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Background : Research suggests optimizing sleep, exercise and work-life balance may improve resident physician burnout. Wearable biosensors may allow residents to detect and correct poor sleep and exercise habits before burnout develops. Our objectives were to evaluate the feasibility of a wearable biosensor to characterize exercise/sleep in neurology residents and examine its relationship to self-reported, validated survey measures. We also assessed the device's impact on well-being and barriers to use. Methods This prospective cohort study evaluated the WHOOP Strap 2.0 in neurology residents. Participants completed regular online surveys, including self-reported hours of sleep/exercise, and validated sleep/exercise scales at 3-month intervals. Autonomic, exercise, and sleep measures were obtained from WHOOP. Changes were evaluated over time via linear regression. Survey and WHOOP metrics were compared using Pearson correlations. Results Sixteen (72.7%) of 22 eligible participants enrolled. Eleven (68.8%) met the minimum usage requirement (6+ months) and were classified as "consecutive wearers". Significant increases were found in sleep duration and exercise intensity. Moderate-to-low correlations were found between survey responses and WHOOP measures. Most (73%) participants reported a positive impact on well-being. Barriers to use included "Forgetting to wear" (20%) and "not motivational" (23.3%). Conclusion Wearable biosensors may be a feasible tool to evaluate sleep/exercise in residents.

INTRODUCTION: Multi-domain intervention for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk reduction is an emerging therapeutic paradigm. METHODS: Patients were prescribed individually-tailored interventions (education/pharmacologic/non-pharmacologic) and rated on compliance. Normal cognition/subjective cognitive decline/preclinical-AD were classified as Prevention. Mild cognitive impairment due to AD/mild-AD were classified as Early Treatment. Change from baseline to 18-months on the modified-Alzheimer’s Prevention Cognitive Composite (primary outcome) was compared against matched historical control cohorts. Cognitive aging composite (CogAging), AD/cardiovascular risk-scales, and serum biomarkers were secondary outcomes. RESULTS: 174 were assigned interventions (age 25–86). Higher-compliance Prevention improved more than both historical cohorts (P=.0012,P

Background: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common and most costly chronic neurodegenerative disease globally. AD develops over an extended period prior to cognitive symptoms, leaving a “window of opportunity” for targeted risk-reduction interventions. Further, this pre-dementia phase includes early physiological changes in sleep and autonomic regulation, for which wearable biosensor devices may offer a convenient and cost-effective method to assess AD-risk. Methods: Patients with a family history of AD and no or minimal cognitive complaints were recruited from the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine & New York-Presbyterian. Of the 40 consecutive patients screened, 34 (85%) agreed to wear a wearable biosensor device (WHOOP). One subject (2.5%) lost the device prior to data collection. Of the remaining subjects, 24 were classified as normal cognition and were asymptomatic, 6 were classified as subjective cognitive decline, and 3 were amyloid-positive (one with pre-clinical AD, one with pre-clinical Lewy-Body Dementia, and one with mild cognitive impairment due to AD). Sleep-cycle, autonomic (heart rate variability [HRV]) and activity measures were collected via WHOOP. Blood biomarkers and neuropsychological testing sensitive to cognitive changes in pre-clinical AD were obtained. Participants completed surveys assessing their sleep-patterns, exercise habits, and attitudes towards WHOOP. The goal of this prospective observational study was to determine the feasibility of using a wrist-worn biosensor device in patients at-risk for AD dementia. Unsupervised machine learning was performed to first separate participants into distinct phenotypic groups using the multivariate biometric data. Additional statistical analyses were conducted to examine correlations between individual biometric measures and cognitive performance. Results: 27 (81.8%) participants completed the follow-up surveys. Twenty-four participants (88.9%) were satisfied with WHOOP after six months, and twenty-three (85.2%) wanted to continue wearing WHOOP. K-means clustering separated participants into two groups. Group 1 was older, had lower HRV, and spent more time in slow-wave sleep (SWS) than Group 2. Group 1 performed better on two cognitive tests assessing executive function: Flanker Inhibitory Attention/Control (FIAC) (p=.031), and Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) (p=.061). In Group 1, DCCS was correlated with SWS (ρ=.68, p=0.024) and HRV (ρ=.6, p=0.019). In Group 2, DCCS was correlated with HRV (ρ=.55, p=0.018). There were no significant differences in blood biomarkers between the two groups. Conclusions: Wearable biosensor devices may be a feasible tool to assess AD-related physiological changes. Longitudinal collection of sleep and HRV data may potentially be a non-invasive method for monitoring cognitive changes related to pre-clinical AD. Further study is warranted in larger populations.

