The natural aging process brings about some inevitable consequences, such as olfactory dysfunction, which is also frequently linked to numerous neurodegenerative disorders. Many age-related dementia, such as Alzheimer's disease, Vascular dementia, Parkinson's disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia often display olfactory dysfunction. Despite the overwhelming evidence of above mentioned facts, the symptomatic relevance and potential clinical and pre-clinical value of olfactory dysfunction remains overlooked by many clinicians and public alike. Olfactory dysfunction has strong practical implications on daily activities and, although not as prominent as in other mammals, olfaction is still an evolutionarily relevant sense involved in human survival (e.g., smelling gas; bad food). In this work, we provide a brief review of current research related to the olfactory dysfunction profiles in different types of dementia. Additionally, we present a compilation of accessible, easy to use olfaction assessment tools; and highlight future directions in terms of improving clinical diagnosis in patient care and research.

In recent years, health promotion has been introduced as a promising strategy for the public health field. The current study is intended to link nutrition into the recent debate on health promotion, analyzing the role of nutritionists in this process. Given the complexity of the Brazilian nutritional situation due to the nutritional transition currently under way in the country, the health promotion proposal points to both new perspectives and challenges for eating and nutrition. New demands in academic training and the nutritional care model tend to foster a search for partnerships, innovation in eating practices, and nutritional education aimed at the achievement of nutritional citizenship.

We performed a multilevel meta-analytic review, complemented with both sensitivity analysis and robust variance estimation (RVE) method, to systematically assess the effects of working memory training on healthy older adults.  We found small significant gains on verbal and visuospatial working memory, however the effects were maintained at follow-up only for verbal working memory.  Far-transfer effects were not verified, except for the studies whose Cattell Test was used to assess reasoning.  The effects of working memory training were moderated by the adopted measures, type of training, training length and duration, and baseline performance.  Moderator analysis did not show the influence of type of control group (active versus passive), except for one comparison: visuospatial WM at posttest.

Several studies have shown that cognitive intervention may be beneficial for people with Alzheimer disease (AD), but literature reviews conducted so far, have yielded mixed and inconclusive results. In this work, through an extensive bibliographic search, we aim: (1) to analyze the efficacy of cognitive intervention in patients diagnosed with AD; (2) to provide an estimate of the feasibility of cognitive intervention; and (3) to review available cost-effectiveness data of this approach. Four randomized controlled trials of cognitive intervention, for patients diagnosed with AD that incorporated cognitive intervention and mock intervention control conditions, were included in the analysis. Only the domain of global cognitive functioning, as measured by Mini-Mental State Examination, showed significant intervention effects. No effects were observed in the remaining domains. Concerning feasibility, high rates of completion and adherence were found. A single randomized controlled trial, with unspecified dementia, suggested cognitive intervention to be cost-effective. Given the currently available dearth of well-controlled and focused trials in AD, these results should be carefully interpreted and remain to be confirmed in the future. There is a clear need for more high-quality research.

This paper analyzes the concepts and challenges of the counterpart contributions demanded by

In recent years, cognitive difficulties associated with normal aging and dementia have been receiving increased attention from both public and scientific communities. With an increase in overall lifespan, promoting healthy cognition has become a priority and a necessity for minimizing and preventing individual and societal burdens associated with cognitive dysfunctions in the elderly. The general awareness concerning the efficacy of preventive (e.g., lifestyles) and palliative treatment strategies of cognitive impairments, related to either healthy or unhealthy trajectories in cognitive aging, is continuously rising. There are several therapeutic strategies which can be broadly classified as either pharmacological or non-pharmacological/psychosocial. In face of the modest evidence for success of pharmacological treatments, especially for dementia related impairments, psychosocial interventions are progressively considered as a complementary treatment. Despite the relative spread of psychosocial interventions in clinical settings, research in this area is rather scarce with evidence for success of these therapies remaining controversial. In this work we provide an evidence based perspective on cognitive intervention(s) for healthy aging, pre-dementia (mild cognitive impairment), and dementia populations. Current evidence and future directions for improving cognitive functions in the elderly are discussed as well.

Programa Bolsa Família: nova institucionalidade no campo da política social brasileira?Resumo: O Programa Bolsa Família foi implantado pelo governo federal brasileiro em outubro de 2003 com a perspectiva de combater a pobreza e a fome no país e promover inovações no padrão histórico de intervenção pública na área social. Esse artigo analisa o desenho do Programa, buscando identificar possíveis inflexões nele contidas, a partir dos seguintes eixos: foco e condições de acesso, condicionalidades, descentralização, intersetorialidade e controle social. O estudo tomou por referência a legislação e documentos oficiais, apontando limites e potencialidades à sua operacionalização. Dentre as mudanças pretendidas, destaca-se o complexo esforço de ampliação da arena decisória, de forma a incorporar diferentes níveis e esferas governamentais e a sociedade civil. Por outro lado, observam-se limites dados pela restrição dos mecanismos de focalização da clientela e pela indefinição de aspectos relativos ao controle social e à gestão compartilhada. A questão das condicionalidades configura uma polêmica central, merecendo estudos mais aprofundados. Palavras-chave: política social, combate à pobreza, programas de transferência de renda, Bolsa Família. The Family Grant Program: New Institutionalism in Brazilian Social PolicyAbstract: The Family Grant Program was established by the Brazilian federal government in October 2003 to fight poverty and hunger and promote innovations in government social intervention. This article analyzes the program's design and tries to identify possible inflections contained within it, based on the following focus: conditions of access, conditionalities, decentralization, intersectoral factors and social control. The study analyzed official documents and legislation, and indicates the limits and potential for their operationalization. The changes planned are highlighted by the complex effort to expand the decision-making arena, in order to incorporate different government levels and spheres as well as civil society. Limitations were noted that were created by the restrictive mechanisms for the focalization of clientele and by the lack of definition of factors related to social control and shared management. The question of conditionalities is a central problem that deserves greater study.

Avaliação de políticas e iniciativas públicas de segurança alimentar e nutricional: dilemas e perspectivas metodológicasEvaluation of public policies and initiatives in food and nutrition security: dilemmas and methodological perspectives