Dementia Care Research Program

Sponsors:
Extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports specific research projects. Additional revenue for the program comes from contributions and memorial gifts to the program and the Center for Aging.

The Dementia Care Research Program (DCRP), directed by Virginia Wadley, Ph.D., is a research unit focused on the creation and evaluation of clinical prevention and intervention programs to address the cognitive, behavioral, and affective symptoms of Alzheimer's disease, related dementias, and other conditions associated with cognitive impairment, and also the consequences associated with caregiving. Target populations of current studies include: community dwelling persons with dementia and their family caregivers; individuals with mild cognitive impairment who are at elevated risk for progression to dementia; stroke survivors and their family caregivers; and nursing home residents and nursing home care providers (e.g., nursing aides, activities personnel). Intervention methods under study include educational, behavioral, environmental, and affective/cognitive training techniques. Funds from the Center for Aging and the Division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine support the overall goals of DCRP.

Current research activities of the DCRP are defined by four topics.

1. Mild Cognitive Impairment:
   Everyday Functional Performance in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is the primary project of UAB's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (Dan Marson, Ph.D., J.D., Center Director; Virginia Wadley, Ph.D., Project PI, Karlene Ball, Ph.D., Co-PI). Funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the study examines how cognitive changes that occur in individuals with MCI influence skills that are needed for independent living, including driving. The study will evaluate how these relationships change over time among individuals with MCI relative to cognitively intact controls. A clearer understanding of the interplay between cognitive abilities and real world task performance will allow researchers to target areas for future intervention in MCI.
2. Nursing Home Interventions:
   Behavioral and Team Functioning to Meet Resident Needs is an R01 grant from National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) (Alan Stevens, Ph.D., PI; Virginia Wadley, Ph.D., UAB PI) that investigates an innovative training program for nursing homes that combines behavior-management skills training with a motivational system to encourage team work among the nursing staff. Outcome measures assess the effects of the intervention on need-driven, dementia-compromised behaviors as well as on characteristics of the nursing home's organizational culture.
3. Family Caregiving:
   Psychosocial Impact of Stroke on Family Caregivers: a REGARDS Ancillary Study is a new R01 grant from National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and NINR (David Roth, Ph.D., PI). This project is investigating the effects of stroke on mood, life satisfaction, physical health, health care utilization, and quality of life of the primary family caregivers who provide ongoing care and support to stroke survivors.
4. Team Functioning in the Rehab Setting:
   DCRP staff members collaborate with Dale Strasser, M.D., of Emory and the Atlanta VA on a program of research that investigates education-based interventions to modify team functioning and improve inpatient outcomes.

Primary Contact Person:

Virginia Wadley, PhD, Director
CH19 218T
Birmingham, Alabama 35294-2041
(tel) (205) 975-2294

Leaders and Key Staff:

• Virginia Wadley, PhD
• David Roth, PhD
• Michael Crowe, PhD

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