None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Mounting evidence indicates that cognition-based interventions for people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are effective in maintaining independence and increase patient satisfaction. Studies to date have primarily focused on clarifying intervention parameters associated with greater efficacy, such as duration and frequency. Less is known, however, about the contribution of health related variables to the outcome of cognition-based treatments. Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) are highly prevalent in people with MCI and are associated with greater impairment, excess disability, and worse outcomes. Despite this, studies evaluating the efficacy of cognition-based interventions in persons with MCI tend to exclude patients with NPS. Understanding the contribution of NPS to the outcome of such interventions is important in terms of their application in clinical settings. A double-blind randomised controlled trial design is proposed to compare the efficacy of a cognitive training intervention between individuals with MCI, individuals with MCI and NPS, and individuals with NPS and no MCI. The outcomes of the study will inform the selection of candidates that have the greatest potential to benefit from cognition-based interventions, with implications for clinical practice.
Interventions
Participants undertake 8-12 weeks of computerised cognitive training (CCT) using a commercially available program (Cognifit).
The Cognifit CCT platform will be used by participants in the experimental treatment condition and includes 33 computer tasks designed to train specific cognitive domains. The training protocol is individualised using an automated algorithm that allocates tasks to each individual, and task difficulty levels are adaptive such that they are determined based on the partici
Participants undertake 8-12 weeks of computerised cognitive training (CCT) using a commercially available program (Cognifit). The Cognifit CCT platform will be used by participants in the experimental treatment condition and includes 33 computer tasks designed to train specific cognitive domains. The training protocol is individualised using an automated algorithm that allocates tasks to each individual, and task difficulty levels are adaptive such that they are determined based on the participant’s actual performance. Participants will be instructed to complete training on three separate days each week. Each session will involve the completion of 9 computer tasks and will last approximately 30 minutes. The intervention period lasts a minimum of 8 weeks and a maximum of 12 weeks based on participant preference. Adherence to the intervention is monitored via a combination of detailed automatic login and performance records provided by CogniFit, as well as by participants recording each training session in a persona diary provided to them at the start of the intervention period. A dedicated research staff follows up all participants with fortnightly phone calls to provide further support and encouragement, as appropriate.
Sponsors
Dr Alex Bahar-Fuchs
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
65 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Referred by specialist, GP, or self-referred Community-dwelling Computer and internet access at home Spouse/family member/informant available Concern regarding changes in cognition ACE-III total score> 60 Preservation of functional independence A score of greater than or equal to 1 on the NPI (only including the depression, anxiety, and apathy items)
Exclusion criteria
Diagnosis of dementia ACE-III Total score <60 or >95 CDR score greater than or equal to 1 Education<6 Other neurological/psychiatric conditions better accounting for clinical presentation Significant sensory/perceptual impairments Insufficient English Previously enrolled in a CT study AChI<3 months Psychotic/bi-polar symptoms Anti-depressants <3 months
Outcome results
None listed