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Objectives: Socialization predicts cognitive aging outcomes. Neighborhoods may facilitate socially engaged aging and thus shape cognition. We investigated places where older adults socialized and whether availability of these sites was associated with cognitive outcomes. Methods: Qualitative analysis of interviews and ethnography with 125 older adults (mean age 71 years) in Minneapolis identified where participants socialized outside of home. This informed quantitative analysis of a national sample of 21,151 older Americans (mean age at baseline 67 years) from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study. Multilevel generalized additive models described associations between access to key social places and cognitive function and decline. Results: Qualitative analysis identified eateries, senior centers, and civic groups as key places to socialize. We identified significant positive associations between kernel density of senior centers, civic/social organizations, and cognitive function. Discussion: Specific neighborhood social infrastructures may support cognitive health among older adults aging in place.

Stark geographic variation in later-life health outcomes suggests that local built and social environments are critical in shaping disease and disability, physical and cognitive function, and engagement in everyday life among older adults. This paper presents a community-engaged mapping project aiming to depict the uneven distribution of hazards and amenities relevant to cognitive aging across the United States. Living in neighborhoods with opportunities for social interaction (e.g., coffee shops, senior centers), intellectual stimulation (e.g., museums, libraries) and physical activity (e.g., parks, walkable streets) may slow rates of cognitive decline and reduce risk for Alzheimer’s disease. We assembled a community advisory board to translate research findings into a pilot website and interactive map that assesses neighborhoods for cognitive aging resources and amenities. The objective is to increase public awareness and inform public health and policy efforts to ameliorate community barriers and create more equitable opportunities to promote healthy aging in place.

Background Older adults are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health effects of extreme temperature-related events. A growing body of literature highlights the importance of the natural environment, including air pollution and sunlight, on cognitive health. However, the relationship between exposure to outdoor temperatures and cognitive functioning, and whether there exists any differences across climate region, remains largely unexplored. We address this gap by examining the temperature-cognition association, and whether there exists any variation across climate regions in a national cohort of aging adults. Methods In this cross-sectional study, we obtained data on temperature exposure based on geocoded residential location of participants in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study. For each participant, this information was linked to their cognitive scores from Word List Learning and Recall tests to assess cognitive functioning. We used distributed lag non-linear models (dlnm) to model temperature effects over 2 days. Multivariable linear regression was used to compute temperature-cognitive functioning associations, adjusted for important covariates. Region-specific (“Dry”, “Mediterranean/oceanic”, “Tropical” and “Continental”) associations were examined by including an interaction term between climate region and temperature. Results Amongst 20,687 individuals (mean age = 67.8; standard deviation = 9.2), exposure to region-specific extreme cold temperatures in the “dry” region (e.g., Arizona) over 2 days was associated with lower cognitive scores (Mean Difference [MD]: -0.76, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: − 1.45, − 0.07). Associations remained significant for cumulative effects of temperature over 2 days. Extremely cold exposure in the “Mediterranean/oceanic” region (e.g., California) over 2 days was also associated with significantly lower cognitive performance (MD: -0.25, 95% CI: − 0.47, − 0.04). No significant associations were observed for exposure to hot temperatures. Cognitive performance was slightly higher in late summer and fall compared to early summer. Conclusion We noted adverse cognitive associations with cold temperatures in traditionally warmer regions of the country and improved cognition in summer and early fall seasons. While we did not observe very large significant associations, this study deepens understanding of the impact of climate change on the cognitive health of aging adults and can inform clinical care and public health preparedness plans.

RÉSUMÉLa littérature a documenté une relation positive entre la mobilité à l’extérieur chez les personnes âgées et les environnements bâtisables et marchables. Cependant, étonnamment, toute considération de la façon dont le temps modifie l’accessibilité piétonnière à travers les quartiers est absente. À Vancouver, au Canada, on a utilisé des données météorologiques archivées liées à des données recueillies auprès d’un échantillon d’aînés. On a constaté que, lorsqu’il neige, les quartiers où l’on dépend d’automobiles (comportant des blocs plus longs, moins d’intersections et une plus grande distance aux commodités) sont devenus inaccessibles. Même les adultes plus âgés qui vivaient dans les quartiers qui étaient très bien adaptés au traffic pietonnier marchait à 25 pour cent moins de destinations pendant la neige. Il est essentiel de tenir compte de l’impact des conditions météorologiques dans la relation entre la marchabilité des quartiers et la mobilité des personnes âgées.

Over the last two decades, the impact of community characteristics on the physical and mental health of residents has emerged as an important frontier of research in population health and health disparities. However, the development and evaluation of measures to capture community characteristics is still at a relatively early stage. The purpose of this work was to assess the reliability of a neighborhood audit instrument administered in the city of Chicago using Google Street View by comparing these “virtual” data to those obtained from an identical instrument administered “in-person”. We find that a virtual audit instrument can provide reliable indicators of recreational facilities, the local food environment, and general land use. However, caution should be exercised when trying to gather more finely detailed observations. Using the internet to conduct a neighborhood audit has the potential to significantly reduce the costs of collecting data objectively and unobtrusively.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection can be devastating in the neonate. The disease most commonly presents as 1 of 3 clinical manifestations: disseminated visceral infection (with and without central nervous system involvement), isolated meningoencephalitis, and infection limited to the skin, eyes, and/or mucous membranes (SEM). Exposure leading to neonatal infection typically occurs as peripartum vertical transmission, most typically by direct contact with urogenital lesions or infected genital secretions, or as an ascending infection exploiting disrupted chorioamniotic membranes. We present a novel case of a newborn girl who developed HSV-2 keratoconjunctivitis despite being delivered via an elective, uncomplicated, repeat cesarean over intact chorioamniotic membranes in the absence of active clinical maternal HSV infection and despite having a negative medical history of previous orolabial or genital herpetic infection.