Brain health in very old people, long-term time trends and associated social and health-related factors – the Gerontological Database study

Biopsychosocial correlates, regional variations and long-term trends of brain health in very old adults, the BRAIN HEALTH project

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN14955279

Enrollment

1200

Registered

2025-04-28

Start date

2025-04-30

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Participants' health and well-being, living conditions, etc, are studied in relation to brain health (cognitive function and mental well-being) Other

Interventions

Home visits will be conducted using structured interviews with validated assessments in 2025-2027 in Umeå and five rural municipalities in Västerbotten, in Vasa and three rural municipalities in Oster

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Being 85 years old, 90 years old or 95 years or older 2. Living in the municipality of Umeå (Sweden 2025-2026), Vasa (+ three municipalities in Österbotten) and Åland (Finland 2025-2026) and five rural municipalities in Sweden (Sorsele, Malå, Storuman, Vilhelmina and Dorotea) in 2027

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: Does not meet the inclusion criteria

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Dementia disorders measured using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and the Organic Brain Scale (OBS) during the home visits 2. Depressive disorders measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15), the Life Orientation Scale (LOS), the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the Organic Brain Syndrome Scale (OBS) during the home visits Measured at home visits in 2000/2002 and every 5 years (except in 2020/2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) until 2025/2027	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Dementia disorders measured using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and the Organic Brain Scale (OBS) during the home visits 2. Depressive disorders measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale 15-item version (GDS-15), the Life Orientation Scale (LOS), the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale (PGCMS), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and the Organic Brain Syndrome Scale (OBS) during the home visits Measured at home visits in 2000/2002 and every 5 years (except in 2020/2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) until 2025/2027

—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Health-related factors measured using self-rated health, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, the Katz Activities of Daily Living (KATZ-ADL) staircase (Personal and Instrumental ADL), the BARTHEL ADL index, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Expanded Version (IPAQE-80+), the Frändin Grimby activity scale (summer/winter), and by collecting data on diseases, medications, hospitalization, vision, hearing, pain, sleep, tobacco, alcohol, dizziness, biomarkers and immunomarkers, different aids, outdoor activities, 30 sec chair stand test, gait speed, handgrip (isometric handgrip strength), body composition, height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, oral health, dental status, falls and fear of falling during the home visits 2. Psychosocial factors measured by collecting data on leisure activities, social interactions, loneliness, number of contacts, informal caregiving, pets, inner strength, life crises, ageism, safety, and digital technology use during the home visits Measured at home visits in 2000/2002 and every 5 years (except in 2020/2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) until 2025/2027	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Health-related factors measured using self-rated health, the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA), the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria, the Katz Activities of Daily Living (KATZ-ADL) staircase (Personal and Instrumental ADL), the BARTHEL ADL index, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Expanded Version (IPAQE-80+), the Frändin Grimby activity scale (summer/winter), and by collecting data on diseases, medications, hospitalization, vision, hearing, pain, sleep, tobacco, alcohol, dizziness, biomarkers and immunomarkers, different aids, outdoor activities, 30 sec chair stand test, gait speed, handgrip (isometric handgrip strength), body composition, height, weight, blood pressure, pulse, oral health, dental status, falls and fear of falling during the home visits 2. Psychosocial factors measured by collecting data on leisure activities, social interactions, loneliness, number of contacts, informal caregiving, pets, inner strength, life crises, ageism, safety, and digital technology use during the home visits Measured at home visits in 2000/2002 and every 5 years (except in 2020/2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic) until 2025/2027

—

Countries

Åland Islands, Finland, Sweden

Contacts

Public ContactBirgitta Olofsson

birgitta.olofsson@umu.se+46 (0)706616463

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026