Cognitive Rehabilitation Therapy for Mild Cognitive Impairment

Cognitive Rehabilitation for Older Veterans With Mild Cognitive Impairment

The number of older Veterans with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) seeking care within the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system is increasing and is expected to increase more rapidly as Vietnam era Veterans age. The cognitive effects of MCI and subsequent neurodegenerative disorders can adversely affect a Veteran's ability to function independently and failure to provide appropriate intervention can result in an increased need for healthcare services and VA benefits in the future. The VA currently spends over $19,000 annually per patient to care for Veterans with dementia (Zhu et al., 2009), and delaying the onset of dementia even by one to two years will result in substantial financial savings to the VA and quality of life gains for the Veteran. Since present pharmacological interventions have demonstrated limited efficacy, alternative treatments are needed. Therefore, an evidence-based cognitive training intervention that optimally addresses the needs of older Veterans with MCI is of critical importance to the VA patient care mission.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Motivationally Enhanced Compensatory Cognitive Training; Behavioral: Goal-focused Supportive Contact

Detailed Description

Due to the aging of the United States population, age-related cognitive problems resulting from Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia are increasingly prevalent. Before individuals are diagnosed with dementia, they typically exhibit a period of "mild cognitive impairment" (MCI). Mild cognitive problems associated with MCI frequently impact an individual's ability to perform everyday tasks, including working, independent living, and medication adherence. Veterans are at increased risk of cognitive decline, and the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VA) is now providing health care to surging numbers of older Veterans with MCI who report significant cognitive complaints, difficulties with everyday functioning, and concerns about impending dementia. Despite high patient demand, few cognitive rehabilitation interventions exist that specifically address the needs of older Veterans with MCI that are widely accessible, patient-centered, and evidence-based. To the investigators' knowledge, no randomized controlled trials have been conducted that evaluate the efficacy of manualized, brief and inexpensive, yet comprehensive (multi-modal) cognitive rehabilitation interventions for older Veterans with MCI. Hence, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of Motivationally Enhanced Compensatory Cognitive Training (ME-CCT), a manualized cognitive rehabilitation group treatment for older Veterans with MCI. The study's specific aims are to determine whether ME-CCT is effective for: 1) improving objective cognitive performance and functional capacity, 2) improving subjective cognitive complaints, subjective functioning, and collateral measures of everyday function, and 3) increasing modifiable protective factors (e.g., diet, exercise) associated with reduced risk for MCI. The investigators will also explore mediators and moderators of treatment effects. The overall goal is to evaluate a manualized group treatment for the symptoms of MCI that can be readily implemented in VA treatment settings. The study design makes use of the convergent availability of resources at the two participating VA Healthcare Systems in San Diego, California and Portland, Oregon to conduct a randomized controlled trial of ME-CCT. The study will recruit a sample of 216 Veterans (108 at each site) who meet criteria for MCI. Inclusion criteria will be: 1) