共找到 20 条结果
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is an ultra-rare hereditary condition caused by germline de novo mutations of LMNA gene that synthesizes the toxic protein progerin and, therefore, compromises nuclear structure and expedites aging of cells. HGPS is fairly rare (estimated as 1 in 20 million people), but triggered a significant amount of academic interest due to the interplay between the disease and both research into rare diseases and studies of the aging process more generally. This bibliometric research is a regular analysis of the world literature on HGPS from 1995 to 2025. This is read to impersonate the quantity of publications, metrics of citations, collaboration among authors, contributions of institutions, and themes that provide a revelation of the pattern of interest, productivity, and influence over time. The search strategies and selection criteria were predetermined before retrieving articles related to HGPS in Google Scholar, PubMed, and Dimensions. Reviews, editorials, proceedings, book chapters, and commentaries by the faculty of 1000 were not included. To visualize co-authorship networks, as well as thematic tendencies, bibliometric indicators, such as the number of publications, their citation frequency, and author affiliations, were processed with the help of Dimensions. There were 737 publications in the English language that fit the criteria. Since 2018, the research has shown a significant rise, peaking in 2021. Notable researchers are Francis S. Collins, Leslie B. Gordon, and Michael R. Erdos, whilst major institutions are the NHGRI, UCLA, Brown University, Karolinska Institute, and CNIC. It was observed that there are thirteen different research clusters with major areas involving cardiovascular aging, nuclear envelope biology, senescence, and gene therapy. Papers that have the most impact explain LMNA mutations, progerin biology, and therapeutic methods, including farnesyltransferase inhibitors and gene-editing tools. This bibliometric survey defines the age and focus of the research into HGPS, with published research being highly concentrated and collaborative and showing possible future research directions in regenerative therapy and epigenetic control. Although the modern knowledge about the progeria condition has grown significantly, there is still a significant drawback of the psychosocial research, prolonged therapy trials, and equity in research participation globally. The results thus highlight the need for multidisciplinary and cross-country collaboration in case science on progeria and wider related research on aging keeps evolving.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an escalating public health concern in low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan, with rising prevalence among the aging population. While global research has increasingly addressed the psychological dimensions of AD, Pakistan's contribution remains limited. This systematic review, conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, examines the scope and focus of psychological research on AD in Pakistan. Eleven empirical studies published between 2014 and 2025 were included, revealing key themes such as caregiver burden, sociocultural influences, assessment tools, and co-morbidities. The findings highlight a nascent but growing interest in psychological research on AD in Pakistan, along with significant gaps in methodology, cultural adaptation, and long-term data. Addressing these gaps is essential for improving patient outcomes and informing context-sensitive interventions and policies. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review sheds light on the emerging body of psychological research on Alzheimer's disease in Pakistan. By identifying research trends and critical gaps, it emphasizes the urgent need for culturally relevant tools, caregiver support systems, and longitudinal studies to enhance mental health outcomes for patients and their families.
Ageing is accompanied by physiological and lifestyle changes that may influence gut microbial metabolism. Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), including acetate, propionate, and butyrate, are microbial metabolites derived from dietary fibre fermentation and play important roles in host metabolic and immune function. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined age-related differences in faecal SCFA concentrations among apparently healthy adults. Following PRISMA guidelines, searches across five databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central, Scopus, and PubMed) identified 18 eligible studies comparing faecal SCFA levels between stratified age groups. Random-effects meta-analyses showed that older adults had lower faecal concentrations of acetate (standardised mean difference [SMD] -0.53, 95% CI -0.90 to -0.16; p = 0.005), propionate (SMD -0.32, 95% CI -0.53 to -0.12; p = 0.002), butyrate (SMD -0.25, 95% CI -0.44 to -0.05; p = 0.015), and total SCFAs (SMD -0.59, 95% CI -0.98 to -0.21; p = 0.003) compared with younger adults. Insufficient reporting of dietary intake and physical activity precluded reliable meta-regression analyses to determine the contribution of these lifestyle factors to between-study heterogeneity. However, meta-regression identified methodological factors, specifically immediate post-collection freezing of faecal samples, exclusion of participants using antibiotics and the geographic region of studies, as significant sources of heterogeneity. Collectively, these meta-analyses provide quantitative evidence that ageing is associated with reduced faecal SCFA concentrations, indicating a potential age-related decline in microbial fermentation capacity. Understanding whether this decline is a modifiable feature of healthy ageing warrants investigation in future longitudinal and interventional studies.
