Making Memory Better for Seniors With Mild Cognitive Impairment

Neuropsychological Intervention for a Seniors Mental Health Population With Mild Cognitive Impairment

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a cognitive training group in individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment, using a new paradigm that will optimize ecological validity by (1) focusing on everyday memory problems, (2) supplementing traditional memory training with the teaching of an empirically-supported problem-solving approach, and (3) employing a clinically representative sample of individuals with MCI (e.g., not excluding those with mild affective symptoms).

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Cognitive training

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 40
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Canada
  • Nova Scotia
    • Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada, B2Y 3Z9
      • Neuropsychology Service, Nova Scotia Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Exclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of dementia
• History of neurological conditions known to impair cognition
• History of alcohol or drug abuse
• History of chronic psychiatric illness
• Current symptoms of moderate to severe depression (Geriatric Depression Scale >19) or anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory >15)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Cognitive training	Behavioral: Cognitive training; The cognitive training consists of 10 weekly 2-hour sessions. It is run with groups of MCI participants and their study partners (who help with reinforcing the strategies in everyday activities). The program provides information about memory and lifestyle factors in the first two weeks, followed by training and practice over the next eight weeks on empirically-supported cognitive strategies known to be effective at supporting day-to-day remembering in MCI. Participants learn to apply a core set of strategies (spaced retrieval, memory book logging) across a variety of common memory problems (e.g., remembering names, appointments, etc). To enhance the likelihood that these strategies will transfer to other settings beyond training, participants are also taught a memory problem solving approach that will cue them to recognize situations in which they need to: (1) stop and remember something, (2) select and apply an appropriate memory strategy, and (3) monitor that it is working.
No Intervention: No cognitive training

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in everyday memory functioning	Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test (3rd Edition)	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change on traditional memory testing	California Verbal Learning Test (2nd Edition)	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Change in memory perception	Multifactorial Metamemory Questionnaire	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Change in mood (i.e., self-report symptoms of depression)	Geriatric Depression Scale	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Change in mood (i.e., self-report symptoms of anxiety)	Beck Anxiety Inventory	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Change in other psychiatric symptoms (informant-report)	Neuropsychiatric Inventory	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Change in quality of life	Zarit Burden Interview	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Change in caregiver burden	Zarit Burden Interview	Measured at baseline and months 3, 5, 8
Feasibility	Recruitment, retention, and compliance rates	Measured at end of study

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Nova Scotia Health Authority
• Collaborators: Nova Scotia Health Research Foundation
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Karen A Chipman, PhD, Nova Scotia Health Authority

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): December 5, 2011
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 5, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 5, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 10, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 10, 2012
• First Posted (Estimated): February 14, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 21, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 19, 2024
• Last Verified: August 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Mental Health; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Aging; Memory; Executive Function; Cognitive Intervention; Memory Training
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: CDHA-RS/2012-227

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No