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Professors from the University of Delaware and Carnegie Mellon University will use a $3.7 million RF1 grant from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) to examine language as an early behavioral marker of Alzheimer’s Disease. If successful, this research could pave the way for earlier interventions.
“Identifying these individuals as early as possible gets them into preventive treatments sooner,” said Alyssa Lanzi, assistant professor of Communications Sciences & Disorders at UD.
The study builds on pilot data gathered by Anna Saylor, a third-year doctoral student in the communication sciences and disorders doctoral program, housed in the UD's College of Health Sciences. “We know a lot about how language develops in childhood but not much about how it changes in older adults,” Saylor said. “Our data suggest subtle language changes might signal future cognitive decline.”
To explore these changes on a larger scale, Lanzi is collaborating with MacWhinney, who founded TalkBank, open science database of language samples. Within TalkBank is DementiaBank, a shared database of multimedia interactions for studying communication in dementia. However, DementiaBank is outdated and limited in demographics, and the quality and rigor of the data need improvement.
Lanzi is seeking to change that. Her five-year study seeks 300 older adults aged 60-90 nationwide from underrepresented backgrounds or populations vulnerable to health disparities.
“Current DementiaBank data is representative of Caucasians of a higher socioeconomic status,” Lanzi said. “We must intentionally recruit people who are at the greatest risk — for example, adults who are Black, Asian, Hispanic, Latin and those living in rural areas.”
The recruitment strategy, rooted in community engagement at locations in Wilmington, Delaware, is part of the novelty of Lanzi’s grant.
“This is a feasibility study to see if our approach in Wilmington can be replicated in other states,” Lanzi said.
Lanzi has also established an advisory committee of nationwide faculty with relevant expertise on specific priority populations. Their input will tailor plans to population needs while data is collected through a central site at UD.
The Delaware Center for Cognitive Aging Research (DECCAR) also provides critical infrastructure for the study.
“This project is an example of the success of DECCAR, and our impact extends far beyond state lines,” said Lanzi, an executive committee member with DECCAR.
Participants selected for the study will participate in a comprehensive cognitive and language testing battery via telehealth, so they don’t have to travel to UD’s campus, which is novel and unique to this study.
“To study their language, they’ll see pictures and be asked to describe them and share stories from their past,” Lanzi said.
Study participants will receive a gift card for participating and feedback about their memory to share with their healthcare provider.
“Building trust and giving back are key elements of our strategy,” Lanzi said.
Lanzi is already preparing for the next phase of her research, supported by an additional $800,000 grant from the NIA. This phase will test the effects of an online treatment Lanzi developed for individuals identified as at risk.
“If we find that language is an early marker of disease, I want to take this research to the next level and develop treatments that teach strategies to enhance independence and improve the quality of life for those at risk of developing dementia,” she said.
'Tis the season for meals with friends and family and sneaking in snacks before New Year's resolutions put the fun to a halt. Indeed, the holidays are a time for celebration, but they can also make it challenging to maintain balance in our lives. Sharon Collison, licensed registered dietitian and instructor of clinical nutrition at the University of Delaware, says dietary substitutes, meal routines and comfortable clothing are key to savoring the season without going overboard.
Collison, a board-certified specialist in obesity and weight management who provides medical nutrition therapy in the Nutrition Clinic in UD's College of Health Sciences, offered practical tips to help holiday revelers stay on the beam.
How can folks enjoy their favorite holiday foods without overindulging? Don't skip meals on the day of the holiday. If you're overly hungry when the holiday meal is served, it will be harder to keep portions controlled. Also, make choices. Decide what foods at the meal are most appealing to you and eat a moderate portion (such as a cup). For example, if the meal has mashed potatoes and a sweet potato casserole, decide which one is most appealing to you and enjoy. Try to be more mindful about choices, eat slowly, and make sure you are aware of how much you are eating. Check-in with yourself throughout the meal and pay attention to fullness signals.
How can we maintain a positive body image during the season of indulgence? Wear clothes that make you feel the most confident AND comfortable. Avoid clothing that is too tight, making you feel even more uncomfortable after eating. Also, make physical activity a priority during the holiday season. Several studies support the benefit of physical activity on body image independent of the effect on body weight.
Will dessert kill diets, or is it all about balance? Absolutely not! Diets are the problem, not dessert. I recommend eating dessert while paying attention to portions and eating mindfully. Not allowing yourself dessert or depriving yourself can backfire and lead to extreme dieting and overindulging, which is more harmful to your well-being.
What are some tips for moderating alcohol consumption at holiday parties? Alternate alcoholic beverages with a glass of water or flavored seltzer. This will help you stay hydrated, too.
What are some festive non-alcoholic drink options for celebrations? Flavored seltzer with added orange slices and fresh cranberries.