Ageing is the primary risk factor for many chronic, degenerative, and life-threatening disorders, yet the translational pipeline for geroprotective interventions remains comparatively sparse. Short‑lived, experimentally tractable models with conserved ageing pathways, particularly Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila melanogaster, and the African turquoise killifish (Nothobranchius furzeri), have expanded discovery beyond traditionally mammalian-centric pipelines. By leveraging advances in automation, high-content imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI), these models have shifted the field from low-throughput, reductionist assays to scalable, mechanistically informed in vivo phenotypic discovery. Here, we review recent advances in middle- to high-throughput screening (HTS) technologies across these models, review key phenotypic and molecular biomarkers, such as motility, cognition and memory, intestinal integrity, mitochondrial function, and immune response, and discuss their strengths and limitations. We further evaluate the expanding role of AI from in silico screening, automated and high-content phenotyping, to integrative multi-layer mechanistic inference. Key challenges, including data standardisation, reproducibility across laboratories, limited cross‑species pharmacokinetic comparability, AI model interpretability, and the translational gap between invertebrate hits and vertebrate or mammalian efficacy, are also discussed. By highlighting recent developments in in vivo disease models, HTS methodologies, and AI integration, this review provides a comprehensive resource for developing effective models and screening strategies to accelerate therapeutics for ageing and age-related diseases.
Clock-like mutational signatures, principally the single base substitution signatures SBS1 and SBS5, with smaller contributions from SBS18 and SBS40, accumulate approximately linearly with chronological age across nearly all normal human somatic tissues. Initially viewed as simple molecular odometers of lifetime cell divisions, these signatures are now recognised to reflect a far more complex interplay of replication-associated polymerase errors, spontaneous cytosine deamination, oxidative damage, transcription-coupled processes, R-loop-induced mutagenesis, and tissue-specific repair activities. In this review, we synthesise current progress in defining the biological origins, computational detection, tissue-specific behaviour, and translational potential of these clock-like processes. By integrating insights from large-scale sequencing of normal tissues, single-cell genomics, DNA methylation-based mitotic clocks, and population-level mutational datasets, we explain how a linear mutational input can be reconciled with the exponential rise in cancer incidence predicted by multistage carcinogenesis models. We also evaluate the complementary strengths and limitations of mutational versus epigenetic ageing biomarkers and consider emerging evidence that non-replicative mechanisms may dominate mutagenesis in post-mitotic and metabolically active tissues. Finally, we discuss how a multi-modal "clock architecture" has the potential to transform cancer risk prediction, early detection, and preventive intervention, and we highlight the key unresolved questions and experimental directions needed to translate these fundamental insights into clinical impact.
Research on psychosocial interventions for dementia demonstrates increased rigour and robustness. However, if we are to influence practice, beyond results from randomised controlled trials, a variety of types and sources of evidence is needed. The Medical Research Council (MRC) framework offers a valuable guide for developing, evaluating and implementing complex interventions, to facilitate integration of research into practice. There is limited knowledge of how researchers design, evaluate and implement psychosocial intervention studies in dementia, using the MRC framework. This scoping review aims to: (1) identify the methodological and methods trends, use and gaps in the development, evaluation and implementation of psychosocial interventions for dementia, and (2) determine if and how the MRC six core elements were considered and applied in studies. Six databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Library) will be searched for studies published from 2015 (when MRC process guidance was published) to 2025. Identified deduplicated citations will be imported into Covidence software, where up to 40% of title/abstracts will be double screened by independent reviewers. ASReview will be used to rank articles by relevance, with a stopping criterion of 250 consecutive irrelevant articles. Full texts will be reviewed by a single reviewer and those excluded will be checked by a second reviewer. Data extraction will include study aim/objective (ie, to develop/adapt; test feasibility/pilot; evaluate; implement); methodology and methods applied; information on which MRC six core elements were considered (yes/no), and if so, how they were addressed (ie, qualitative details). A narrative synthesis, alongside graphical representations (eg, table/bar charts/histograms), will be used to synthesise findings on methodologies and methods mapped onto the MRC framework. This secondary analysis scoping review does not require ethics approval. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication(s), seminars, webinars, conferences, postgraduate dementia programmes, blogs, commissioner briefings and social media. The findings will provide a state-of-the-art overview of current practices; advance methods/methodology such as informing a Delphi consensus study on appropriate research approaches; and guide researchers in application of the MRC framework to widen the scope of dementia care evidence for practice improvements. Submitted to Open Science Framework https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/S56NQ.
