Memory Training in Patients With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Episodic Memory Training for Face Name Association in Patients With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive Measures and Functional Resonance Magnetic Imaging Outcomes

Preview research reports evidence of cognitive plasticity among individuals with amnestic Mild cognitive Impairment, and small-size studies have suggest that this population can benefit from memory training. This project intends to assess the efficacy of cognitive training in persons with MCI with a randomized controlled design.

The hypothesis is that cognitive training can improve memory performance for persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and this improvement can be maintained over time.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Memory Training; Behavioral: Psychoeducation

Detailed Description

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) often represents a transitional state between healthy aging and dementia, being considered a public health problem especially due to the increase of elder population in Brazil and in the World in general. Yet the conclusions of studies on pharmacological treatments for this population are still controversial, making imperative to invest on new efficient therapies such as non pharmacological interventions aimed at memory improvement.

One training mode that has benefited elders is the association between names and faces, which has a compelling clinical relevance considering that one of the main complains among elders is the difficulty in remembering names. However, the exact effects of this kind of training in elders (i.e. the eventual changes in cognition and in brain activation on Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are still unclear.

Therefore, this study aims to verify the effects of memory training (name-face association) compared with control intervention - psychoeducation, in 30 elders with amnestic MCI. We will request the participants with amnestic MCI to submit to a Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) in order to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. Training and psychoeducation will be conducted in 4 sessions (two per week). To assess the effects, we will use cognitive instruments and MRI exams before and after the intervention. Also, one and three months after the conclusion of the training patients will again be submitted to cognitive tests.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 30
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Brazil
  • São Paulo, Brazil, 05403-010
    • University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine, Institute and Department of Psychiatry

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Portuguese as native and preferred language; A minimum of 4 years of education; MRI-compatible; Right-handed individuals; Normal corrected vision and hearing; Estimated intelligence average or above (≥ 80 IQ); Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment identified by a doctor and neuropsychological tests; Able to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

History of neurological disorder; History of serious systemic disease; History of severe mental illness; Current untreated alcohol or substance abuse; Medical conditions that compromise in any way the central nervous system; Presence of visual impairment and / or hearing to preclude cognitive testing; Presence of contraindications to MRI exam; Findings in structural MRI that can interfere with the results of the study.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Memory Training; Participants receive memory training to facilitate learning and memory of face-name associations	Behavioral: Memory Training; Participants receive memory training to facilitate learning and memory of face-name associations
Active Comparator: Psychoeducation; Participants receive information about memory functioning and aging	Behavioral: Psychoeducation; Participants receive information about memory functioning and aging

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in memory measures	Word list learning test, behavioral performance on experimental stimuli - face-name memory task (accuracy, reaction time, confidence level)	Baseline and within two weeks after intervention
Changes in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)	fMRI correlates of behavioral performance at face-name task	Baseline and within two weeks after intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in perception of memory performance and mood	Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory	Baseline, within two weeks after intervention
Changes in memory performance and perception of memory performance over time - follow up	Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory, Word list learning test and behavioral performance on experimental stimuli - face-name memory task (accuracy, reaction time, confidence level)	One and three months after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo General Hospital
• Investigators: Study Director: Cássio Machado de Campos Bottino, M.D., Ph.D, Old Age Research Group (PROTER), Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine; Principal Investigator: Sharon Sanz Simon, Ph.D Student, Old Age Research Group (PROTER), Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2012
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 1, 2015
• Study Completion (Actual): October 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 21, 2013
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 31, 2013
• First Posted (Estimate): November 7, 2013

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): October 26, 2015
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 23, 2015
• Last Verified: October 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Alzheimer's disease; Dementia; Cognitive Rehabilitation; Cognitive Training; Mild cognitive impairment; Memory Training; Neuropsychological Rehabilitation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: CAAE: 08223513.3.0000.0068; 12/51699-1 (Other Grant/Funding Number: São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP)