Our Studies

Our studies focus on preventing or delaying the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases and promoting brain health initiatives for older adults in New Brunswick.

NB-PALM’s studies are conducted in English and French.

Objective 1: Engagement

What do older adults in New Brunswick think about brain health and lifestyle changes to prevent dementia?

In collaboration with older adults in New Brunswick, NB-PALM is identifying ways to engage older adults in New Brunswick at risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia-related diseases.

  • Engaging Older Adults in New Brunswick on Brain Health Research

    Study status: COMPLETED

    The Engaging Older Adults in New Brunswick in Brain Health Research Study surveyed older adults in New Brunswick about what they think are the challenges and barriers to staying healthy as they age. Participants also provided feedback about the best ways share information about brain health and how to make health and wellness programs more accessible for older adults.

Objective 2: Feasibility and Impact

Is it feasible to deliver brain health programs to older adults in New Brunswick, what do they think about these programs, and is there evidence they work?

In collaboration with the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA), NB-PALM is conducting pilot testing and feasibility analysis of bilingual brain health support programs and assessment tools that can reach all older adults regardless of geographic location.

  • SYNERGIC@Home

    Study duration: October 2021 - July 2023

    The SYNERGIC@Home study focuses on the impact of a remote physical training and education program for older adults in their homes.

     Using Zoom™ to connect with their personal trainer, participants aged 60 – 90 complete one of four physical and brain virtual exercise plans over 16 weeks.

  • Brain Health Support Program Interventions

    NB-PALM one of seven research teams participating in CAN-THUMBS UP, a national study examining the effectiveness of the Brain Health Support Program.

    Brain Health Support Program (BHSP) is a new, Canadian-made educational program that delivers online learning modules to older adults.

    Through weekly personalized modules, participants learn about brain health, the factors that increase the risk of developing dementia, and the everyday things they can do to support their brain to prevent or delay the onset of dementia.

  • Cogniciti™ French Validation Study

    Study status: In Progress

    Cogniciti™ is an online tool for measuring memory and the brain’s thinking process. The study is to learn if the tool works as well in French as the English version.

Objective 3: Evaluation

How can the impact of delivering brain health programs to older adults in New Brunswick be evaluated at the community level?

In collaboration with New Brunswick Institute for Research, Data and Training (NB-IRDT), develop community dementia risk profiles to target delivery of brain health initiatives

  • Community Dementia Risk Factor Profiles

    Study duration: In Progress

    Using New Brunswick’s population data, NB-PALM has developed a risk profile for communities about their risk of dementia in New Brunswick. The profiles and data models can help communities and decision-makers to create action plans for health and education programs for older adults in those areas.

Media Archive

Visit our Media Archive or follow the links below to see more information about our studies and preliminary findings.

Questions about our research?

Get in touch.