Dementia is a constant concern for the public health system. Also, it impacts family members who provide informal care, often culminating in overload due to the emotional stress and physical distress of caregivers. Objective: This systematic review aimed to identify the consequences of Burnout Syndrome in informal caregivers of older adults with dementia. Methods: The search was performed spanning the last 10 years, in English, Portuguese or Spanish. The databases used were PubMed, SciELO, Web of Science and LILACS. The descriptors were obtained from MeSH and DeCS, which were, “caregivers”, “burnout”, “aged”, “psychological stress” and “dementia”. The selected articles included studies conducted with informal caregivers of community-dwelling older adults diagnosed with any type of dementia. The excluded articles had the following characteristics: the participants were not informal caregivers, the older adults were not diagnosed with dementia, or the main theme was not related to the Burnout Syndrome. Results: Initially, 1,208 articles were found. One hundred and forty-six were eliminated because they were duplicates. A further 1,033 were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Twenty-nine studies were selected for full reading and 22 were excluded, giving 7 studies for inclusion in this review. Conclusion: The results showed that the Burnout Syndrome negatively affected caregivers’ quality of life and was associated with patient depressive and anxious symptoms and abusive behavior by caregiver. There is a need for studies with interventions addressing this issue.

MLH1 and MSH2 are important genes for DNA mismatch repair and crossing over during meiosis and are implicated in male infertility. Therefore, the methylation patterns of the DNA mismatch repair genes MLH1 and MSH2 in oligozoospermic males were investigated. Ten oligozoospermic patients and 29 normozoospermic donors were analysed. Methylation profiles of the MLH1 and MSH2 promotors were analysed. In addition, sperm motility and seminal reactive oxygen species (ROS) were recorded. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to determine the accuracy of the DNA methylation status of MLH1 and MSH2 to distinguish between oligozoospermic and normozoospermic men. In oligozoospermic men, MLH1 was significantly (p = .0013) more methylated compared to normozoospermic men. Additionally, there was a significant positive association (r = .384; p = .0159) between seminal ROS levels and MLH1 methylation. Contrary, no association between MSH2 methylation and oligozoospermia was found. ROC curve analysis for methylation status of MLH1 was significant (p = .0275) with an area under the curve of 61.1%, a sensitivity of 22.2% and a specificity of 100.0%. This pilot study indicates oligozoospermic patients have more methylation of MLH1 than normozoospermic patients. Whether hypermethylation of the MLH1 promoter plays a role in repairing relevant mismatches of sperm DNA strands in idiopathic oligozoospermia warrants further investigation.

Objective: to evaluate musculoskeletal symptoms in formal and informal caregivers of elderly people, and check association with personal and work-related factors. Methods: this is a cross-sectional study. Instruments for assessment were the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20, Borg’s effort perception scale and Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire. Results: informal caregivers had been working for a longer time (60.2% vs. 41%), had more hours of work (37.4% >12h for day), less time off (85.4% vs. 2.5%) and lack of care guidelines (90.2%). The region with the most musculoskeletal symptoms was the spine and the greater dependence of the elderly, the greater the chances of developing musculoskeletal symptoms (OR= 1.3, 95% CI= 1.1-1.6, p <0.05). Conclusion: personal and work-related factors were more prevalent in informal group and the elderly person’s dependence interferes with the increase in musculoskeletal symptoms of caregivers.

ABSTRACT. In July 2019, Belo Horizonte hosted an international workshop for 27 junior researchers, whose participants were from Brazil and the United Kingdom. This three-day meeting organized by the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais and the University of East Anglia addressed challenges in cognitive impairment and dementia, with particular interest in public perceptions, diagnosis and care management. The purpose of this report is to highlight the outcomes of the above-mentioned workshop regarding the topic of public perceptions (part I). Discussions focused on differences and similarities between countries, as well as on identifying main issues that required collaborative and creative solutions. After these group discussions, four core themes emerged: I) cognitive impairment; II) dementia - beyond Alzheimer’s disease; III) prevention; and IV) stigma. National and international initiatives to deal with public misperceptions about cognitive impairment and dementia were discussed.

Background Cognitive functioning is an important dimension among the elderly. Cognitive maintenance is vital for aging due to its association with autonomy and independence. Considering the importance of preventive programs in older adults’ health, this study aims to share an intervention protocol of a falls prevention program for community-dwelling faller older adults with cognitive impairment. Methods This is the protocol of an experimental and longitudinal study, consisting of cognitive stimulation associated with physical exercise in a 16-week fall prevention program. For cognitive intervention, the APG Cognitive Training Protocol will be used. Participants will be assessed pre-and post-intervention and will be randomly allocated to experimental or control groups. The screening protocol is composed of the TUG, FES-I, LAWTON & BRODY, ACE-R, GAI and fall survey instruments, focusing on the assessment of balance and mobility, fear of falling, performance on IADL, cognitive and anxiety tracking, respectively. Discussion This study can determine the long-term effects of multimodal cognitive training, providing evidence for its replication in the provision of care for the elderly. The objective is to promote improvements in the cognitive performance, mobility and balance of the elderly, with a focus on reducing the number of falls, fractures, hospitalizations and institutionalization, serving as an alternative to interrupt the cycle of falls. Trial registration The research was approved by the Research Ethics Committee with Human Beings at the Federal University of São Carlos, CAAE: 3654240.9.0000.5504 and Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBEC) RBR—3t85fd, registered on the 25th of September, 2020.

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