-β 1-40 (Aβ1-40) by incorporation of unnatural amino acid pcyanophenylalanine as a site-specific fluorescence reporter, 2) to explore the effect of macromolecules on the aggregation of Aβ1-40. Chapter One provides an introduction of Alzheimer’s disease as an amyloidogenic disease, amyloidogenic peptide and amyloid formation. Details were shown about the research progress of Aβ1-40 aggregation and Aβ1-40’s interaction with polyelectrolytes, and how treatments studies were designed. In Chapter two, using Aβ1-23 as a model molecule, the distinct site-specific dynamics was identified, during amyloid formation, and the structural characteristics of amyloid fibrils were defined by using an unnatural amino acid, p-cyanophenylalanine, as a sensitive fluorescent and Raman probe. The results reveal distinct local environmental changes of specific residues during the aggregation of Aβ1-23. The results also suggest that an edge-to-face aromatic interaction between the F4 and F19 residues from the adjacent in-register β-strands plays a key role in the conformational conversion to form and stabilize β-sheet structure. In Chapter Three, p-cyanophenylalanine was incorporated in the full sequence of Aβ1-40. Site-specific information from p-cyanophenylalanine fluorescence was studied and summarized. In Chapter Four, the inhibiting effect of an anionic polyelectrolyte poly(4- styrenesulfonate) (PSS) on the aggregation of Aβ1-40 peptide was reported. The results demonstrate the strong inhibition potential of PSS on the aggregation of Aβ1-40. Additional studies indicate that the presence of both aliphatic backbone as well as aromatic side chain group in PSS is essential for its inhibition activity. In Chapter Five, it was investigated the effect of two polyelectrolytes, chitosan (CHT) and N-trimethyl chitosan chloride (TMC), on the aggregation of Aβ1-40. Results show that both CHT and TMC exhibit a concentration-dependent decrease of amyloid aggregation suggesting their application as amyloid assembly inhibitors. Their binding mechanism was investigated by computational modeling which shows that Aβ1-40 monomer was primarily stabilized by electrostatic interactions with charged amine and quaternary amines of CHT and TMC respectively. Chapter Six, describes all experimental procedures and instrument setup in detail.
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Date Issued: 2016
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004769, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004769
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease--Research., Alzheimer's disease--Pathogenesis., Molecular biology., Molecular dynamics., Prions., Amyloid beta-protein.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Aggregation Inhibition and Detection of Alzheimer’s Amyloidogenic and Oligomeric Peptides.
Creator: Elbassal, Esmail A. E., Du, Deguo, Florida Atlantic University, Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Abstract/Description: Protein aggregation, oligomer and fibril formation is one of the dominant characteristics in the pathogenesis of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Inhibition of toxic oligomer and fibril formation is one of the approaches to find potential drug candidates for AD. Additionally, early diagnosis of these amyloid species can provide mechanistic understanding of protein aggregation and thus can pave the way for preventing the onset of AD. The aim of this...
Show moreProtein aggregation, oligomer and fibril formation is one of the dominant characteristics in the pathogenesis of a number of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Inhibition of toxic oligomer and fibril formation is one of the approaches to find potential drug candidates for AD. Additionally, early diagnosis of these amyloid species can provide mechanistic understanding of protein aggregation and thus can pave the way for preventing the onset of AD. The aim of this dissertation was 1) to explore the effects of charged cholesterol derivatives on the aggregation kinetic behavior of Amyloid-β40 (Aβ40), 2) to probe Aβ40 oligomer and amyloid formation in vitro using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), and 3) to monitor the kinetic effect of various natural product molecules on Aβ40 aggregation in vitro. In the first chapter, a general introduction about AD as an amyloidogenic disease, amyloid cascade hypothesis, and the manipulation of Aβ peptides aggregation kinetics using different approaches was presented. In the second chapter, we studied the effects of oppositely charged cholesterol derivatives on the aggregation kinetics of Aβ. In the third chapter, we developed a gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) assay to probe Aβ40 oligomers and amyloid formation. In chapter IV, we monitored the effects of various small molecules on the aggregation kinetics of Aβ40. In chapter V, we discussed the methods and experimental details.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013009
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease, Amyloid beta-protein, Oligomers, Protein Aggregates, Neurodegenerative Diseases
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Development and testing of a measure of Alzheimer’s disease knowledge in a rural Appalachian community.
