None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
This study examines the extent to which, how, and for whom aspects of the urban environment influence brain health and cognitive health in mid-aged and older community dwellers living in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Hong Kong (China) and Barcelona (Spain). Specifically, we will examine 1) the associations of physical and social attributes of the participants’ neighborhood environment and other activity locations with changes in cognitive function and brain health, 2) the extent to which these changes are explained by lifestyle behaviors (physical activity, sedentary time, quality of sleep, social and cognitive activities) and 3) and the extent to which the observed associations depend on personality traits and genetic predisposition to dementia.
Interventions
This prospective multidisciplinary cohort study proposes to build the evidence base on the impacts of urban environments on cognitive health. This research will specifically study environmental factors that are amenable to change through small- and large-scale interventions and changes in policy in the sectors of urban planning, transportation, environmental protection and architecture. The environmental exposures that will be studied include: characteristics of the built environment (e.g., dwel
This prospective multidisciplinary cohort study proposes to build the evidence base on the impacts of urban environments on cognitive health. This research will specifically study environmental factors that are amenable to change through small- and large-scale interventions and changes in policy in the sectors of urban planning, transportation, environmental protection and architecture. The environmental exposures that will be studied include: characteristics of the built environment (e.g., dwelling density, access to facilities, access to public transport, intersection density, visual complexity); characteristics of the natural environment (amount of green space and blue space); noise and air pollution. This study will collect two-year longitudinal environmental data on a sample of 50-79 year old community dwellers. Baseline data collection will be conducted in 2019/2022 and repeated after 24 months in 2021/2025.
Sponsors
Australian Catholic University
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
50 Years to 79 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
50-79 year old community dwellers who are able to walk outside their home for at least 5 minutes without major difficulties, who are able to speak and write in English and without major diagnosed mental or physical health conditions.
Exclusion criteria
All conditions need to be diagnosed by an appropriate health professional (e.g., general practitioner, neurologist, psychiatrist). 1. Cancer within the past 5 years (exceptions: surgically removed skin cancers and untreated prostate cancer) 2. Cerebral palsy 3. Colour blindness 4. Dementia o Alzheimer’s disease (AD) o Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) o Lewy body disease o Normal pressure Hydrocephalus o Vascular dementia o Any other dementia 5. Heart attack – if experienced significant loss of conscientiousness that resulted in brain injury or impairment 6. Medical conditions o Lung disease (chronic & severe) o Kidney disease (chronic & severe) o Thyroid - hypothyroidism (e.g., Hashimoto’s disease) or hyperthyroidism (e.g., Graves disease) 7. Moderate or severe head injury (e.g., traumatic brain injury (TBI), acquired brain injury (ABI)) 8. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) 9. Neurological conditions o Epilepsy o History of stroke o Huntington’s disease o Multiple sclerosis (MS) o Parkinson’s disease (PD) o Prion diseases (e.g., Multiple system atrophy (MSA) or Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)) o Any other neurological disorder (exception: migraine) 10. Psychiatric / psychological disorders o Anxiety disorders (current diagnosis) • Post-traumatic stress disorder • Obsessive-compulsive disorder • Any other anxiety disorder that significantly impacts day-to-day functioning (mild anxiety ok) o Developmental disorders • Autism spectrum disorder • Attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (a.k.a. attention deficit disorder) • Dyslexia (or Specific Learning Disorder (SLD) with reading difficulties) • Any other learning disorder o Impulse control disorder o Mood disorder (current diagnosis) • Bipolar disorder (a.k.a manic-depressive disorder) • Major depression • Any other form of depression o Personality disorder o Schizophrenia 11. Sleep apnoea 12. Substance use/abuse
Outcome results
None listed