One essential post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that increases protein diversity in eukaryotes is alternative splicing. This process is crucial for maintaining nervous system function and is highly active in neurons. Dysregulation of alternative splicing is a common pathogenic factor in many neurodegenerative diseases. For example, splicing variants of tau protein and amyloid precursor protein are implicated in Alzheimer's disease; aberrant splicing of α-synuclein (SNCA) and upregulation of specific transcript variants of the Parkin (PARK2) gene occurs in Parkinson's disease; and aberrant splicing of Stathmin-2 (STMN2) pre-mRNA leads to the loss of axonal maintenance proteins in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. This process is precisely regulated by trans-acting factors, a class of RBPs that specifically recognize and bind to cis-acting elements on precursor mRNA (pre-mRNA). These factors are primarily categorized into two major groups: serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs). Although hnRNPs and SR proteins have been shown to regulate neuronal alternative splicing, their complex regulatory networks and associated disease mechanisms remain incompletely understood, hindering the development of targeted therapies. This review summarizes the molecular mechanisms of alternative splicing and its regulatory features in neurodegenerative diseases. It also summarizes recent advances in splicing-based therapies and biomarkers, providing insights into disease mechanisms and therapeutic development.
Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, and ageing is their strongest biological risk factor. In the ageing cardiovascular system, mitochondrial dysfunction is not only a central driver of disease progression but also a key feature of cardiovascular ageing, linking oxidative stress, calcium dysregulation, bioenergetic failure, impaired mitochondrial dynamics, defective mitophagy, and chronic inflammation to myocardial and vascular decline. In this review, we discuss how age-associated mitochondrial alterations contribute to the pathogenesis of major CVDs and highlight their connections with broader hallmarks of ageing, including cellular senescence, proteostasis disruption, altered intercellular communication, and stem cell exhaustion. We further summarise recent advances in nanomedicine-based strategies targeting and modulating mitochondrial function, including stimulus-responsive nanocarriers, active targeting ligands, biomimetic delivery systems, and combinatorial therapeutic platforms. These approaches show promise in restoring redox balance, improving energy metabolism, limiting apoptosis, and enhancing mitochondrial quality control in conditions such as ischemia-reperfusion injury, hypertension, heart failure, and arrhythmia. Importantly, we also emphasise that ageing itself may substantially influence nanoparticle biodistribution, protein corona formation, immune recognition, intracellular trafficking, and therapeutic efficacy, thereby affecting the translational performance of mitochondrial-targeted nanomedicine in older patients. Although significant progress has been made, challenges remain in biosafety, age-relevant preclinical evaluation, manufacturing scalability, and clinical translation. We further highlight that clinical translation remains constrained by limited cardiovascular clinical evidence, patient heterogeneity, and age- and comorbidity-dependent variability in nanoparticle safety and efficacy. Overall, framing mitochondrial-targeted nanomedicine within the biology of cardiovascular ageing may provide a more precise and clinically relevant strategy for preventing and treating age-related CVDs.
The liver performs a wide range of physiological functions, including lipid/glucose metabolism, energy storage, immune regulation, molecular biosynthesis, and the clearance of xenobiotics, all of which are essential for maintaining systemic homeostasis. Liver ageing increases its susceptibility to acute stress and injury, which in turn enhances the body's sensitivity to ageing-related responses. These processes interact with other organs, accelerating systemic ageing and the pathogenesis of age-related diseases. Growing evidence indicates that targeting liver-specific pathways can promote longevity. This review summarizes the effects of longevity interventions on the liver ageing process and their underlying mechanisms, and offers perspectives on liver-targeted longevity strategies for delaying ageing and treating age-related diseases.