Creator: Weise, Lisa K., Williams, Christine L., Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Abstract/Description: Rural West Virginia has a very high percentage of older adults. The age-related disease of Alzheimer’s threatens the health of older Appalachians, yet research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in this population is scarce. In order to improve screening rates for cognitive impairment, Appalachians need to understand their vulnerability. The first step would be to assess their knowledge about AD but a suitable AD knowledge test has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to test the...
Show moreRural West Virginia has a very high percentage of older adults. The age-related disease of Alzheimer’s threatens the health of older Appalachians, yet research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in this population is scarce. In order to improve screening rates for cognitive impairment, Appalachians need to understand their vulnerability. The first step would be to assess their knowledge about AD but a suitable AD knowledge test has not been developed. The purpose of this study was to test the reliability and validity of a new measure of knowledge about AD that is culturally congruent, and to examine factors that may predict AD knowledge in this rural population. A correlational descriptive study was conducted with 240 participants from four samples of older adults in south central rural Appalachian West Virginia using surveys and face-to-face interviews. Results from tests for stability, reliability including Rasch modeling, discrimination and point biserial indices, and concurrent, divergent, and construct validity were favorable. Findings were that although more diversity in test item difficulty is needed, the test discriminated well between persons with higher and lower levels of education [F(2, 226) = 170.51, p = .001]. Using multiple regression, the predictors of AD knowledge included caregiver status, miles from a healthcare provider, gender, and education; (R2=.05, F(4,187) = 2.65, p =. 04). Only years of education accounted for a significant proportion of unique variance in predicting the total BKAD score (t = 2.14, p =. 03). Implications include the need for further tool refinement, testing for health literacy, coordination with recent statewide efforts to educate the public regarding AD, and community based participatory research in designing culturally effective education programs that will ultimately increase screening and detection of Alzheimer’s disease in rural populations.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004074
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease -- Diagnosis -- Social aspects, Alzheimer's disease -- Research -- Methodology, Health literacy -- West Virginia -- Appalachian Region, Southern, West Virginia -- Appalachian Region, Southern -- Social aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Family resiliency, sense of coherence, social support and psychosocial interventions: reducing caregiver burden and determining the quality of life in persons with alzheimer’s disease.
Creator: Shroff, Havovi B., Frain, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Counselor Education
Abstract/Description: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and results in behavioral changes and lack of communication. Family members and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease can assume added responsibilities and stress due to the progressive and degenerative component of this disability and places an added strain on the family system. This study was designed to...
Show moreAlzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain's nerve cells, or neurons, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and results in behavioral changes and lack of communication. Family members and caregivers of persons with Alzheimer’s disease can assume added responsibilities and stress due to the progressive and degenerative component of this disability and places an added strain on the family system. This study was designed to examine predictors of quality of life of persons living with AD and to examine caregiver burden and predictors of quality of life of persons living with AD. This study hopes to empower the caregivers and test the resiliency model of family stress, sense of coherence and social support while incorporating individual patient and family needs by surveying caregivers involved with working with patients with AD. Specific aims of the study include validating relationships of the resiliency model while determining the importance of family resiliency, the sense of coherence, social support and the role of psychosocial interventions specifically Validation Communication Intervention (VCI), to reduce caregiver burden and to predict the quality of life in persons with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Date Issued: 2014
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004228, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004228
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- Family relationships, Alzheimer's disease -- Patients -- Home care, Caregivers -- Conduct of life, Caregivers -- Family relationships, Caregivers -- Psychology, Quality of life, Stress management
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The use of novel HDACi's for treatment of memory impairment in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.
Creator: Moyes, Jonathan., Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College
Abstract/Description: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly common neurological disorder that mainly affects memory formation and retention. It is characterized by unique intercellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular beta-amyloid plaques. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi's) are competitive antagonists against histone deacetylases, causing histone acetyltransferases to acetylate the genome unregulated. This thesis investigates the use of new histone deacetylase inhibitors on recovering memory...
Show moreAlzheimer's disease (AD) is an increasingly common neurological disorder that mainly affects memory formation and retention. It is characterized by unique intercellular neurofibrillary tangles and extracellular beta-amyloid plaques. Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi's) are competitive antagonists against histone deacetylases, causing histone acetyltransferases to acetylate the genome unregulated. This thesis investigates the use of new histone deacetylase inhibitors on recovering memory in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. By use of a fear conditioning paradigm, we have shown that these HDACI's increase memory in AD mice, but show either no effect or a positive effect in wild-type mice. Future experiments will investigate the efficacy of compound 966 and the spine density of hippocampal brain slices after fear conditioning trials.
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Date Issued: 2012
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3359315
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease, Chemotherapy, Pharmacogenetics, Histone deacetylase, Inhibitors, Nervous system, Degeneration, Molecular aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Face processing in persons with and without Alzheimer's disease.
Creator: Winchester, Jeanna., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences
Abstract/Description: This study aimed to understand the differences in strength or coordination of brain regions involved in processing faces in the presence of aging and/or progressing neuropathology (Alzheimer's disease). To this end, Experiment 1 evaluated age-related differences in basic face processing and the effects of familiarity in face processing. Overall, face processing in younger (22-35yrs) and older participants (63-83yrs) recruited a broadly distributed network of brain activity, but the...
Show moreThis study aimed to understand the differences in strength or coordination of brain regions involved in processing faces in the presence of aging and/or progressing neuropathology (Alzheimer's disease). To this end, Experiment 1 evaluated age-related differences in basic face processing and the effects of familiarity in face processing. Overall, face processing in younger (22-35yrs) and older participants (63-83yrs) recruited a broadly distributed network of brain activity, but the distribution of activity varied depending on the age of the individual. The younger population utilized regions of the occipitotemporal, medial frontal and posterior parietal cortices while the older population recruited a concentrated occipitotemporal network. The younger participants were also sensitive to the type of face presented, as Novel faces were associated with greater mean BOLD activity than either the Famous or Relatives faces. Interestingly, Relatives faces were associated with greater mean B OLD activity in more regions of the brain than found in any other analysis in Exp. 1, spanning the inferior frontal, medial temporal and inferior parietal cortices. In contrast, the older adults were not sensitive to the type of face presented, which could reflect a difference in cognitive strategies used by the older population when presented with this type of face stimuli. Experiment 2 evaluated face processing, familiarity in face processing and also emphasized the interactive roles autobiographical processing and memory recency play in processing familiar faces in mature adults (MA; 45-55yrs), older adults (OA; 70-92yrs) and patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease (AD; 70-92yrs)., MA participants had greater mean BOLD activity values in more regions of the brain than observed in either of the older adult populations, spanning regions of the medial frontal, medial temporal, inferior parietal and occipital cortices. OA, in contrast, utilized a concentrated frontal and medial temporal network and AD participants had the greatest deficit in BOLD activity overall.Age-related differences in processing faces, in processing the type of face presented, in autobiographical information processing and in processing the recency of a memory were noted, as well as differences due to the deleterious effects of AD.
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Date Issued: 2009
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/199330
Subject Headings: Face perception, Cognition, Age factors, Human face recognition, Alzheimer's disease, Facial expression, Physiological aspects
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Preserved and deficient calculation processes in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment.
Creator: Jurado Noboa, Maria Beatriz., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Psychology
Abstract/Description: Two skills necessary for the execution of proficient calculation, retrieving arithmetic facts from memory and accessing number magnitude information, were studied in a group of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls to try to elucidate the locus of impairment in AD-related calculation deficits. This was achieved through the use of an arithmetic production task and a number-matching task as measures of explicit and implicit...
Show moreTwo skills necessary for the execution of proficient calculation, retrieving arithmetic facts from memory and accessing number magnitude information, were studied in a group of patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease (AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and healthy controls to try to elucidate the locus of impairment in AD-related calculation deficits. This was achieved through the use of an arithmetic production task and a number-matching task as measures of explicit and implicit retrieval of arithmetic facts, and a numerical Stroop task that assesses automatic access to number magnitude representation. AD patients, but not MCI patients, showed high response latencies and a high number of errors when performing multiplications in the production task, and reduced automatic retrieval of arithmetic task in the number-matching task. All participants showed the classic problem-size effect often reported in the mathematical cognition literature. Performance on the numerical Stroop task suggests that access to number magnitude information is relatively resistant to cognitive impairment. ... Results for the AD group are consistent with a pattern of preserved and impaired cognitive processes that might mediate the reported calculation deficits in AD.
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/3362384
Subject Headings: Aging, Psychological aspects, Cognitive psychology, Memory disorders in old age, Alzheimer's disease, Diagnosis, Context effects (Psychology)
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Revisiting leisure activities and the risk of dementia in the elderly with special focus on dancing.
Creator: Stevens, Carrie., Charles E. Schmidt College of Science, Department of Mathematical Sciences
Abstract/Description: Data was provided by researchers of the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University whom statistically analyzed data from the Bronx Aging Study cohort, concluding that participation in cognitive leisure activities and one physical activity, dancing, were associated with a reduced risk of dementia [1]. We explore data from a second (the EAS) cohort, utilizing Cox Proportional-Hazards and extended Cox regression [13]. Cognitive leisure activities in...
Show moreData was provided by researchers of the Einstein Aging Study (EAS) of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University whom statistically analyzed data from the Bronx Aging Study cohort, concluding that participation in cognitive leisure activities and one physical activity, dancing, were associated with a reduced risk of dementia [1]. We explore data from a second (the EAS) cohort, utilizing Cox Proportional-Hazards and extended Cox regression [13]. Cognitive leisure activities in general, and particularly doing crossword puzzles, reading books, watching television, and emailing are associated with a reduced risk of dementia. Doing aerobics, learning computer programming, babysitting, dancing, jogging singing, and weight training are associated with an increased risk of dementia. Participation in cognitive leisure activities in general, and reading books in particular, remains highly significant even after adjustment for well-known risk factors [14] such as: age, cognitive status, depression, medical illnesses, gender, ethnicity, education and economic status.
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Date Issued: 2011
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3334097
Subject Headings: Aging, Psychological aspects, Older people, Health and hygiene, Forecasting, Older people, Mental health, Forecasting, Alzheimer's disease
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: How we die and how we don’t.
Creator: Hesse, Megan, Bucak, Ayse Papatya, Florida Atlantic University, Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Department of English
Abstract/Description: Kate Zeller is nearly thirteen, with hair like a rat’s nest and the temperament of a dog chained up against its will: moody and likely to bite you. She lives in the small town of Brookford with her twenty-two year old brother Teddy and her grandfather, Tony, an acclaimed graphic novelist. As summer turns to autumn, two things barrel uninvited into Kate’s life: one is Raleigh, a strange new girl with a head full of Shakespeare and a secret knowledge of ghosts. The other is the Alzheimer’s that...
Show moreKate Zeller is nearly thirteen, with hair like a rat’s nest and the temperament of a dog chained up against its will: moody and likely to bite you. She lives in the small town of Brookford with her twenty-two year old brother Teddy and her grandfather, Tony, an acclaimed graphic novelist. As summer turns to autumn, two things barrel uninvited into Kate’s life: one is Raleigh, a strange new girl with a head full of Shakespeare and a secret knowledge of ghosts. The other is the Alzheimer’s that sneaks itself into her grandfather’s head and begins to steal it away, piece by piece. The history and tragedy of the Zeller family begins to unwind as reality blurs with fantasy, creator with creations, all being watched by a man who lives deep in the forest that connects Kate’s house to Raleigh’s. A man with eyes that tick.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004377, http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004377
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease--Patients--Family relationships--Fiction, Grandparent and child--Fiction
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Using the symbolic expression of sand tray to kinesthetically connect to the inner cognitions of individuals diagnosed with a neurocognitive disorder.
