Combined Cognitive and Physical Exercises Through Computer Games in Elderly: The LLM Project (LLM)

The Effects of Combined Cognitive and Physical Exercises Through Computer Games in Elderly: The Long Lasting Memories Project (LLM)

The study involved Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and more specifically computer exercises blended with game activities. It was hypothesized that ICT facilitated, game blended combined cognitive and physical exercise improves global cognition when compared to a control group; and that the number of sessions within exercising participants predict cognitive benefits. In addition, we explored the impact of potential moderators on combined exercise-induced cognitive benefits.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Healthy; Mild Cognitive Impairment; Mild Dementia
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: LLM training

Detailed Description

The multicenter study was part of the Long Lasting Memories (LLM) project (www.longlastingmemories.eu), which was funded by the European Commission (Information and Communication Technologies Policy Support Program (ICT-PSP) for a three year period (2009-2012). It used a pre-post-test design with the between-participant factor group [intervention vs. passive control]. Post-test was conducted within 2 weeks after completion of the exercise period. Interventions were carried out in Athens and Thessaloniki (Greece) within day care centers, hospitals, senior care centers, a memory outpatient center, local parishes, at university campus facilities (university community installations), and at participants' homes.

Institutions had to provide at least 5 exercise weeks, with a frequency of at least 1 physical and 2 cognitive exercise sessions per week, resulting in at least 5 physical and 10 cognitive exercise sessions in total.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 322
• Phase: Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

no severe cognitive impairment [Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE ≥ 18], fluent language skills, agreement of a medical doctor and time commitment to the test and exercise protocol.

Exclusion Criteria:

concurrent participation in another study, severe physical or psychological disorders which precluded participation in the intervention (i.e., inability to follow instructions), unrecovered neurological disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, unstable medication within the past three months, severe and uncorrectable vision problems, or hearing aid for less than three months.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: LLM training; Participants use the FitForAll exergaming computer platform as the physical training component (PTC); Participants use the language adapted Version of the BrainFitness Program as the cognitive training component (CTC)	Other: LLM training; Participants use the FitForAll exergaming computer platform as the physical training component (PTC); Participants use the language adapted Version of the BrainFitness Program as the cognitive training component (CTC); Other Names: PTC+CTC
No Intervention: Passive Control; Participants do not receive an intervention serving as passive controls

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
overall cognition	Greek versions of the California Verbal Learning Test [CVLT], the Digit Span Test and the Trail Making Test [TMT] were used to assess cognitive outcomes.	2 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
physical fitness	Physical capacity was measured by means of the Senior Fitness Test	2 months
Episodic memory	calculated by averaging z-standardized sub-scores of the three cognitive tests (primary outcome)	2 months
working memory	calculated by averaging z-standardized sub-scores of the three cognitive tests (primary outcome)	2 months
executive function	calculated by averaging z-standardized sub-scores of the three cognitive tests (primary outcome)	2 months
Quality of Life	WHOQoL (WHO Quality of Life)	2 months
Instrumental Activities of daily living	IADL	2 months
Depressive symptoms	GDS (Geriatric depression scale)	2 months
Brain function	changes in abnormal brain waves that correlate with mild cognitive decline and dementia as measured by EEG	2 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki
• Collaborators: National and Kapodistrian University of Athens; University of Ulm; Greek Alzheimer's Association and Related Disorders

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• The LLM project web site

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2012
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2013

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: October 14, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 14, 2014
• First Posted (Estimate): October 17, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): October 20, 2014
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 17, 2014
• Last Verified: October 1, 2014

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: mild cognitive impairment; cognitive training; computer training; physical training; mild dementia; healthy elderly; exercise games; novelty serious games
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Dementia; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: 84171; 238904 (Other Grant/Funding Number: European Commission Programme CIP-ICTPSP.2008.1.4)