Journal of Alzheimers Disease & Parkinsonism
Open Access

Abstract

Persons of African decent living in the United States have a disproportionately high rate of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), experience a high-rate of AD-related health disparities, are underrepresented in AD research and are less likely to be evaluated and treated during early stages of the disease. There is an urgent need to develop, implement and assess culturally relevant non-pharmacological interventions which may help to improve daily functioning and quality of life of African American patients living with AD. African drumming may be particularly beneficial for African Americans living with AD. This culturally relevant approach to a music intervention has the potential to impact behavioral expressions AD, social and cognitive functioning, while simultaneously enhancing pride and self-esteem. In this presentation, I will present the results of a pilot open trial which examined the African drums for dementia program among individuals living with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early stage dementia (N=30) and their caregivers (N=30). Overall satisfaction, with the program was high among individuals living with AD and their caregivers. Further, the African drumming for dementia had a positive effect on memory recall, mood, quality of life, and self-esteem among patients and among caregivers. This intervention improved mood, self-perceived community and support, quality of life, selfesteem and reduced caregiver burden. Results from this pilot trial provide preliminary evidence that African drumming is an in-expensive, innovative, and culturally meaningful therapeutic mechanism that can result in measurable improvements for people, African Americans in particular, with dementia and their caregivers. Implications for practice and future research in this area will be discussed.

Conclusions: Very high percentage of multi drug resistance to the commonly used antibiotics including emerging multi drug resistant Burkholderia cepacia and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia in NICUs in Bangladesh is alarming and challenge to the management of neonatal sepsis. Continuous surveillance for antibiotic susceptibility is needed to ensure proper empirical therapy.

Biography

Kyaien O Conner is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida in the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences. She has completed her Post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Training in Geriatric Psychiatry and has been a Researcher with the NIH funded Late Life Depression Center in Pittsburgh, PA. Her research examines health disparities facing older adults from racial/ethnic minority backgrounds and develops and tests novel strategies to eliminate disparities and ensure culturally relevant treatments for older adults living with dementia. Her approaches are community-based, and build upon the strengths and resources available in communities.

E-mail: koconner@usf.edu