Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 19, 2026

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
12:18

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Published on: January 11, 2020

The study of pathogen resistance and antimicrobial use in dementia: study design and methodology

Susan L Mitchell1, Michele L Shaffer, Dan K Kiely

  • 1Hebrew SeniorLife Institute for Aging Research, Boston, MA 02131, United States. smitchell@hsl.harvard.edu

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
|August 29, 2012
PubMed

Insights

This study details the methodology of the SPREAD initiative, investigating antimicrobial resistance in advanced dementia patients. It highlights successful recruitment and data collection for future research on infections and resistance.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Clinical Research

Background:

  • Advanced dementia patients frequently experience infections, leading to extensive antimicrobial use.
  • The appropriateness of this antimicrobial use and its contribution to antimicrobial resistance are largely unknown.
  • Nursing home residents with advanced dementia represent a vulnerable population requiring focused research.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present the methodology of the Study of Pathogen Resistance and Exposure to Antimicrobials in Dementia (SPREAD).
  • To describe how research challenges specific to advanced dementia populations were addressed.
  • To establish the feasibility of conducting rigorous, multi-site research in nursing homes for this population.

Main Methods:

  • A 5-year prospective cohort study involving nursing home residents with advanced dementia and their proxies.
  • Recruitment from 31 Boston-area facilities with detailed data collection protocols.
  • Integration of methods from dementia, palliative care, and infectious diseases research.

Main Results:

  • Successful recruitment of 295 resident/proxy dyads to date.
  • Demonstrated feasibility of collecting complex data on infections, treatment decisions, and antimicrobial resistance.
  • Established a robust methodology for future studies in advanced dementia care.

Conclusions:

  • The SPREAD study successfully established a methodology for rigorous research in advanced dementia.
  • The study demonstrates the feasibility of multi-site nursing home research in this population.
  • The described methodology serves as a reference for future investigations into infections and antimicrobial resistance in dementia.

More Related Videos

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes08:58

Isolation and Identification of Waterborne Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria and Molecular Characterization of their Antibiotic Resistance Genes

Published on: March 3, 2023

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance01:25

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...
Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA01:25

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...
Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients01:15

Drug Dosing: Geriatric Patients

Elderly individuals encompass a diverse population with varying degrees of age-related physiological changes. Defining the elderly presents challenges, as the geriatric population is often arbitrarily categorized as individuals older than 65. However, many individuals in this group lead active and healthy lives, with an increasing number surpassing 85 years and falling into the older elderly category. Physiological changes associated with aging impact performance capacity and homeostatic...
Antimicrobial Effectiveness01:28

Antimicrobial Effectiveness

The effectiveness of antimicrobial agents depends on various factors influencing their ability to eliminate microbial populations. Larger microbial populations require more time for complete eradication, emphasizing the importance of population size analysis when evaluating antimicrobial efficacy.Microbial resistance to antimicrobial agents varies significantly. Highly resilient microorganisms include endospores, gram-negative bacteria, and non-enveloped viruses, while prions are exceptionally...
Dementia l: Introduction01:22

Dementia l: Introduction

Dementia is an acquired, progressive syndrome characterized by a decline in multiple cognitive domains severe enough to impair daily functioning and reduce independence. Although memory loss is a central feature, the diagnosis requires additional deficits involving language, executive function, visuospatial skills, judgment, calculation, or abstract reasoning. These cognitive impairments reflect underlying neurodegenerative or vascular processes that gradually disrupt neuronal networks...
Development of Antibiotic Resistance01:30

Development of Antibiotic Resistance

Antibiotic resistance is a major public health concern that arises when bacteria evolve mechanisms to withstand the effects of antibiotic treatments. This resistance can be intrinsic, acquired through genetic mutations, or transferred between bacteria via horizontal gene transfer. The development of antibiotic resistance poses significant challenges in treating bacterial infections and necessitates ongoing research to develop new therapeutic strategies.Intrinsic resistance occurs when bacterial...