OBM Geriatrics is an Open Access journal published quarterly online by LIDSEN Publishing Inc. The journal takes the premise that innovative approaches – including gene therapy, cell therapy, and epigenetic modulation – will result in clinical interventions that alter the fundamental pathology and the clinical course of age-related human diseases. We will give strong preference to papers that emphasize an alteration (or a potential alteration) in the fundamental disease course of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular aging diseases, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, skin aging, immune senescence, and other age-related diseases.

Geriatric medicine is now entering a unique point in history, where the focus will no longer be on palliative, ameliorative, or social aspects of care for age-related disease, but will be capable of stopping, preventing, and reversing major disease constellations that have heretofore been entirely resistant to interventions based on “small molecular” pharmacological approaches. With the changing emphasis from genetic to epigenetic understandings of pathology (including telomere biology), with the use of gene delivery systems (including viral delivery systems), and with the use of cell-based therapies (including stem cell therapies), a fatalistic view of age-related disease is no longer a reasonable clinical default nor an appropriate clinical research paradigm.

Precedence will be given to papers describing fundamental interventions, including interventions that affect cell senescence, patterns of gene expression, telomere biology, stem cell biology, and other innovative, 21st century interventions, especially if the focus is on clinical applications, ongoing clinical trials, or animal trials preparatory to phase 1 human clinical trials.

Papers must be clear and concise, but detailed data is strongly encouraged. The journal publishes a variety of article types (Original Research, Review, Communication, Opinion, Comment, Conference Report, Technical Note, Book Review, etc.). There is no restriction on the length of the papers and we encourage scientists to publish their results in as much detail as possible.

Publication Speed (median values for papers published in 2023): Submission to First Decision: 5.7 weeks; Submission to Acceptance: 17.9 weeks; Acceptance to Publication: 7 days (1-2 days of FREE language polishing included)

Current Issue: 2024  Archive: 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017

Special Issue

Advanced Dementia: Enjoy It or Avoid It?

Submission Deadline: November 15, 2020 (Open) Submit Now

Guest Editor

Ladislav Volicer, MD, PhD

Courtesy Full Professor, School of Aging Studies, College of Arts and Sciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, 33620, USA;
External Professor, 3rd Medical Faculty, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic

Website | E-Mail

Research Interests: Dementia; Alzheimer's disease; palliative care; medical ethics; behavioral symptoms of dementia

About This Topic

With the skyrocketing prevalence of age-related dementias and lack or curative treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other progressive degenerative dementias, many persons will live with advanced dementia. In this condition, persons are dependent in all activities of daily living, cannot eat and drink, and ambulate independently and communicate verbally. Despite these disabilities, they can still enjoy life if pain, depression and behavioral symptoms of dementia are effectively treated, and meaningful activities designed for this population are provided. However, some persons are so afraid of living with advanced dementia that they want to avoid it at any cost. Some strategies for decreasing risk of dementia development exist but none of them assure that dementia will be prevented. Similarly, advance directives limiting life-sustaining medical intervention do not always prevent living with advance dementia, because the persons may not require them. Some persons commit suicide when they still can, and others include withdrawal of help with eating and drinking in their advance directives. Advance dementia challenge health care system and all of us to decide how to deal with this condition. Should we support enjoyment of life, avoidance of advance dementia or combination of both?

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted through the LIDSEN Submission System. Detailed information on manuscript preparation and submission is available in the Instructions for Authors. All submitted articles will be thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process and will be processed following the Editorial Process and Quality Control policy. Upon acceptance, the article will be immediately published in a regular issue of the journal and will be listed together on the special issue website, with a label that the article belongs to the Special Issue. LIDSEN distributes articles under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) License in an open-access model. The authors own the copyright to the article, and the article can be free to access, distribute, and reuse provided that the original work is correctly cited.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). Research articles and review articles are highly invited. Authors are encouraged to send the tentative title and abstract of the planned paper to the Editorial Office (geriatrics@lidsen.com) for record. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office.

Welcome your submission!

Publication

Open Access Research Article

The PBAR Protocol: Antipsychotic Medication Reduction in the Nursing Home

Received: 24 November 2020;  Published: 15 June 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2102172

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) occur in almost all persons living with dementia. Antipsychotic medications are often prescribed inappropriately for persons living with dementia who experience NPS. Adverse side effects of antipsychotic medications include falls, sedation, cognitive dysfunction, prolonged QTc interval, extrapyramida [...]
Open Access Research Article

Promoting Quality of Life in Advanced Dementia Care: Reading Buddies Program as Service-learning

Received: 08 February 2021;  Published: 30 April 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2102169

Abstract

The Reading Buddies Program was developed as a service-learning component of an Occupational Therapy Practice with Older Adults course as a collaboration between Tufts University and the VA Bedford Health Care System. The purpose of this service-learning program was to challenge graduate students’ implicit biases and improve [...]
Open Access Perspective

Research Recommendations to Address Dementia Workforce Development Needs

Received: 12 November 2020;  Published: 16 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101162

Abstract

This policy paper presents workforce development recommendations for research, clinical care and public stakeholders as they plan future research activities to strengthen the workforce to support the healthcare and social needs of persons living with dementia and their families and caregivers. To create these recommendations, the 2020 National [...]
Open Access Research Article

Spousal Dementia Grief: A Research Report from the Two-Track Model of Dementia Grief Project

Received: 07 September 2020;  Published: 12 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101160

Abstract

Caregiving for a loved one suffering from cognitive decline involves coping with many challenges and losses. This experience increases the risk of worsening the physical and mental health of the caregiver and has been the subject of a substantial number of studies focusing on the stress and burden of the primary caretaker. Theory and research [...]
Open Access Research Article

Acute Care Decision-Making for Patients with Advanced Dementia: An Exploratory Study Using Cognitive Task Analysis

Received: 11 November 2020;  Published: 01 March 2021;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2101159

Abstract

Decision-making by medical and health care staff forms the core of professional practice. Thought processes, including non-clinical considerations, significantly impact how clinical decisions are made. Such considerations become more relevant when addressing end-of-life care decisions for patients with advanced dementia (PAD). Though palliativ [...]
Open Access Original Research

Bridging Biomedical and Person-centered Care Approaches via Namaste Care with Family Participation: An Asian Experience in Advanced Dementia Treatment

Received: 27 October 2020;  Published: 04 December 2020;  doi: 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2004140

Abstract

A locally-adapted, multisensory, psychosocial intervention called Namaste Care program was developed to improve the daily life of persons with advanced dementia (PwAD) through arranging meaningful activities and physical interactions by healthcare staff (Namaste Carers). Congruent with Asian values, the families of PwAD were invited to partici [...]
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