Creator: Parsons, Mindy A., Peluso, Paul R., College of Education, Department of Counselor Education
Abstract/Description: This qualitative case study investigated the impact of sand tray on individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Four participants successfully completed the creation of sand trays while the researcher observed, interviewed, and documented the individual sand trays. The intervention established that sand tray allows the dementia patient to kinesthetically connect to their inner cognitions through the intentional symbolic expression offered by this unique therapeutic...
Show moreThis qualitative case study investigated the impact of sand tray on individuals diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia. Four participants successfully completed the creation of sand trays while the researcher observed, interviewed, and documented the individual sand trays. The intervention established that sand tray allows the dementia patient to kinesthetically connect to their inner cognitions through the intentional symbolic expression offered by this unique therapeutic medium. Using a series of eight sand trays of varying thematic concepts, the participants were offered a modality to facilitate a synthesization of their continued individuation, presenting a possible neural pathway to connect and express thoughts, feelings, emotions, concerns, challenges, and fears. The findings of this study include the fact that all trays were classified as “empty” and that the majority of the participants placed objects almost exclusively on the right side of the tray, which is commonly associated with the concreteor conscious side. The use of sand tray allowed each individual the opportunity to create autobiographies in the sand and literally navigate through time – past, present, and future, confronting fears, expressing hope and possibilities. The results of the research study offer insight into the psychotherapeutic effects of using sand tray with dementia patients, as well as a better understanding of the cognitive and expressive abilities and limitations of an individual with impaired memory. The results also offer insight into the difficulties with short-term memory in this population and possibly indicate a potential means for monitoring cognitive decline. Keywords: Neurocognitive disorder, Alzheimer’s, dementia, sand tray, play therapy
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Date Issued: 2013
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA0004043
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease -- Treatment, Cognition disorders -- Treatment, Cognitive psychology, Play therapy, Psychodiagnostics, Sandplay -- Therapeutic use
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Effects of Resistance and Aerobic Training on IGF-1 and BDNF Expression in a Murine Model of Alzheimer’s Disease.
Creator: Pena, Gabriel S., Whitehurst, Michael, Florida Atlantic University, College of Education, Department of Exercise Science and Health Promotion
Abstract/Description: The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic and resistance training on BDNF and IGF-I expression in a 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Twenty-four 3xTg-AD mice were randomly assigned to either an aerobic (AT, n=8), resistance (RT, n=8), or control (CNT, n=8) group. Intervention groups underwent 9 weeks of exercise training. Motor behavior and grip strength were measured pre- and post- intervention. Our results showed a significant increase in...
Show moreThe primary purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of aerobic and resistance training on BDNF and IGF-I expression in a 3xTg-AD mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease. Twenty-four 3xTg-AD mice were randomly assigned to either an aerobic (AT, n=8), resistance (RT, n=8), or control (CNT, n=8) group. Intervention groups underwent 9 weeks of exercise training. Motor behavior and grip strength were measured pre- and post- intervention. Our results showed a significant increase in hippocampal BDNF expression in AT mice after a 9-week intervention. Further, AT mice were found to have higher concentrations of IGF-I, and improved motor behavior when compared to RT and CNT. No significant differences were observed in IGF-I concentration between RT and other groups. RT improved grip strength after nine weeks of training. These findings support the use of AT and RT as a tool to improve comorbidities found in Alzheimer’s disease.
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Date Issued: 2018
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013094
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease., Insulin-Like Growth Factor I., Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Aerobic exercises., Resistance Training.
