The primary objective is to establish whether prefrontal compensatory mechanisms during working-memory performance may be enhanced by working-memory training, both in healthy older adults and MCI patients. The secondary objective is to establish age…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Other condition
Synonym
Health condition
cognitieve veroudering
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Changes in functional prefrontal activation as determined by oxygenated
hemoglobin changes (*mol/L) induced by working-memory training.
Secondary outcome
Changes in functional prefrontal activation as determined by deoxygenated
hemoglobin changes (*mol/L) induced by working-memory training.
Background summary
This project aims to unravel the working-memory-related neurocognitive changes
that take place in healthy aging and in the prodromal stages of dementia. Our
pilot study showed that older adults recruit bilateral prefrontal areas already
at low levels of working-memory load in an attempt to compensate for the
observed aging-related decline in performance. Our next goal is to establish
whether prefrontal activation and behavioral performance may be influenced by
working-memory training. Because we are interested in the underlying mechanisms
of prefrontal compensation, we will include both individuals who show
successful compensation, healthy elderly, as well as individuals who fail to
show successful compensation, Mild Cognitive Impairment patients.
Study objective
The primary objective is to establish whether prefrontal compensatory
mechanisms during working-memory performance may be enhanced by working-memory
training, both in healthy older adults and MCI patients. The secondary
objective is to establish age- and disease-related neural and vascular changes
which may influence compensatory brain activation in healthy older adults and
MCI patients, and hence may influence the results of the cognitive training.
Study design
This is an intervention study with a crossover design.
Intervention
Healthy older adults and MCI patients will receive the computerized
working-memory training Cogmed QM, which runs on the participant*s PC at home.
The training consists of 25 sessions of approximately 30-40 minutes and will be
completed within 5 weeks. Cogmed QM is an evidence based training programme
with proven effects on working-memory performance and concentration.
Study burden and risks
Given the established safety of the noninvasive techniques fNIRS, TCD,
Finapres, and EEG, and the nature of the intervention, i.e. a computerized
working-memory training at home, there are no foreseeable risks associated with
participation in this study.The investigators have ample previous experience
with healthy young, healthy elderly and MCI/Alzheimer patients undergoing
non-invasive measurements (fNIRS/TCD/Finapres). These investigations were very
well tolerated by the participants.
For the young adults the burden consists of one experimental session of 3
hours. They will not directly benefit from participation, but this study will
enhance our knowledge about the feasibility of combined fNIRS-EEG studies and
will provide us more insight into aging-related changes in neurovascular
coupling.
A considerable burden will be placed on the participating healthy elderly and
MCI patients because the three lab visits and computerized working-memory
training at home are time-consuming. Nevertheless, both groups may considerably
benefit from Cogmed working-memory training. The Cogmed training program is
designed to improve working-memory capacity, attention and concentration.
Previous studies (Brehmer et al., 2011;2012) indeed showed training-related
improvement of performance on working-memory tasks in healthy elderly. Also,
transfer effects were found on other cognitive domains and a self-rating scale
on cognitive functioning in daily life. Cogmed QM training, which is offered by
several commercial clinical practices for 400 euro per participant, is for
obvious reasons offered for free to the participants in the present study.
During the 5 weeks of Cogmed training, we will contact the participant to
provide structure, motivation and feedback on the progress.
Because we are interested in the underlying mechanisms of prefrontal
compensation, we chose to include both individuals who show successful
compensation, the healthy elderly, as well as individuals who fail to show
successful compensation, the MCI patients.
Reinier Postlaan 4
Nijmegen 6525 GC
NL
Reinier Postlaan 4
Nijmegen 6525 GC
NL
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
- Males and females aged 20-35 (young adults group) or 60-85 (older adults group and MCI group)
- MCI group: Diagnosis of amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment according to International Working Group criteria.
- Right-handed
- Dutch speaking
- Informed consent
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Access to a PC with internet connection at home (older adults group and MCI group)
Exclusion criteria
- Estimated IQ < 85 (based on Nederlandse Leestest voor Volwassenen (NLV) -score)
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of < 27 (for healthy older adults group)
- Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) * 1 (i.e. fulfilling the criteria for diagnosis of dementia)
- Current psychiatric disorder, such as psychosis or major depression
- Current or past neurological disorder, such as severe cerebral vascular disease (e.g. cortical stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage), Parkinson*s disease, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, central nervous system infection, brain tumor, and alcoholic encephalopathy. N.B. Transient Ischaemic Attack, lacunar infarction and white matter lesions are no exclusion criteria.
- Current severe systemic disease such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction < 6 months, heart failure (unstable), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (unstable)
- General medical conditions, such as repetitive strain injury (RSI), which may confound the results of the study, as judged by the investigator
- Blood pressure > 160/90 mmHg (use of antihypertensives are allowed)
- Use of psychopharmacological drugs (anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, long-acting benzodiazepines etc.)
- Current abuse of drugs or alcohol
- Current participation in another study, or a specific cognitive training study within the past six months
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL40968.091.12 |