We are looking for contributors for our new Research Topic in Frontiers in Psychiatry on “the medium and long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures on modifiable risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline: a global perspective”.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has affected individuals who are at risk of dementia and cognitive decline. First, healthcare has been disrupted, causing delays in diagnoses and reduction in face-to-face patient management. Second, lockdowns and quarantine scenarios have created barriers to risk factor control, e.g., due to dietary changes, reduced physical activity, lack of social and cognitive stimulation etc. Third, ongoing dementia prevention trials have been disrupted or delayed due to the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection in participants and research staff. In addition, psychiatric symptoms and disorders may be increased in older persons and those with cognitive impairment due to reduced social contact and anxiety related to the pandemic and risk of infection.
The response to the COVID-19 pandemic has differed considerably between countries; some have initiated strict, regular lockdowns while others have provided general, unenforced guidelines to the general population. Each country’s economic, cultural, and social framework has led to a different response, yet it is not yet clear what affect this has on individuals in society. Several countries are now into second and third waves of COVID-19 and, although vaccination programs are ongoing, it is not yet clear how long the pandemic will continue and whether we will continue to need infection control measures in the long-term future.
Our new Research Topic aims to examine, from a global perspective, how the ongoing pandemic is affecting adults at risk of cognitive decline and related dementia prevention trials. We particularly welcome submissions from ongoing research projects that have pre-pandemic data on participants as well as multinational studies with harmonized data collection methods.
We particularly welcome submissions from ongoing research projects that have pre-pandemic data on participants as well as multinational studies with harmonized data collection methods.
If you are working in the area of dementia prevention and healthy aging, please contact Miia Kivipelto or Katie Palmer at the FINGERS Brain Health Institute or read more about the special issue here:
