Check out some of the recent news coverage on our studies!
CLSA Webinar
Join us on October 24, at Noon ET for our CLSA webinar, “Potentially modifiable risk factors for low cognition and dementia: Could Canada reduce dementia by 50%?” The webinar will be presented by PhD candidate Surim Son and Dr. Manuel Montero-Odasso and Dr. Mark Speechley of Western University.
Cognitive impairment in aging is a multifactorial process involving several modifiable risk factors and pathological changes. It has been suggested that 35% to 45% of dementia cases worldwide are attributable to 9 to 14 risk factors. However, less is known about the extent to which these risk factors contribute to low cognition and dementia in Canada.
This webinar will focus on a study that estimated the potential population impact of 12 modifiable risk factors in middle-aged and older Canadian adults. The findings indicate that nearly 50% of dementia cases in Canada could be prevented by modifying 12 lifestyle risk factors highlighting that strategies to increase physical activity and promote effective management of hearing health, obesity, and hypertension have the greatest potential to mitigate a large proportion of dementia cases in Canada.
Surim Son is a PhD candidate in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. Her PhD research is looking to identify the specific combination of risk factors that are most likely to produce the greatest benefit on preserving cognition when targeted at population level. Her research interests centre around understanding dementia risk factors and optimizing multidomain trial design to promote dementia risk reduction and prevention and healthy aging.
Dr. Montero-Odasso is a geriatrician and scientist who leads globally recognized research programs on gait and cognition as well as lifestyle clinical intervention trials in adults with mild cognitive impairment to combat falls and reduce dementia risk in older adults. He is also a research executive member of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), president of Canadian Geriatric Society, and a member of the Worldwide FINGER Network. He is currently leading the SYNERGIC-2 trial which is the first large-scale personalized lifestyle intervention trial in Canada.
Dr. Speechley is a professor emeritus in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Western University. As a methodologist, he has designed numerous observational and experimental clinical trials in aging and neurodegenerative conditions including dementia. He played a critical role in designing the Canadian study to postpone the onset of dementia through multidomain lifestyle modifications, including SYNERGIC-1 and 2 trials.
Further information can be found here.
Participants Needed!
The SYNERGIC 2.0 TRIAL (SYNchronizing Exercises, Remedies in GaIt and Cognition) will provide virtual, at-home interventions to 550 study participants with mild cognitive impairment, including personalized one-on-one coaching, to help make lifestyle and behavioural changes. The SYNERGIC-2 Trial is being conducted by the Mobility, Exercise, and Cognition (MEC) Team which is part of the Canadian Consortium in Neurodegeneration and Aging (CCNA).
The SYNERGIC-2 Trial targets five areas including physical exercise, cognitive training, diet recommendations, sleep interventions and vascular risk factor management, with the goal of enhancing health and maintaining independence for individuals at risk for developing dementia.
We’re on the lookout for individuals to participate in this life-changing trial.
Click here to participate: I am interested in SYNERGIC-2. Please send me more information!
Volunteers Needed!
The Gait and Brain laboratory is now looking for volunteers to join our team! We’re looking for enthusiastic people who are excited about research in medicine.
Volunteering with us will give the following learning and professional development opportunities:
- You will develop integral skills in gait, mobility, and neuropsychological and cognitive assessment in geriatric populations.
- You will learn proper data entry and data curation techniques that are in line with standard research practices in medical and clinical trials.
- You will work with a team of research and medical professionals who will provide you with fruitful knowledge and insights in research data collection, data entry, and management.
To apply, please email us at [email protected] or call us at 519-646-6100 extension 42179.
About Our Lab
The Gait and Brain Lab is a research facility at Parkwood Institute, London, Ontario. We specialize in ageing-related research, specifically looking at the interaction between one’s mobility and cognition as one ages. The Gait and Brain Lab’s mission is to integrate “Mobility and Cognition” as a new line of research to better understand and treat the epidemic of insidious disability in older people.
Gait and Brain Seminar
The Gait and Brain Lab hosted our 16th Annual Seminar on Thursday October 19th @ 2:45PM.
Please see the Seminars page for more details and to watch the recorded broadcast.
Congratulations to Dr. Montero-Odasso!
Innovation Award: Lawson Impact Awards 2023
Dr. Montero-Odasso was awarded with the Innovation Award at the Lawson Impact Awards for his innovation in recognizing the relationship between cognition and mobility has led to strides in understanding conditions including dementia, gait disorders, falls and frailty. With the aging population recognized as a major pressure on the health system, his work has the potential to transform care.
Dr. Joseph Gilbert Research Contribution: Lawson Impact Awards
Dr. Montero-Odasso was awarded with the Dr. Joseph Gilbert Research Contribution of the Year award at the Lawson Impact Awards for his publication in JAMA Neurology titled “Association of dual-task gait with incident dementia in Mild Cognitive Impairment: Results from the Gait and Brain Study”.
Research Opportunities
Do you have memory problems?
Do you have trouble remembering things?
Are you 60 years old or older?
Would you like to be part of a research study?
Interested older adults are invited to call to get information about participating in our research studies.
Our projects are looking at the relationship between walking and cognition (how you think and reason). If you have concerns about your memory, you are encouraged to call us and , if you meet certain criteria, you will be invited to take part in our research studies. You may then be invited to come to Parkwood Institute, part of St. Joseph’s Health Care London, and undergo a thorough assessment by our trained professionals. As a part of the study, you will have a complete memory and mobility evaluation, which can be sent to your family physician if you wish.
If you are interested, please contact us today! [email protected]