Introduction: Older adults with dementia have been significantly at more risk for not receiving the care needed and for developing further mental health problems during COVID-19. Although the rise in telemedicine adoption in the healthcare system has made it possible for patients to connect with their healthcare providers virtually, little is known about its use and effects among older adults with dementia and their mental health.Objective: This systematic review aimed to explore the use, accessibility, and feasibility of telemedicine in older adults with dementia, as well as examine the potential mental health impacts of these technologies, through reviewing evidence from studies conducted during COVID-19.Methods: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases were searched with the following keywords: (COVID* OR SARS-CoV-2 OR Coronavirus) AND (“mental health” OR Depression OR Stress) AND (Dementia OR Multi-Infarct Dementia OR Vascular Dementia OR Frontotemporal Dementia) AND (elder OR Aging OR Aging OR Aged) AND (Telemedicine OR “Remote Consultation” OR telehealth OR technology).Results: A total of 7 articles from Asia, Europe, and the United States were included in this review. Throughout the studies cognitive and mental health assessments (e.g., MoCA, FAST, etc.) were performed. Despite the barriers, telemedicine was noted as a feasible approach to assist individuals with dementia in connecting with their service providers and family while reducing complications related to travel (e.g., difficulty moving, traffic, distance).Conclusions: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, finding alternative ways to provide services to older adults with dementia through technology may continue to become more necessary as time goes on.

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Background Although lithium is considered the gold-standard treatment for bipolar disorder (BD), it is associated with a variety of major endocrine and metabolic side effects, including parathyroid hormone (PTH) dependent hypercalcemia. Aside from surgery and medication discontinuation, there are limited treatments for hypercalcemia. This paper will assess data from a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Methods This is a secondary analysis of an RCT that explored the effects of atorvastatin (n = 27) versus placebo (n = 33) on lithium-induced nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI) in patients with BD and major depressive disorder (MDD) using lithium (n = 60), over a 12-week period. This secondary analysis will explore serum calcium levels and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) measured at baseline, week 4, and week 12. Results At 12-weeks follow-up while adjusting results for baseline, linear regression analyses found that corrected serum calcium levels were significantly lower in the treatment group (mean (M) = 2.30 mmol/L, standard deviation (SD) = 0.07) compared to the placebo group (M = 2.33 mmol/L, SD = 0.07) (β = − 0.03 (95% C.I.; − 0.0662, − 0.0035), p = 0.03) for lithium users. There were no significant changes in TSH. Conclusion In lithium users with relatively normal calcium levels, receiving atorvastatin was associated with a decrease in serum calcium levels. Although exciting, this is a preliminary finding that needs further investigation with hypercalcemic patients. Future RCTs could examine whether atorvastatin can treat PTH dependent hypercalcemia due to lithium and other causes.