Harnessing knowledge of lifespan biological, health, environmental and psychosocial mechanisms of cognitive frailty for integrated interventions

认知脆弱跨学科网络（CFIN）的主要目标是促进协作性的多学科研究，沿着从基础实验室研究到对生活产生实际影响的道路前进。重点是研究如何减轻与年龄有关的认知衰弱的发展和与之相关的健康寿命缩短（年数或健康寿命的比例）以及生活质量低下的挑战。认知衰弱被定义为一种可变条件，其特征是同时存在身体虚弱和与年龄相关的认知障碍，但排除现有的痴呆。与年龄相关的认知衰弱问题是一个重大的社会挑战，因为它对我们老龄化人口的生活质量的影响越来越大，但它也是一个挑战，因为它汇集了来自不同领域的研究。目前，许多关于老龄化的研究都是在学科内部进行的。因此，我们开始了解衰老过程的生物学机制，认知衰老的心理和神经生理过程，以及影响人类衰弱或认知能力下降的外部环境、社会或个人健康行为因素。尽管在认知衰老方面已经有了丰富的知识，但学科之间的讨论和知识交流很少，因此近年来在寻找多维干预措施以预防、恢复或减少晚年认知衰弱方面几乎没有进展。该网络旨在弥合基础、临床和社会科学研究之间的差距，以促进对老龄化的科学理解的转化。目标集中于在这一领域建立和运作一个跨学科的重要网络，包括生物学、神经科学、心理学、流行病学、社会科学和公民参与，以及一系列相关的网络支持组织，包括NHSA和国家老龄化创新中心。通过与国家卫生研究院国家卫生委员会ARC的联系，卫生不平等评估工具（HIAT）的使用将纳入该网络的所有研究和活动成果，以确保我们所做的一切努力都是为了解决不平等问题，而不是使不平等现象恶化。该网络的理想构建是为了产生影响，有一个重要的国际外部咨询小组（EAG），一个经验丰富的PI/Co-I团队，以及一个由领先机构的专家成员组成的初始小组。除了通过我们自己的学科网络、多学科研究中心、学术学会以及将在早期举行的网络会议在国内和国际上建立网络外，成果还包括关于多因素干预途径的共识文件、生物机制与认知脆弱性外部预测因素之间相互作用的证据综合、一系列小型项目开发研究，并从中，一系列大型多学科成果研究提案。能力发展，特别是早期职业研究人员（ecr）的发展将是一个重点，并将建立一个指导计划，从而建立跨学科的指导伙伴关系。我们还将邀请合作伙伴和成员提交关于ECR小型会议/暑期学校的想法。老年人和其他利益相关者（如护理人员）的参与是该网络的重要组成部分，并将得到VOICE的Co-I的支持，VOICE是一个利用公众精神资本、见解和想法的成熟组织。他们将能够在小型合作项目和整个网络中加强有意义的公众参与和参与的范围和多样性。VOICE将加强公民与一系列志愿和社区组织（包括慈善机构）之间的联系和合作。

The primary aim of the Cognitive Frailty Interdisciplinary Network (CFIN) is to promote collaborative, multidisciplinary research that moves along the pathway from basic laboratory studies through to having a real impact on lives. The focus is on research that addresses the challenge of alleviating the development of age-related cognitive frailty and related reduced healthspan (years, or proportion of one's life spent in good health), and poor quality of life. Cognitive frailty is defined as a variable condition characterised by simultaneous presence of physical frailty and age-related cognitive impairment, but the exclusion of existing dementia. The issue of age-related cognitive frailty is a major societal challenge in terms of its increasing impact on quality of life in our ageing populations, but it is also a challenge in terms of bringing together research from diverse fields. Currently, much research on ageing takes place within disciplines. We are thus beginning to learn much about the biological mechanisms of the ageing process, the psychological and neurophysiological processes of cognitive ageing and the external environmental, social or personal health behaviour factors that impact on the development of frailty or cognitive decline in humans. Despite this wealth of knowledge already available on cognitive ageing, there has been little discourse and knowledge exchange between disciplines such that there has been little progress in recent years in finding multi-dimensional interventions to prevent, rehabilitate, or reduce progress in cognitive frailty in later life. This network aims to bridge the gaps between basic, clinical and social science research to foster the translation of the scientific understanding of ageing. The objectives are focused on building and operationalising an important network in this area across disciplines including Biology, neuroscience, psychology, epidemiology, social science and citizen engagement, with an array of linked network support organisations including the NHSA and the National Innovation Centre for Ageing. With links to the NIHR NWC ARC, the use of a health inequalities assessment tool (the HIAT) will be incorporated into all research and activity outcomes of this network, to ensure that everything we do attempts to address, rather than make inequalities worse. The network is ideally constructed to deliver impact, with a significant international External Advisory Group (EAG) in place, an experienced PI/Co-I team, and an initial group of expert members across leading institutions. In addition to building the network Nationally and Internationally, via our own discipline networks, multidisciplinary research centres, learned societies, and via the network conference to be held early on, outcomes include production of a consensus paper on multi-factor pathways for intervention, an evidence synthesis of the interaction between biological mechanisms and external predictors of cognitive frailty, a series of mini-project development studies, and from these, a series of larger multidisciplinary outcome research proposals. Capacity development, particularly the development of Early Career Researchers (ECRs) will be a focus, with a mentorship programme whereby cross-disciplinary mentoring partnerships are set-up. We will also invite Co-Is and members to submit ideas for an ECR mini-conference/summer school. Involvement of older adults and other stakeholders such as carers is a crucial part of this network, which will be supported by the inclusion of a Co-I from VOICE, a well-established organisation that harnesses the mental capital, insights, and ideas of the public. They will be able to strengthen the reach and diversity of meaningful public engagement and participation in the mini collaborative projects and across the network. VOICE will strengthen links to and collaboration between citizens and a range of voluntary and community organisations (including charities).