PhD defence Lotte Sophie Truin

Keywords: Dementia risk reduction, Cognitive complaints, eHealth, Memory clinic

"Towards Implementation of Dementia Risk Reduction in Memory Clinics From Observational Evidence to Communication Tools for Clinical Practice"

This thesis explored the most important modifiable dementia risk factors for people with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). It was found that these risk factors are most likely similar to those in people without SCD or MCI, although more research is urgently needed to confirm this conclusively. In addition, the thesis examined how information on dementia risk reduction can be communicated in a meaningful way within Dutch memory clinics. To this end, individuals with SCD or MCI and memory clinic healthcare professionals were consulted. The findings show that people with SCD and MCI are insufficiently aware that they can influence their own dementia risk. Healthcare professionals were much more aware of this. Furthermore, eHealth was considered a useful approach to educate people with SCD and MCI on this topic within memory clinics. Recommendations were provided on how such an eHealth tool should be designed, and based on this input, BreinZorg was developed specifically for people with SCD and MCI and their healthcare professionals

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