Anita Karp completed her doctorate in 2005. Her thesis explored the social and psychosocial factors which have can have an effect during different phases of the lifespan and how these relate to the occurrence of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) in late-life. The effects of early life circumstances, such as education; mid-life factors such as occupation; and an active and socially integrated late-life were all investigated in relation to the risk for developing dementia and AD. The thesis identified several important sources of cognitive stimulation throughout the lifespan and results indicated that education above elementary level, higher levels of work complexity, and a broad spectrum of activities in old age are all related to a decreased risk of dementia.
Since completing her thesis she has worked part-time at Äldrecentrum (Stockholm Gerontology Center) and in collaboration with Centrum för Allmänmedicin (CeFam) (Centre for Family and Community Medicine) at KI, studying the effects of preventive home visits by districts nurses to 75-year olds.
In addition Anita is involved in a project at ARC investigating how psychosocial stress, sleep problems, and cortisol levels may influence cognitive function and the risk for dementia in elderly persons. |
Wang HX, Karp A, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Late-life engagement in social and leisure activities is associated with a decreased risk of dementia: a longitudinal study from the Kungsholmen project. Am J Epidemiol 2002;155:1081-7.
Qiu C, Karp A, von Strauss E, et al. Lifetime principal occupation and the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease in the Kungsholmen Project. Am J Indust Med 2003;43:204-11.
Karp A, Kåreholt I, Qiu C, Bellander T, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Relation of Education and Occupation-based Socioeconomic Status to Incident Alzheimer's Disease. Am. J. Epidemiol. 2004; 159: 175-183.
Karp A, Paillard-Borg S, Wang HX, Silverstein M, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Mental, Physical and Social Components on Common Leisure Activities in Old Age in Relation to Dementia: Findings from the Kungsholmen Project. Abstract Neurobiology of Ageing 2004; 25:S313.
Karp A, Wang HX, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Äldre människor med ett aktivt och socialt integrerat liv löper mindre risk att drabbas av demens. Nordisk Geriatrik 2005;1:12-17.
Karp A, Paillard-Borg S, Wang HX, Silverstein M, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Mental, physical, and social components in leisure activities equally contribute to decrease dementia risk. Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders. 2006;21:65-73.
Sherman S, Söderhielm Blid S, Törnkvist L, Karp A, Wånell SE. Förebyggande hembesök till äldre - en modell för det hälsofrämjande arbetet. Stiftelsen Stockholms läns Äldrecentrum. 2007:20 ISSN 1401-5129.
Marengoni A, Winblad B, Karp A, Fratiglioni L. Prevalence of chronic diseases and multimorbidity among the elderly population in Sweden. Am J Public Health. 2008;98:1198-1200.
Karp A, Andel R, Parker MG, Wang H-X Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Work complexity and the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease – a follow up study from the Kungsholmen Project. Am J Ger Psychiatry. 2009; 17:227-236.
Wang HX, Karp A, Herlitz A, Crowe M, Kåreholt I, Winblad B, Fratiglioni L. Personality and lifestyle in relation to dementia incidence. Neurology. 2009;72:253-259. |