Aging
Conditions
Keywords
aging, memory, memory training
Brief summary
Normal aging is associated with decline in some aspects of memory, and this can be a risk factor for reductions in everyday functioning. The Baycrest Memory and Aging Program teaches positive adaptation to age-related memory changes, including strategies for minimizing the everyday impact of normal memory change and positive lifestyle change to maximize brain health. Prior research has shown that the Memory and Aging program is effective in increasing participants' knowledge about memory, use of memory strategies, and confidence in memory function, as well as adoption of healthier lifestyle practices and reduction in intention to use unneeded health care resources. Although not one of the stated goals of the program, informal feedback from participants suggests that the educational content and skills training in the Memory and Aging Program has led some participants to change behaviours in ways that lead to significant improvements in their everyday functioning. For example, graduating participants often volunteer examples of how they have applied what they have learned to succeed in everyday memory tasks such as learning a new name or keeping track of future plans. Based on this participant feedback, it is hypothesized that the knowledge, skills, and confidence gained by Memory and Aging Program participants may lead to positive behaviour changes that, in turn, lead to improved everyday functioning. The present study will test this hypothesis using a randomized controlled pretest-posttest design.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMemory and Aging Program
Sponsors
Baycrest
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
50 Years to 90 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Age 50-90 * Available to participate in all testing and intervention sessions (located in Toronto, Canada)
Exclusion criteria
* health conditions with major effects on cognition, including a current or previous history of stroke, brain surgery, or diagnosed neurological disorder * dependence in instrumental activities of daily living * cognitive impairment, defined as performance below cutoff for cognitive impairment on a standardized cognitive test, the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (Brandt, Spencer, & Folstein, 1988). * affective impairment, defined as performance below cutoff for depression on standardized depression screen, the Geriatric Depression Scale (Yesavage et al., 1983)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change from baseline in healthy lifestyle behaviours as measured by Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II (Walker, Sechrist, & Pender, 1987) | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Attainment of individualized goals for (a) lifestyle change, (b) memory strategy use, and (c) functional outcomes of memory strategy use as measured by Goal Attainment Scaling (Gordon, Powell, & Rockwood, 2000; Kiresuk, Smith, & Cardillo, 1994) | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Change from baseline in memory strategy use as measured by the Memory Strategy Toolbox (modified from Troyer, 2001) | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| General Self-Efficacy Scale (Schwarzer & Jerusalem, 1995) | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Change in positive and negative affect as measured by Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (Watson, Clark, & Tellegen, 1988) | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Change in general health status as measured by the RAND 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (Ware & Sherbourne, 1992). | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (Smith, Della Sala, Logie, & Maylor, 2000) | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Self-report health status, lifestyle changes, attitudes about aging | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
Other
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| Change in self-perceived memory as measured by Multifactorial Metamemory Questionnaire (Troyer & Rich, 2002) | Baseline, 8 weeks, 14 weeks |
| Change in name learning (Name-learning task, based on Troyer, Häfliger, Cadieux, & Craik, 2006) | Baseline, 8 weeks, 14 weeks |
| Change in memory knowledge as measured by Memory knowledge quiz (modified from Troyer, 2001). | Baseline, Week 8, week 14 |
| Change in prospective memory function (Prospective telephone-call task, Troyer, 2001; actual week, Rendell & Craik, 2001) | Baseline, 8 weeks, 14 weeks |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed