CTV News reports on a new study , which found that while COVID-19 patients examined did not have significant traces of the virus in their brain cells, they still sustained neurological damage as a result. The research was conducted by specialists at Columbia University's Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and published in the journal Brain . James E. Goldman, lead author of the study, stated in a press release, "We observed many pathological changes in these brains, which could explain why severely ill patients experience confusion and delirium and other serious neurological effects — and why those with mild cases may experience 'brain fog' for weeks and months." Goldman and his team looked at 41 people who had succumbed to the virus at a New York City medical center. Their average age was 74, and researchers obtained family consent to perform autopsies for research purposes. Every brain was examined by at least two neuropathologists.

Bickford Senior Living in Overland Park, Kan., is one of many senior living communities around the country that has sought to protect residents and staff against COVID-19 while also injecting an element of fun, reports the Kansas City Star . Bickford activity coordinator Amy O'Brien has adopted a plethora of approaches, like delivering drinks and snacks to residents' rooms in themed food carts while dressed in costume. Making balloon animals has also proved popular. She and her staff have also performed comic skits. Meanwhile, staff at nearby Brookdale Senior Living used a different approach, dressing in 1950s gear and standing outside in the parking lot of each building to perform a choreographed dance to the music of "Grease." For its part, Cedarhurst Senior Living likes to celebrate non-traditional holidays like National Popcorn Day and World Smile Day. Sarah Vinson, corporate director of life enrichment at the community, remarks, "Residents look forward to seeing what life enrichment teams have up their sleeve for them."

A study in Scientific Reports shows that treatments to reduce levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in rat brains may help stave off damage caused by the gas, reports EurekAlert . The researchers showed that H2S plays a role in blocking a key brain cell gateway that helps the brain to communicate effectively. Cells extracted from rat brains were charged with a H2S donor molecule, and neuron electrical signals were monitored. The resulting infusion of the gas raised the level of activity in brain cells, and the research established that the effect was specifically controlled by the potassium channel tested. The team also identified which part of the potassium channel was allowing this effect. By using a mutated form of the channel, which has already been shown to shield nerve cells against a welter of toxic stimuli, including amyloid beta, they learned that the mutation resists the effect of H2S observed in natural cells. "This exciting study demonstrates the growing evidence that gasotransmitters play an important role as signalling molecules in the regulation of the physiological processes underlying Alzheimer's disease, which are relatively poorly understood, opening new avenues for investigation and drug discovery," said the University of Leeds' Moza Al-Owais.

KARK 4 News reports that a new state law on the books in Arkansas will boost support for people with Alzheimer's disease and dementia and their caregivers. Gov. Asa Hutchinson in March signed into law legislation to set up an Alzheimer's and Dementia Advisory Council, a coalition of health experts, state agency officials, providers, and caregivers. David Cook with the Arkansas Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association said the council aims to increase public awareness, provide additional training, and address healthcare shortages — with aiding caregivers an area of special concern. The council also is tasked with increasing access to adult day cares and using more telehealth or telemedicine to reach people in rural regions.

A study in the Journal of Endocrinology found insufficient levels of vitamin D in the bloodstream may impair muscle function, particularly in older adults, by reducing energy production, reports United Press International . Experiments on mice revealed that those with vitamin D deficiency saw a roughly 40 percent decline in mitochondrial function in their muscles, possibly affecting their ability to convert energy from food and limiting muscle performance and recovery. The implication is that preventing vitamin D deficiency in older adults could help maintain muscle strength and function and mitigate age-related muscle deterioration, although additional research is required. "We are particularly interested to examine whether this reduction in mitochondrial function may be a cause of age-related loss in skeletal muscle mass and function," said Andrew Philp at Australia's Garvan Institute of Medical Research.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky confirmed fewer than 6,000 cases of COVID-19 in fully vaccinated Americans, representing just 0.007 percent of the 84 million Americans with full protection against the pathogen, reports CNBC . "Although this number is from 43 states and territories and likely an underestimate, it still makes a really important point, these vaccines are working," she explained. "Of the nearly 6,000 cases, approximately 30 percent had no symptoms at all." Out of the roughly 6,000 breakthrough infections, 396 people were hospitalized and 74 died. "This is really encouraging news," said Walensky. "It demonstrates what we've already discussed about these vaccines. They also help prevent you from getting seriously ill." Half of all American adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 81 percent of those age 65 and older have received one dose or more and about two-thirds are fully vaccinated.

The New York Times reports that adults are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in every U.S. state, and more than half of the adult population has received at least one shot. Although more than 209 million doses have been administered, universal eligibility comes with challenges, with some experts concerned that certain vulnerable people, including individuals 65 and older, may have difficulty competing for vaccines. Roughly a fifth of that population have not received even a single dose, including residents of long-term care communities, which have represented more than a third of overall U.S. coronavirus deaths for much of the pandemic. University of Florida epidemiologist Cindy A. Prins cautioned that high-risk people who had been eligible for a vaccine for months but had not received one might have trouble gaining access due to the rollout of universal eligibility. She said making more younger people eligible could prompt states and counties to open more mass vaccination sites, but those sites might be intimidating or uncomfortable for older people. Moreover, some older adults could be waiting until their regular physicians or other healthcare providers can inoculate them. Michigan State University's Debra Furr-Holden sees universal eligibility as undermining vaccination for all Americans, creating a prioritized class of applicants that excludes the most vulnerable, like seniors and people of color.

Since the pandemic began, PRNewswire reports, Sunshine Retirement Living has taken aggressive measures to safeguard its residents and staffers as much as possible. Among the infection prevention and mitigation tools deployed by the family-owned company in the last year has been a Needlepoint Bipolar Ionization technology that eliminates 94 percent of the SARS-COVID-2 virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. The cutting-edge technology has been installed in all of Sunshine's 21 assisted living and memory care communities and an undisclosed number of its independent living communities. The seek-and-inactivate air purification technology was developed by Global Plasma Solutions and tested by the University of Milan last fall. In addition to inactivating the COVID-19 virus, it also works to help protect residents and staff from such other pathogens as Norovirus, tuberculosis, MRSA, and E. coli.

With recent studies finding that social isolation is associated with an almost 50 percent increased risk of dementia, seniors can gain some relief and keep their cognitive skills sharp during the pandemic through a game of spades, reports National Public Radio . It is a hierarchical game where the two of spades serves as the ultimate trump card, followed by the ace, king, queen, and jack. Paired players must be on the same page without communicating with each other. "You have to keep track of all the cards, there's a huge memory load. It's really fast," says Denise Park at the University of Texas at Dallas. "So there's a huge speed load, it's a multitasking situation that really, I would say, overloads or loads the cognitive system to its maximum ability." The game forces the frontal cortex to operate with precision, "so it's exercising the part of your brain that involves a lot of reasoning and processing of information and evaluation and decision making," Park explains.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan announced that more than 80 percent of Maryland's age 65 and older populace have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, reports WDVM . The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also estimated that over 50 percent of Maryland's adult population has received at least one vaccine shot. Hogan declared on Twitter that the state's providers have administered more than 3.6 million vaccines to date, averaging about 70,000 daily vaccinations.