Aging, Cognitive Decline
Conditions
Keywords
Healthy aging, executive functions, memory, cognitive training, cognitive intervention, subjective cognitive impairment
Brief summary
The current study is designed to test the effectiveness of online programs for memory and executive functions in healthy aging. The investigators are testing online adaptations of two cognitive interventions that have been extensively studied, validated, and implemented in clinical settings: The Memory & Aging Program (MAP) targets normal memory change in healthy aging, and Goal Management Training (GMT) targets executive functioning deficits in a variety of cognitive and neurological conditions including healthy aging. Both programs combine psycho-education, targeted skills training and clinical support to empower participants with knowledge and strategies to harness their cognitive faculties. These programs are being tested against a waitlist control as well as against a commercial/research brain training platform (Cambridge Brain Sciences) in a design comparing performance on memory and executive functioning measures before and after the interventions/controls. The main hypothesis is that MAP will lead to memory-specific improvements above control conditions, whereas GMT will lead to greater improvements in measures of executive functions relative to controls.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALGoal Management Training
Pre-recorded videos and games combine psycho-education, targeted skills training, and mindfulness practice to teach a system where participants can take control of their attention and cognitive faculties.
BEHAVIORALMemory & Aging Program
Pre-recorded videos and activities combine psycho-education, memory strategy training, and social support to educate about normal memory change in aging, normalize the experience of participants going through it, and equip them to handle age-related memory change.
BEHAVIORALCambridge Brain Sciences
Commercial brain training software available for subscription to the general public and for research studies.
Sponsors
Centre for Aging and Brain Health Innovation
Baycrest
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
TRIPLE (Subject, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
The study personnel who conduct screening and send pre/post-test surveys to participants are all blinded. Randomizer is blinded to all participant pre-test outcomes. Care providers know what their participants are doing, but not aware of the full study design, including details of the other conditions or outcome test characteristics.
Intervention model description
Participants are screened, undergo a battery of cognitive testing for the pre-test, and then are randomly assigned to one of four intervention groups: MAP, GMT, Cambridge Brain Sciences brain training (active control), or waitlist. After intervention, the participants take the same test battery and complete it once more at 6 week followup.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Available to participate in all testing and intervention sessions and access to a computer * Computer familiarity * Cognitive complaint/concern/frustration
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 screening measure, the modified Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status (Welsh et al., 1993) * Affective impairment, defined as performance below cutoff for depression on standardized depression screen, the PHQ 2/9 (Yesavage et al., 1983)
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Multifactorial Metamemory Questionnaire (MMQ) | Pre-intervention; immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Quantifies subjective memory abilities, satisfaction, and strategy use. The MMQ contains 3 sub scales, but we are using total score as our outcome variable. MMQ total scores range from 0 - 228, with higher scores indicting high self-reported memory performance, satisfaction with it, and use of memory strategies. |
| Change in dysexecutive functioning | Pre-intervention; immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Dysexecutive Functioning Index (DEX) questionnaire measures self-reported deficits in executive functions, and is composed of one scale with scores ranging from 0-80, where higher scores indicate greater executive deficit. |
| Change in cognitive failures | Pre-intervention; immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) measures self-reported failures in perception, memory, and motor function. It contains a single scale with scores ranging from 0-100, where higher scores indicate greater degree of impairment. |
| Change in memory knowledge score | Pre-intervention (post-randomization); immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Memory Knowledge Quiz quantifies memory, lifestyle, and strategy knowledge. It is scored from 0-25, with higher scores indicating more knowledge about knowledge of lifestyle factors affecting memory and strategies to remember. |
| Change in memory strategy toolbox use | Pre-intervention; immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Memory Strategy Toolbox quantifies application of strategies in memory-demanding everyday situations. It is scored from 0 - 6, with higher scores indicating increased ability to apply memory strategy toolbox. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Patient-Specific Functional Scale | Pre-intervention (post-randomization); immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Quantifies the impact of memory changes on daily activities and self-image. Is scored from 0 -10, with higher scores indicating greater ability to perform function, and taken as an average across number of activities scored. |
| Change in Impact of Memory Change on Daily Activities | Pre-intervention (post-randomization); immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Memory Impact Questionnaire (MIQ) quantifies the impact of memory changes on daily activities and self-image. The MIQ has three sub scales: Lifestyle Restriction, Positive Coping and Negative Emotion, and total score will be used as the outcome variable. Scores range from 0 - 204, with higher scores indicating greater impact of memory change on daily activities and self image. |
| Change in intentions to seek medical attention | Pre-intervention (post-randomization); immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Quantifies change in intentions to seek medical attention pertaining to memory concerns. |
| Change in Cambridge Brain Sciences online cognitive assessment | Pre-intervention (post-randomization); immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Battery of tasks that assess aspects of memory and reasoning. |
| Change in associative memory | Pre-intervention (post-randomization); immediate post-intervention; 6 weeks following intervention completion. | Face-name task tests associative memory and sensitivity (d') will be measured as the outcome score. |
Countries
Canada
Outcome results
None listed