The ApoE4 allele is the most well-studied genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that is increasing in prevalence and remains without a cure. Precision nutrition targeting metabolic pathways altered by ApoE4 provides a tool for the potential prevention of disease. However, no long-term human studies have been conducted to determine effective nutritional protocols for the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease in ApoE4 carriers. This may be because relatively little is yet known about the precise mechanisms by which the genetic variant confers an increased risk of dementia. Fortunately, recent research is beginning to shine a spotlight on these mechanisms. These new data open up the opportunity for speculation as to how carriers might ameliorate risk through lifestyle and nutrition. Herein, we review recent discoveries about how ApoE4 differentially impacts microglia and inflammatory pathways, astrocytes and lipid metabolism, pericytes and blood–brain barrier integrity, and insulin resistance and glucose metabolism. We use these data as a basis to speculate a precision nutrition approach for ApoE4 carriers, including a low-glycemic index diet with a ketogenic option, specific Mediterranean-style food choices, and a panel of seven nutritional supplements. Where possible, we integrate basic scientific mechanisms with human observational studies to create a more complete and convincing rationale for this precision nutrition approach. Until recent research discoveries can be translated into long-term human studies, a mechanism-informed practical clinical approach may be useful for clinicians and patients with ApoE4 to adopt a lifestyle and nutrition plan geared towards Alzheimer’s risk reduction.

The path towards developing effective therapeutics to either cure or prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative dementias has been plagued by challenges. Nevertheless, innovative treatments and clinical frameworks that represent our current understanding of the trajectory of disease may help to reduce morbidity, or delay symptom onset, for patients in the pre-dementia stages. Late-life AD dementia develops over an extended period, first as an asymptomatic phase referred to as preclinical AD, which affects an estimated 46 million people in the United States alone (1). Following preclinical AD is the first symptomatic phase known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD. Collectively, both stages offer a unique chance for early intervention.

ObjectiveAlzheimer disease (AD) risk factors are present throughout the lifespan. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of various online education strategies concerning AD risk reduction and brain health in younger populations.MethodHigh school and college students were recruited via social media (Facebook and Instagram) to join AlzU.org, an evidence-based education portal, and were randomized to 1 of 4 courses: highly interactive webinar lessons narrated by actor Seth Rogen (celebrity webinar) or a physician (doctor webinar), minimally interactive video lessons with Seth Rogen (celebrity video), or minimally interactive video lessons (control). Surveys were administered at baseline and postcourse. The primary outcome was change in knowledge of AD risk reduction assessed by pre vs post lesson quiz scores. Secondary outcomes included change in awareness of AD research, hopefulness about AD, interest in pursuing health care, willingness to volunteer, and likelihood of recommending AlzU.org.ResultA total of 721 participants joined. A total of 281 (38.9%) completed the course. Among college students, quiz score improvements were greater in celebrity webinar and celebrity video vs doctor webinar and control. Among high school students, no differences were found in quiz scores. In both groups, celebrity webinar, celebrity video, and doctor webinar resulted in greater improvements in awareness that nutrition and exercise may reduce AD risk vs controls. Among college students, celebrity webinar and celebrity video group participants felt more hopeful about the future of AD and more likely to recommend AlzU.org vs doctor webinar and control participants. Among college students, celebrity webinar, celebrity video, and doctor webinar participants were more willing to volunteer for AD causes and pursue health care careers vs controls.ConclusionOnline education involving a celebrity may be an effective strategy for educating college students about AD risk reduction strategies. Further studies are warranted in high school students.

Decades of research suggests nutritional interventions can be an effective tool for reducing risk of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), especially as part of an individualized clinical management plan. This review aims to emphasize new findings examining how specific dietary changes may delay or possibly prevent AD onset, and highlight how interventions can be adopted in clinical practice based on emerging principles of precision medicine. Specific dietary patterns and varied nutrient combinations can have a protective effect on brain health, promote cognitive function, and mediate the comorbidity of chronic conditions associated with increased AD risk. Individuals at risk for AD may see a greater impact of evidence-based dietary changes when initiated earlier in the AD spectrum. Depending on individual clinical profiles, incorporation of nutrition strategies is an essential component of an AD risk reduction plan in clinical practice.

Introduction Low awareness of Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trials is a recruitment barrier. To assess whether online education may affect screening rates for AD prevention clinical trials, we conducted an initial prospective cohort study (n = 10,450) and subsequent randomized study (n = 351) using an online digital tool: AlzU.org. Methods A total of 10,450 participants were enrolled in an initial cohort study and asked to complete a six‐lesson course on AlzU.org, as well as a baseline and 6‐month follow‐up questionnaire. Participants were stratified into three groups based on lesson completion at 6 months: group 1 (zero to one lesson completed), group 2 (two to four lessons), and group 3 (five or more lessons). For the subsequent randomized‐controlled trial (RCT), 351 new participants were enrolled in a six‐lesson course (n = 180) versus a time‐neutral control (n = 171). Screening and enrollment in the Anti‐Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic AD (A4) clinical trial were reported via the 6‐month questionnaire and are the primary outcomes. Results Cohort: 3.9% of group 1, 5% of group 2, and 8.4% of group 3 screened for the A4 trial. Significant differences were found among the groups (P