Glucolipid metabolic disorders (GLMD) have emerged as a significant global public health issue, posing a significant threat to human health. With changes in modern social structures and an ageing population, the incidence of GLMD is on the rise and is increasingly affecting younger populations. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) directly modifies the gut microbiota to reestablish its equilibrium and metabolites, consequently reinstating gut barrier integrity, mitigating chronic low-grade inflammation, and affecting the onset and progression of GLMD through the regulation of the gut-liver axis. This paper reviews the application of FMT in the treatment of GLMD, emphasizing research outcomes and efficacy assessments in clinical trials and animal studies. As a simple and secure intervention, FMT is anticipated to provide new therapeutic alternatives for GLMD patients in the future with the deepening of relevant research, the screening of specific probiotics and the revelation of functional mechanisms. This paper aims to clarify the potential mechanism of FMT in addressing GLMD, summarise recent research developments in this field, and anticipate the opportunities and challenges of FMT in clinical application.
暂无摘要（点击查看详情）
Sleep disorders and cardiovascular diseases are pressing global health concerns, whose prevalence and comorbidity significantly increase with age. The mechanistic underpinnings of this bidirectional relationship remain elusive. This review posits the Gut-Brain-Heart Axis (GBHA) as a critical integrative network bridging this clinical gap, particularly in the context of ageing. We synthesize compelling evidence that sleep disturbances induce gut dysbiosis, compromise intestinal barrier integrity-a vulnerability exacerbated by ageing-and alter microbial metabolite production, thereby initiating a cascade of systemic inflammation, oxidative stress, and neuroendocrine imbalance. These age-aggravated disruptions propagate cardiovascular injury through pathways including endothelial dysfunction, autonomic disruption, and myocardial remodeling. Central to this axis are microbiota-derived molecules (e.g., short-chain fatty acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, lipopolysaccharide), which we identify as key biochemical translators of sleep quality into cardiovascular status across the lifespan. Therapeutically, we highlight multi-level interventions targeting the GBHA-from microbiota-directed approaches to sleep-focused therapies-that demonstrate promise in restoring physiological homeostasis and improving clinical outcomes in the ageing population. Our analysis establishes the GBHA as a foundational framework for understanding the interplay between sleep, ageing, and cardiovascular comorbidity, thereby advocating a paradigm shift from organ-centric to system-based geriatric medicine and outlining a translational roadmap for future research.
Despite growing concerns about the oral health-diabetes link, there is a lack of dental health interventions focused on people with diabetes. This mapping review synthesised the current landscape of oral health interventions for people with diabetes and identified future opportunities. A systematic search of electronic databases (Embase, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library) and grey literature was conducted without language or publication-year restrictions. Eligible evidence was restricted to review-level studies, including systematic reviews (with or without meta-analysis), network meta-analyses, and umbrella reviews, that focused on populations living with diabetes (type 1, type 2, or gestational) and reported at least one WHO core oral health outcome. Paired reviewers screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality using AMSTAR 2. A thematic map categorised interventions based on WHO-defined core oral health outcomes (periodontitis, dental caries, tooth loss, and oral cancer). Network maps were developed at three levels of action (patient, population, and policymaker), and the findings were stratified by World Bank income classification (2024-2025). A total of 3527 records were identified. After screening titles and abstracts and assessing 107 full texts, 76 reviews were included (62 systematic reviews, seven umbrella reviews, six network meta-analyses, and one meta-epidemiological study), with the majority originating from high-income countries (54.5%). Most interventions were conducted in clinical settings (n = 50), followed by community (n = 14) and institutional settings (n = 12). Follow-up periods ranged from two weeks to 20 years. At the patient level, interventions predominantly focused on non-surgical periodontal therapy and scaling and root planing (71 studies, 89.0%), often combined with adjunctive antimicrobial or anti-inflammatory therapies (39 studies, 51.3%), and oral hygiene or lifestyle education (25 studies, 32.9%). Population-level strategies were less frequently reported and included community oral health education, fluoride-based prevention, and primary care integration (26 studies, 34.2%). Policymaker-level evidence was limited (one study, 1.3%), emphasising the integration of periodontal care into diabetes management pathways and interdisciplinary healthcare models. The studies from low- and lower-middle income countries were underrepresented (9 of 44 countries, 20.5%). Despite growing evidence, gaps persist in population-level and policy-oriented interventions, particularly within primary care and in low- and lower-middle-income country contexts. Future priorities include integrating oral health into diabetes care pathways, strengthening interdisciplinary care models, and expanding preventive strategies in low- and middle-income countries.
