KINGSTON, R.I., June 21, 2017 \u2014 Faculty, staff and graduate students from a broad range of disciplines at the 溏心vlog免费B站 are taking on one of society\u2019s most vexing health challenges: how to prevent or slow the onset of dementia through changes in diet and exercise.<\/p>\n
What sets the Lifestyle Interventions Group apart is its inclusion of disciplines beyond the typical confines of brain science, as well as its engagement with organizations, communities and individuals from around the state. This holistic perspective expands and enriches avenues of investigation, with the objective of providing the scientific underpinnings to support practical changes in behavior that can improve people\u2019s lives, said William Renehan, associate director of the George and Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience<\/a> at 溏心vlog免费B站 and a founder of the group.<\/p>\n The idea that simple changes in behavior could reduce the risk of developing dementia intrigues Renehan, who noted that separate studies by the National Institutes of Health and the Alzheimer\u2019s Association looked at the role of exercise and diet in the context of dementia and reached starkly different conclusions. Then Renehan learned of a small study by a Wake Forest University that delivered promising results. \u201cIf this were a drug trial and the results were this impressive, it would be on the front page of the paper. But it got very little attention. Simple things don\u2019t seem to resonate,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n So Renehan embarked on his own review of the literature and discovered that studies on diet and exercise were conducted without input from kinesiologists, physical therapists, psychologists, nutritionists, gerontologists and others. \u201cThere was an incredible variability in the measures and methods,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought: We have people at 溏心vlog免费B站 who have the skills and knowledge to do this research.\u201d<\/p>\n In December 2016, he and Catherine Taylor, a senior advisor for policy, partnerships and community engagement at the Ryan Institute, announced the group\u2019s formation to the University community, and roughly 60 people from diverse disciplines within the University\u2019s Academic Health Collaborative<\/a> and beyond responded with interest.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone is deeply curious about what everyone else knows,\u201d Taylor said, noting that academic practicalities often make it difficult to collaborate outside one\u2019s discipline. \u201cGiven this opportunity, people have embraced it.\u201d<\/p>\n https:\/\/audioboom.com\/posts\/6056700-catherine-taylor-research-at-uri-into-preventing-dementia<\/p>\n Experts from various disciplines reviewed the research and shared their unique perspectives. \u201cThat was incredibly valuable,\u201d Renehan said. \u201cWe used those initial meetings to identify gaps in the literature and what we can do to address them.\u201d<\/p>\n One gap is the lack of proven, specific diet and exercise regimens that a health practitioner can offer to a patient. \u201cWe are working toward a time when a doctor can write a prescription for diet and exercise to slow progression or prevent dementia,\u201d Renehan said.<\/p>\n The group gained momentum early on from the University\u2019s Institute for Integrated Health and Innovation, part of the Academic Health Collaborative, when it offered small grants for proposals presented at a Big Ideas in Health forum. The Ryan Institute added some of its own funding.<\/p>\n