95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community

ABSTRACT IMPACT: The findings of this study could lend us insights into behavioral intervention that could potentially prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study examines the association between cognitive and physical resilience and Alzheimer’s disease in a Tibeta...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tenzin Namdul, Richard MacLehose, Dedra Buchwald
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2021-03-01
Series:Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866121007299/type/journal_article
_version_ 1811155390155456512
author Tenzin Namdul
Richard MacLehose
Dedra Buchwald
author_facet Tenzin Namdul
Richard MacLehose
Dedra Buchwald
author_sort Tenzin Namdul
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT IMPACT: The findings of this study could lend us insights into behavioral intervention that could potentially prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study examines the association between cognitive and physical resilience and Alzheimer’s disease in a Tibetan Buddhist monastic community in southern India. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The study will employ mixed methods of semi- and unstructured interviews and surveys. The interviews will be conducted among 60 monks of age 50+ in six Tibetan monastic colleges in southern India. The interviews will comprise general questions related to monks’ monastic educations and practices, as well as clinical cognitive interviews. Interviewees will be randomly sampled from a census of monks at the six monasteries. Owing to COVID-19 crisis, we will begin data collection, starting with interviews via zoom in mid-December 2020. The survey, which includes demographic information, cognitive assessments, meditative practices, health, memory and physical activity, will be conducted among 400 monks. The survey will be performed onsite and is tentatively scheduled in the summer of 2021. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The study will help to identify factors associated with physical and cognitive resilience and develop measures to quantify and describe meditative and cognitive practices. These data will be used to both adapt validated measures developed in Western populations for use with this unique population and to develop new items on physical and cognitive resilience to include in the planned survey. Furthermore, the study will provide information about the prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in this population and development of the survey to capture culturally appropriate measures, including on meditation. The findings could eventually lend us insights into behavioral intervention that could potentially prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer’s in wider population. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Cognitive and physical resilience are understood to confer significant benefits to health outcomes and healthy aging. However, the factors related to resilience, particularly in older adults, are poorly understood. This study will estimate the link between frequency and intensity of meditative practices and physical and cognitive resilience.
first_indexed 2024-04-10T04:33:27Z
format Article
id doaj.art-ed09ee2e77b5491ca047e69795d7ce29
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 2059-8661
language English
last_indexed 2024-04-10T04:33:27Z
publishDate 2021-03-01
publisher Cambridge University Press
record_format Article
series Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
spelling doaj.art-ed09ee2e77b5491ca047e69795d7ce292023-03-10T07:52:01ZengCambridge University PressJournal of Clinical and Translational Science2059-86612021-03-01512812910.1017/cts.2021.72995818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic CommunityTenzin Namdul0Richard MacLehose1Dedra Buchwald2University of MinnesotaUniversity of MinnesotaWashington State UniversityABSTRACT IMPACT: The findings of this study could lend us insights into behavioral intervention that could potentially prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: This study examines the association between cognitive and physical resilience and Alzheimer’s disease in a Tibetan Buddhist monastic community in southern India. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The study will employ mixed methods of semi- and unstructured interviews and surveys. The interviews will be conducted among 60 monks of age 50+ in six Tibetan monastic colleges in southern India. The interviews will comprise general questions related to monks’ monastic educations and practices, as well as clinical cognitive interviews. Interviewees will be randomly sampled from a census of monks at the six monasteries. Owing to COVID-19 crisis, we will begin data collection, starting with interviews via zoom in mid-December 2020. The survey, which includes demographic information, cognitive assessments, meditative practices, health, memory and physical activity, will be conducted among 400 monks. The survey will be performed onsite and is tentatively scheduled in the summer of 2021. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The study will help to identify factors associated with physical and cognitive resilience and develop measures to quantify and describe meditative and cognitive practices. These data will be used to both adapt validated measures developed in Western populations for use with this unique population and to develop new items on physical and cognitive resilience to include in the planned survey. Furthermore, the study will provide information about the prevalence of Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in this population and development of the survey to capture culturally appropriate measures, including on meditation. The findings could eventually lend us insights into behavioral intervention that could potentially prevent or slow the onset of Alzheimer’s in wider population. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: Cognitive and physical resilience are understood to confer significant benefits to health outcomes and healthy aging. However, the factors related to resilience, particularly in older adults, are poorly understood. This study will estimate the link between frequency and intensity of meditative practices and physical and cognitive resilience.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866121007299/type/journal_article
spellingShingle Tenzin Namdul
Richard MacLehose
Dedra Buchwald
95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community
Journal of Clinical and Translational Science
title 95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community
title_full 95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community
title_fullStr 95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community
title_full_unstemmed 95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community
title_short 95818 Physical and Cognitive Resilience and Alzheimer’s Disease in a Tibetan Buddhist Monastic Community
title_sort 95818 physical and cognitive resilience and alzheimer s disease in a tibetan buddhist monastic community
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2059866121007299/type/journal_article
work_keys_str_mv AT tenzinnamdul 95818physicalandcognitiveresilienceandalzheimersdiseaseinatibetanbuddhistmonasticcommunity
AT richardmaclehose 95818physicalandcognitiveresilienceandalzheimersdiseaseinatibetanbuddhistmonasticcommunity
AT dedrabuchwald 95818physicalandcognitiveresilienceandalzheimersdiseaseinatibetanbuddhistmonasticcommunity