Epidemiology, Neurology, and Immunology

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Foreword

Research Structures

Energy, Environment, and Biodiversity

Humanities and Ethics

Culture and Education

Society and Development

Information and Communication Technology

Biology and Health

Research Structures and Researchers

About

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Healthy mind, healthy elderly

The Institute of Geriatrics and Gerontology (IGG) of PUCRS is home to the Research Group on Epidemiology, Neurology and Immunology (Genim), led by Professor Irênio Gomes da Silva Filho. The group studies risk factors for dementia (including diseases such as Alzheimer’s) and has published articles on the non-motor aspects of Parkinson’s disease.

The studies of the researchers at Genim have led to articles in international journals that define the clinical and neurophysiological aspects of carpal tunnel syndrome and some published studies that identify changes in the P50 potential in patients with psychiatric or neurological diseases.

Genim, together with the Research Group on Aging and Mental Health led by Professor Alfredo Cataldo Neto, makes up the Inter-institutional Study Center in Neurology and Psychiatry of Aging (Nienpe), which is a direct partner of the Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, located at PUCRS. Within Nienpe, these two groups work with the Research Program for SUS, which allows the study of the mental health of 1,080 elderly patients cared for by the Family Health Strategy of Porto Alegre, RS. In addition, elderly who display cognitive impairments or mood disorders, mainly depression, are monitored. The partial results show mental health impairment in approximately 60% of the elderly. This has led researchers to create a Program for Brain Aging (Pence) in partnership with the Municipal Secretary of Health with the support of Banco Santander. The objective is to train the basic network (Family Health Teams) to provide integrated care for the mental health of elderly individuals. Approximately 15,000 individuals will be monitored. In this cohort, diagnostic instruments will be developed that are aimed at this population, which has a low level of education; the risk factors will be identified for the development of mood disorders and cognitive decline; and biomarkers will be studied for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease.