Dr. Vojko Kavčič, ki redno sodeluje s Spominčico, bo predaval tudi na Mednarodni konferenci o demenci ASK 2017. V predavanju z naslovom Zgodnja diagnostika kognitivnih upadov pri osebah s subjektivnimi spominskimi motnjami, praksa v lokalni skupnosti, bo spregovoril o pomenu zgodnje diagnoze Alzheimerjeve bolezni, o značilnostih blage kognitivne motnje in Alzheimerjeve bolezni ter načinih ohranjanja bistrega uma skozi celo življenje.
Povzetek prispevka:
COMMUNITY-BASED APPROACH FOR EARLY DETECTION OF ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IN AT RISK AFRICAN AMERICANS
With the increase in longevity and the rapid increase in the proportion of elderly in the population, it is important to evaluate the earliest risk for dementia accurately in order to guide environmental and clinical interventions for older adults. Community-dwelling, African-American elders are almost twice as likely to develop mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Development of economically viable and culturally acceptable methods of early detection of cognitive change are therefore critical in minority populations.
We will present initial findings of our ongoing study of computerized cognitive tests and portable electroencephalography (EEG/ERP) methodology to evaluate the ease, accuracy, and efficiency in which these measures can characterize early cognitive decline among African-Americans with and without MCI within their community setting. Additionally, we will also present data related to the feasibility and acceptability of these computer-based and electrophysiological methods. To date we have collected data from a total of 130 at risk African Americans (age ≥ 65 years) who expressed subjective memory complaints with two computerized tests (i.e. CogState and NIH Toolbox), EEG/ERP recordings, and a structured medical/neuropsychological exam. Initial analyses showed that MCI differed from others not only on performance on specific computerized tests, but also demonstrated increased power in EEG delta range (1.5 – 4 Hz).
We believe that our community-based evaluation, combining behavioral and EEG/ERP methods, will establish the utility and acceptability of these measures and potentially generate objective markers that will reliably identify the earliest signs of cognitive decline. These methods hold the promise of generating profiles of at risk healthy, elderly African-Americans, who may, within a short period of time, develop MCI and potentially AD. We expect that with a proper combination of behavioral and EEG/ERP methods, we will be able to develop objective marker that will reliably identify early signs of cognitive decline.
Doc. dr. Vojko Kavčič, univ. dipl. psih.
Dr. Vojko Kavčič je na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani diplomiral iz psihologije. Doktoriral je iz eksperimentalne psihologije na University of North Texas in se kasneje postdoktorsko izpopolnjeval na Medicinski fakulteti Univerze v Rochestru. Tam je bil do leta 2009 tudi zaposlen kot docent raziskovalec na oddelku za kognitivno in vedenjsko nevrologijo.
Trenutno je zaposlen kot docent raziskovalec na Gerontološkem inštitutu na Wayne State University v Detroitu, ZDA. Intenzivno se ukvarja z raziskovanjem zgodnje diagnostike Alzheimerjeve bolezni, pozornosti, delovnega spomina, prostorske navigacije in kognitivnega treninga.
Dr. Kavčič redno predava v tujini in v Sloveniji. Sodeluje s Spominčico in drugimi kolegi v Ljubljani, Mariboru in na Primorskem.
Izdal je knjigo Umovadba: za bistre možgane v poznih letih. V njej razlaga delovanje možganov, njihovo zgradbo in funkcijo ter kaj se dogaja z možgani, ko se starajo. Opiše tudi demenco, predvsem Alzheimerjevo bolezen, pri čemer ponudi tudi napotke njihovim bližnjim in skrbnikom. V nadaljevanju predstavi umovadbo, praktične vaje za krepitev možganov.
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