The National Health Service (NHS) faces mounting pressure from an ageing population and the backlog of care following the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan sets out a strategic framework to address these pressures through three priorities: train, retain and reform. The plan outlines a range of measures, including the doubling of medical school places over the next decade. Realisation of these ambitions is constrained by limited training capacity, as existing educators face significant pressures due to clinical demands. Clinical Teaching Fellow (CTF) programmes provide resident doctors with protected time for education and may help expand capacity and alleviate workforce pressures on established educators. Despite their rapid growth, CTF programmes remain under-described, and their contribution to NHS workforce priorities has not been systematically examined. To address this gap, this scoping review will map published and unpublished evidence on UK-based CTF programmes, engaging knowledge users to ensure findings are relevant to practice and workforce priorities. The review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews and reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews. Evidence will be identified from academic databases (British Education Index, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science) and grey literature sources (Google Scholar, NHS and medical school websites, deanery pages and job-advertising platforms). Two reviewers will independently screen and extract data using a piloted form, with discrepancies resolved by discussion or a third reviewer. Extracted data will undergo descriptive analysis and narrative synthesis, guided by a Theory of Change framework to identify how CTF programme inputs, activities and outcomes relate to NHS workforce priorities. Knowledge users will be engaged throughout the review to refine research questions, inform source selection, interpret findings, and shape dissemination. Ethical approval has been granted. All participants will provide informed consent. Participant contributions will be pseudonymised, and data will be managed in accordance with UK data protection legislation. Dissemination will be informed by knowledge users to ensure that findings on CTF programmes, including reported outcomes and identified gaps, are shared with those involved in delivering or supporting CTF programmes and with NHS stakeholders responsible for workforce priorities in training, retention and reform.
Dementia-related cognitive decline and ageing-related challenges impact social participation and relationships. Limited knowledge of dementia among family, friends and the public hinder support for interactions with those affected. Unmet social needs in community-living older adults with dementia remain underrecognized, despite their importance in healthy ageing and quality of life. This scoping review mapped existing evidence on unmet social needs of community-living older adults with dementia, including how these needs vary across dementia stages. We conducted a scoping review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines. Four databases were searched (2000 -April 2025) in English, Portuguese and Mandarin, yielding 24 included articles. Seven themes of unmet social needs were identified: (i) participation in out-of-home activities, (ii) support for maintaining independence in daily life (iii) companionship, (iv) meaningful relationships, (v) respectful and dignified social interactions, (vi) emotional support, and (vii) social needs during the pandemic. Unmet social needs differed by dementia stage: in mild dementia, unmet social needs mostly relate to out-of-home activities, while in moderate and severe stages unmet social needs shifted towards daily activities, companionship and emotional support. Stigma emerged as a transversal influence shaping experiences of unmet social need across stages and contexts. Unmet social needs evolve across dementia stages and are influenced by relational, socio-cultural and structural factors. Future research should include more advanced stages, diverse populations, and strategies for addressing social needs from their own perspectives.
Rapid population ageing in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is unfolding within fragile health systems, weak social protection, and limited geriatric and palliative services, creating ethical challenges in older adult care. This study critically reviews current literature and policy reports, synthesizes key themes, and proposes evidence-based recommendations for policy, practice, and research. A comprehensive literature search examined ethical issues in caring for older adults in SSA across healthcare and social care settings. We searched biomedical, ethics, social science, and gray literature sources using population, ethics, care, and geographic terms. English-language studies from 2000 to 2025 addressing ethical dimensions of older adult care were included. We identified multiple ethical challenges that affect older adult care in SSA, including justice, equity, autonomy, dignity, vulnerability, abuse, and ageism. Healthcare-related concerns involve unmet needs, resource allocation dilemmas, limited palliative and end-of-life care, and age-biased clinical decisions. Socially, weakening family support systems create moral tensions for caregivers. Policy analyses emphasise rights-based, culturally sensitive, and equitable approaches, highlighting the need for integrated ethical, social, and systemic care strategies. Addressing ethical issues in older care in SSA requires legally enshrined protections, health-system investments, public campaigns to counter ageism, supportive decision-making frameworks that respect cultural contexts and individual rights and strengthened research and surveillance. A right-based, culturally sensitive approach focused on the voices of older persons is essential.
