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The main clinical intervention for older adults with hearing loss is the provision of hearing aids. However, uptake and usage in this population have historically been reported as low. The aim of this study was to understand the hearing loss characteristics, from measured audiometric hearing loss and self-perceived hearing handicap, that contribute to the decision of hearing aid ownership. A total of 2833 adults aged 50+ years, of which 329 reported hearing aid ownership, were involved with a population-based survey with audiometric hearing assessments. Classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to classify hearing aid ownership from audiometric measurements and hearing disability outcomes. An overall accuracy of 92.5% was found for the performance of the CART analysis in predicting hearing aid ownership from hearing loss characteristics. By including hearing disability, sensitivity for predicting hearing aid ownership increased by up to 40% compared with just audiometric hearing loss measurements alone. A decision tree approach that considers both objectively measured hearing loss and self-perceived hearing disability, could facilitate a more tailored and personalised approach for determining hearing aid needs in the older population. Without intervention, older adults with hearing loss are at higher risk of cognitive decline and higher rates of depression, anxiety, social isolation. The provision of hearing aids can compensate hearing function, however, uptake and usage have been reported as low. Using a more precise cut-off from audiometric measures and self-perceived hearing disability scores could facilitate a tailored and personalised approach to screen and identify older adults for hearing aid needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioral effects of alcohol are known to be greater when the blood alcohol is rising, known as the Mellanby effect; however, research investigating the cortical changes during this period is scarce. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of consumption of alcohol on cortical activity measured by the electroencephalogram (EEG) during the absorption or rising phase of alcohol. EEG signals were recorded using the entire 10/20 montage system. The experimental design consisted of a repeated measures randomized crossover design in which subjects acted as their own control. This involved recording two EEG baseline measures, each of which was followed by a placebo or alcohol condition, delivered over two days for ten subjects. All subjects had a 50% chance of receiving the alcohol first. All subjects were shown to have mean peak blood alcohol concentration (BAC) levels of around .03%. No significant differences were found between the two baselines. Significant increases in EEG magnitude occurred in the theta (4-7.75 Hz), alpha 1 (8-9.75 Hz), and beta 1 (13.25-19.75 Hz) spectrum in the frontal EEG regions, and alpha 1 (8-9.75 Hz,) in the central and posterior regions. No significant changes were found in the theta (4-7.75 Hz) or beta (13.5-30 Hz) spectrums in the central and posterior regions. There were also no significant results for alpha 2 (10-13 Hz,) in any of the regions. These results suggest that rapid cortical changes occur within the first 35 min after alcohol consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Little is known about dementia and caregiving among the rapidly growing Vietnamese American population. This qualitative study elicited insights on culturally tailoring an intervention to address mental health needs in Vietnamese American dementia caregivers from Vietnamese American mental health professionals. Methods: Eight Vietnamese American mental health professionals were interviewed to explore: experiences working with and needs of the community; Vietnamese attitudes toward treatment; and acculturation in Vietnamese caregiving. Participants provided recommendations on tailoring a program for Vietnamese dementia caregivers. Content analysis of their responses was conducted. Results: Themes included: a) caregivers’ unique needs and experiences; b) different waves of immigration and acculturation levels affect views on mental health, treatment, and caregiving; c); traditions and beliefs on caregiving; d) mental health, help-seeking and health services; e) how to culturally tailor a program for Vietnamese dementia caregivers; and f) cultural acceptance of the program. Conclusions: An intervention to reduce stress and depression among Vietnamese American dementia caregivers should recognize the special risks of the experiences of war and immigration of the caregivers as well as the pressure of the expectations of the Vietnamese culture on family care. For the program to be acceptable and effective, it needs to consider all aspects of caregivers’ health, and incorporate Vietnamese cultural values/beliefs. Clinical Implications: A successful Vietnamese dementia caregiver intervention should include traditional Vietnamese values/beliefs, holistic experiences, spirituality, and background/immigration experiences. Evidence-based programs may be used with this population if they are culturally tailored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]