SOUTH CAROLINA HEALTHY BRAIN RESEARCH NETWORK (SC-HBRN) COLLABORATING CENTER

FUNDING SOURCE: CDC, 2014-2019

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Daniela B. Friedman, MSc, PhD

CO-INVESTIGATORS:

CONSULTANT: Rebecca H. Hunter, MEd, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death among US adults, although a recent report suggests that Alzheimer's-related deaths are vastly underreported and the death rate may be more comparable to that of cardiovascular disease and cancer. With the increasing age of our population, death rates from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) will continue to rise. In response to this, national and international organizations have identified dementia, including ADRD, as a public health priority. USC was selected to serve in the role of Collaborating Center in the CDC Prevention Research Centers’ (PRC) Healthy Brain Research Network (HBRN). The SC-HBRN has three specific aims: (1) establish a research agenda concerning cognitive health and healthy aging, (2) advance research in the areas of cognitive health and healthy aging, and (3) support fellowship training of doctoral candidates. We share the funder’s goal of advancing the public health and aging agenda by making a major contribution to CDC’s Healthy Brain Research and working with other HBRN Centers and public health partners to increase their capacity to implement actions in The Public Health Road Map for State and National Partnerships, 2013–2018. The work of the SC-HBRN is aligned with the Healthy People 2020 topic area, “Dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease,” The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, and The Public Health Road Map for State and National Partnerships, 2013–2018.

Click here to learn more about the SC-HBRN, or contact Dr. Daniela Friedman at: dbfriedman@sc.edu

 

HBRN Members, March 2015

Network Partners

AARP South Carolina
Alzheimer’s Association, South Carolina Chapter
Clemson University Institute for Engaged Aging 
Leeza’s Care Connection
Palmetto Health Division of Geriatrics
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control
South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services 
South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health
South Carolina Lieutenant Governor's Office on Aging
USC Office for the Study of Aging

 

Healthy Aging Forum: A Focus on Brain Health (PDF)

On December 9, 2015 the SC-HBRN hosted a Healthy Aging Forum: A Focus on Brain Health to advance the research and translation agenda for cognitive health and healthy aging. Brief news coverage of the forum can be viewed here. The objectives of the forum were:

  • To promote awareness about cognitive health, cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease.
  • To describe current research related to physical activity, nutrition, and cognitive health.
  • To foster collaborations and networking opportunities for researchers, students, and community.

Slides from some of the forum presentations are linked below:

Publications:

Choi, S.K., Rose, I.D., & Friedman, D.B. (In press). How is literacy being defined and measured in dementia research?: A scoping review. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine.

Tang, W., Friedman, D.B., Kannaley, K., Davis, R.E., Wilcox, S., Levkoff, S.E., Hunter, R.H., Gibson, A., Logsdon, R.G., Irmiter, C., & Belza, B. (2018 Oct 23 Epub). Experiences of caregivers by care recipient's health condition: A study of caregivers for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias versus other chronic conditions. Geriatric Nursing. DOI: 10.1016/j.gerinurse.2018.09.012; PMID: 30366611

Choi, S.K., Yelton, B, Ezeanya, V.K., Kannaley, K., & Friedman, D.B. (2018 July 26 Epub). Review of the content and quality of mobile applications about Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Journal of Applied Gerontology. DOI: 10.1177/0733464818790187; PMID: 30049239

Kannaley, K., Mehta, S., Yelton, B., & Friedman, D.B. (2018 April). Thematic analysis of blog narratives written by people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias and care partners. Dementia. DOI: 10.1177/1471301218768162; PMID: 29642716; PMCID: PMC6027602

McGough, E.L., Lin, S.Y., Belza, B., Becofsky, K.M., Jones, D.L., Liu, M., Wilcox, S., & Logsdon, R.G. (2019). A scoping review of physical performance outcomes measures used in exercise interventions for older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy, 42(1), 28-47. E-pub ahead of print November 2017. DOI:10.1519/JPT.0000000000000159; PMID: 29210934

Soltani, S.N., Kannaley, K., Tang, W., Gibson, A., Olscamp, K., Friedman, D.B., Khan, S., Houston, J., Wilcox, S., Levkoff, S.E., & Hunter, R.H. (2017). Evaluating community-academic partnerships of the South Carolina Healthy Brain Research Network. Health Promotion Practice, 18(4), 607-614. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524839917700086 PMID: 28363264; PMCID: PMC6207947

Tang, W., Kannaley, K., Friedman, D.B., Edwards, V.J., Wilcox, S., Levkoff, S.E., Hunter, R.H., Irmiter, C., & Belza, B. (2017). Concern about developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and intention to be screened: An analysis of national survey data. Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, 71, 43-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2017.02.013; PMID: 28279898; PMCID: PMC5995109

Tang, W., Olscamp, K., Choi, S.K., & Friedman, D.B. (2017). Alzheimer’s disease in social media: Content analysis of YouTube videos. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 6(2), e19. DOI: 10.2196/ijmr.8612; PMID: 29051137; PMCID: PMC5668636

Friedman, D.B., Gibson, A., Torres, W., Irizarry, J., Rodriguez, J., Tang, W., & Kannaley, K. (2016). Increasing community awareness about Alzheimer’s disease in Puerto Rico through coffee shop education and social media. Journal of Community Health, 41(5): 1006–1012. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-016-0183-9; PMID: 26983930; PMCID: PMC5011439