Exercise, including both resistance and aerobic modalities, is widely recognised for its cognitive and physical health benefits, such as enhanced cognitive performance, improved physical fitness, and disease prevention. An emerging field, known as chrono-exercise, examines how the timing of exercise interacts with circadian rhythms to maximise these benefits. With ageing, cognitive decline and physical impairment become increasingly prevalent, contributing to a higher risk of age-related disorders. This scoping review aims to explore whether strategies, particularly those involving brain-muscle crosstalk, can mitigate these declines. This review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Rodent studies were identified from PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane, and ProQuest databases. Included studies examined the effects of various exercise interventions, including aerobic and resistance training, on neurobehavioural outcomes, body composition, and physiological and biochemical regulatory mechanisms. Overall, exercise interventions demonstrate beneficial effects on cognitive and physical health. These effects appear to be enhanced when exercise is aligned with circadian rhythms and appropriately supplemented, highlighting their potential as non-invasive strategies to mitigate age-related decline. These findings emphasise the need for further research to optimise exercise protocols and develop personalised interventions aimed at improving cognitive and physical health in ageing populations.
There are high levels of physical inactivity and chronic diseases among older South Asians. Although physical activity (PA) offers substantial health benefits for older adults, engagement and maintenance are low in this population. There are reviews of previous studies on South Asians in general, but very few concentrate on older South Asians and the synthesis of qualitative research to inform intervention design for this group of people. To comprehensively evaluate the current body of qualitative research on the facilitators and inhibitors of participation in physical activity in older South Asians. This qualitative systematic review was reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020. Six major databases were searched between the inception of the databases and April 2025. The inclusion criteria for this systematic review included English-language primary qualitative studies and mixed-methods studies with extractable qualitative findings relating to South Asians aged 65 years and older. The Joanna Briggs Institute tool was used in addressing issues of quality in qualitative research studies. Deductive synthesis of studies used Theoretical Domains Framework, which was further transformed into Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. A total of sixteen studies in six countries satisfied the inclusion criteria. Barriers to physical activity (PA) included the participant's perception of physical restrictions, other family care commitments, a lack of knowledge about physical activity, social norms, and low levels of motivation. Facilitators include social support, participation in supervised group activities, health beliefs, facilitating environments, and professional health advice. All can be related mainly to the domains: physical and psychological capabilities, social and physical opportunities, and reflective motivation in the COM-B model. Engaging in physical activity among the elderly South Asian population is affected by a complex mixture of individual, social, and cultural factors. For South Asians, it is important that interventions be implemented in a manner that meets the needs regarding capabilitymotivation, and support.
Introduction: Intergenerational programmes can provide numerous benefits including fostering meaningful relationships and improving understanding of other age groups. Despite a recent increase in popularity, intergenerational dance programmes remain under-researched and under-synthesised. The aim of this review was to synthesise the qualitative research on participants' opinions and experiences of intergenerational dance programmes. Methods: A qualitative evidence synthesis was conducted. Nine databases (CINAHL, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, PubMed/Medline (Central), PsycINFO, Cochrane-Central, Web of Science, Scopus, Performing Arts Periodicals Database, and Applied Social Sciences Indexes and Abstracts were searched using search terms including intergenerational and dance. Papers were screened using Rayyan software and critically appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. The trustworthiness of the findings was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual) tool. Thematic synthesis was used to analyse the findings. Results: Six papers were included in the final synthesis. The first theme Socialisation, Communication and Participant Connections and its two sub-themes Building an intra and intergenerational community and Intergenerational Bonds Formed through Dance demonstrated that the dance aspect was just as important and enjoyable for participants as the socialisation. The second theme was Biopsychosocial benefits of dance, with two sub-themes: A challenging yet rewarding experience for all and self-perceived health benefits for older adults. These themes highlight feelings of pride, improved self-perceived health, and feeling energised. Conclusion: Intergenerational dance programmes were found to offer a safe community that fostered meaningful relationships, dissolved age-related stereotypes, and encouraged participants to be more active. More effort is needed to ensure the voice of the younger populations are adequately represented in these studies.