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Symposium

Health Sciences

Advancing the Science of Sensory Health and Cognition: From Epidemiology to Intervention

Saturday, November 16, 2024
3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST
Location: Room 211
CE: 1.5

Sensory health and cognition are at the intersection of two major public health challenges facing an aging global population. Sensory impairments are among the most common and disabling comorbidities among individuals at risk for cognitive impairment and those already aging with cognitive impairment. Sensory impairments may also serve as key biomarkers in dementia and may worsen the trajectory of decline. Although prevalent, sensory impairments frequently go unrecognized and unaddressed. Importantly, sensory impairment has been identified as modifiable risk factors for dementia. Optimizing sensory function may be an important yet overlooked approach to reducing the risk of cognitive decline as well as providing potential nonpharmacological interventions to aid in the management of neuropsychiatric symptoms, improve quality of life for persons living with dementia, and reduce burden for care partners. This symposium presents the latest evidence from epidemiology to intervention in advancing our understanding and approach to sensory health and cognition. The symposium begins with a focus on the epidemiology of sensory function among individuals with or at risk for cognitive impairment and then moves to a focus on intervention, understanding the potential impacts of optimizing sensory function on brain structure, barriers to addressing sensory function in clinical settings, and envisioning how to optimize interventions by learning directly from individuals aging with cognitive impairment, their care partners, and experts. This symposium features leaders in the field of sensory health and cognition from diverse career stages, disciplines, and settings.

Learning Objectives:

  • Discuss the prevalence of sensory impairment across the dementia risk spectrum and associated structural findings on neuroimaging, specifically MRI
  • Examine mid-life risk factors, including sensory impairments, and associated risk of 10-year cognitive decline and cognitive impairment
  • Summarize key barriers, facilitators, and motivators to identifying and addressing sensory impairment among individuals with cognitive impairment

Presentations:

  • 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST
    Hearing and Olfactory Loss Associated With Altered Brain Structure and Connectivity in Dementia Risk

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Natalie A. Phillips, PhD (she/her/hers) – Concordia Unversity

  • 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST
    Parsimonious Models of Long-Term Cognitive Decline and Impairment Prediction in Middle-Aged Adults

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Natascha Merten, PhD, MS (she/her/hers) – University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST
    Discussion and Documentation of Hearing Difficulty in the Presence of Dementia: Study of the Annual Wellness Visit

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Danielle Powell, AuD PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Maryland

  • 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST
    Insights on Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment and Hearing Loss: End-User and Care Partner Perspectives

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Peter Hope, BA (he/him/his) – Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

  • 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM PST
    Insights on Older Adults With Cognitive Impairment and Hearing Loss: Expert Perspectives

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Marcela D. Blinka, PhD. – Johns Hopkins University