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: Recognizing Functional Decline in Persons with MCI (Mild Cognitive Impairment).
Creator: Powers-Jarvis, Robin Story, Tappen, Ruth M., Florida Atlantic University, Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
Abstract/Description: Although not all persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) go on to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), MCI is recognized as an early stage of AD. The effects of AD are devastating to all concerned. Research has identified that recognition of AD in its earliest stages and institution of known treatment modalities can forestall the ultimate outcome. Identification of the first subtle signs of MCI can assist in the recognition of this prodromal phase, and allow for institution of therapy while...
Show moreAlthough not all persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) go on to develop Alzheimer's disease (AD), MCI is recognized as an early stage of AD. The effects of AD are devastating to all concerned. Research has identified that recognition of AD in its earliest stages and institution of known treatment modalities can forestall the ultimate outcome. Identification of the first subtle signs of MCI can assist in the recognition of this prodromal phase, and allow for institution of therapy while still in the initial stages. Unfortunately, the development of MCI is insidious in nature, thus making it difficult to detect. The purpose of this study was to identify areas of functional decline that occur in MCI in an effort to improve its early identification. A mixed-methods design that combined qualitative and quantitative methods was used. Fifty-three participants with memory complaints were interviewed using a semi structured interview technique with open-ended questions, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and a list of eighty-five items previously identified as indicative of functional decline. Twenty-nine persons were divided into two groups: 1) those identified as probable MCI (consensus diagnosis) (n=15) and possible MCI (based on screening examination) (n=14) and 2) those identified as Normal (no cognitive impairment) (n=10), and their subjective functional deficits compared. The findings suggest that there were certain areas of functional decline more commonly experienced by persons in the MCI group than by unimpaired. These include difficulty recalling details of information and forgetting conversations. There were also other changes identified, such as adaptations on the part of persons with MCI (an increased dependence on memory aids, for example, lists and calendars) and a dec rease in social activities leading to an increase in social isolation. Additionally identified were functional activities that appear to remain intact in persons with early MCI. This study highlights the subtlety with which MCI assaults the functional abilities of individuals, thus making its early identification problematic. The results of this study will contribute by providing information that will help professionals who are assessing persons experiencing memory issues for the possible presence of MCI. Additionally, it is hoped that these findings will assist in the development of a measurement tool designed to assess for possible MCI.
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Date Issued: 2015
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00004536
Subject Headings: Alzheimer's disease -- Diagnosis, Amnestic mild cognitive impairment -- Diagnosis, Dementia -- Diagnosis, Memory disorders in old age -- Diagnosis, Mild cognitive impairment -- Diagnosis
Format: Document (PDF)

Title: The experience of caring for an elderly parent with Alzheimer's disease.
Creator: Davies, Sally., Florida Atlantic University, Beckerman, Anita
Abstract/Description: The purpose of this study was to describe the experience of caring for an elderly parent in the last year of her life. Using the historical research design, the author examined a journal kept during the time of the experience. The analysis revealed the recurrent themes of mother/daughter and patient/nurse relationships in the journal. These themes were then analysed to reflect the frequency and the alternating rhythms of interactions throughout the time the journal encompasses. The writing of...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to describe the experience of caring for an elderly parent in the last year of her life. Using the historical research design, the author examined a journal kept during the time of the experience. The analysis revealed the recurrent themes of mother/daughter and patient/nurse relationships in the journal. These themes were then analysed to reflect the frequency and the alternating rhythms of interactions throughout the time the journal encompasses. The writing of this personal story of caregiving and its analysis documents a personal event that can be used by others to understand the caregiving experience.
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Date Issued: 1996
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/15342
Subject Headings: Aging parents--Care--Psychological aspects, Alzheimer's disease--Patients--Family relationships, Caregivers--Psychology, Daughters--Psychology, Parent and adult child, Diaries--Therapeutic use, Nurses--Psychology
Format: Document (PDF)

FAU Theses and Dissertations (31)	+ -
FAU Graduate Student Research (3)	+ -
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