How do we stay active during the colder holiday months? Bundle up in layers and go for a walk/hike. Purchase inexpensive exercise equipment, such as a stationary bike, to exercise without going outside or to a gym. Set a daily step goal and reach it at home by walking and talking on the phone with family or friends, dancing, and cleaning.
How can we handle food guilt or pressure to eat during family meals? Depending on your situation and family dynamics, consider talking to your family about perceived pressure to eat. Think about how you want to eat at holiday gatherings and tell your family you may eat differently than you did in the past. Ask them not to comment or draw attention and allow you to do what is best for you.
Try to avoid extremes in eating; neither extreme works in the long run. Being too restrictive doesn't allow you to enjoy food. Food is meant to be enjoyed. Allow yourself to enjoy special foods over the holidays. Pay attention to both extremes so that you're not under eating or overeating. If you are still struggling with guilt or feel you are unable to avoid these extremes, consider working with a Registered Dietitian and psychotherapist who have the training to help you.
How can we make healthy eating choices while traveling for the holidays? Consider packing some foods to give you more options. For example, bring everything you need to continue your breakfast routine. Plan ideas for lunches that you know help you feel your best. Since breakfast and lunch are closer to your regular routine, give yourself more flexibility with your dinner meal.
Also, don’t be afraid to plan and research restaurants with options you feel good about.
Lastly, set a goal to ensure each meal/snack includes a serving of fruit or vegetables, which will help you consume smaller portions of higher-calorie foods.
How can we return to a balanced diet after a season of treats and large meals? If you avoid the extreme of eating much more than usual at holiday meals, you will much more easily be able to return to your regular food intake patterns.
But try not to look at the holiday season as a time to avoid setting limits on food intake. Make choices where you want to eat more than you might otherwise eat, but make these choices mindfully, and try not to view any meal as an unlimited buffet.
What small steps can we take to set healthy goals for the new year? Avoid the common goal of starting a diet on January 1 or 2. Instead, start increasing physical activity during the holiday season.
Focus on what to add to your diet rather than what to avoid; try setting a goal to ensure that each meal/snack includes vegetables and/or fruit, get two servings of whole grains/day, or eat a plant-based meal once/day or three meals/week.
What are some healthy swaps for traditional holiday dishes? The American Heart Association (AHA) has great heart-healthy holiday recipes. But here are some easy ways to modify your own recipes:
• Use fat-free half-and-half in place of heavy cream or regular half-and-half
• Use Truvia brown sugar baking blend instead of brown sugar (Tip: Reduce the portion of Truvia baking blend to half the amount of sugar.)
• Substitute white whole wheat flour for white flour in baking recipes; this will increase dietary fiber without changing the texture of the baked good that would occur if substituted with whole wheat flour.
• Use 1/2 full eggs + 1/2 liquid egg white to reduce calories/fat/cholesterol in any recipe (1/8 cup liquid egg/egg white = 1 egg).
• Use applesauce instead of 1/2 of the oil in a recipe to reduce fat content and calories.
• Use fat-free plain Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
• It's important that food tastes good and is enjoyed; too many modifications can take the enjoyment out of a favorite food. If any of these modifications change the taste/texture of the recipe too much, consider replacing half of the ingredients as suggested and still include half of the original ingredient (sour cream, oil, sugar, etc.) to reduce overall calories/fat/sugar.
An unwritten law of leadership states the loudest voices in the room are not always the wisest. Some of history’s most notable and successful leaders were known introverts who wrangled loads of information for sizable teams: Abraham Lincoln, Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey, to name a few. New research from the University of Delaware found introverted leaders who rely on intuition to handle this large bundle of information lead the most successful teams.
The research, co-authored by professor Dustin Sleesman, explored the concept of intuition and when it's helpful for leaders who are in charge of large teams. Sleesman and his co-authors from Michigan State University studied more than 3,000 U.S. Air Force captains at a military base in Alabama. As part of their leadership training, the captains participated in a team-based battlefield simulation, which gave the researchers an opportunity to observe and analyze their behavior.
Sleesman and his co-authors accurately predicted that teams performed better when their leaders were armed with high amounts of information. But they made two interesting findings they didn't expect:
• Introverted leaders led more successful teams when intuitively handling large amounts of information.
• Intuitive leaders, in general, led more successful teams when they had to handle a lot of information.
"Introverted people tend to be more reflective, more introspective, they tend to be more observational than extroverted leaders," Sleesman said. "So pairing intuition with introversion tended to be very effective for team performance."
Sleesman, an associate professor of management in UD's Lerner College of Business & Economics, studies the psychology of decision-making, negotiation and conflict resolution, as well as team effectiveness. To set up an interview, click on the link below.
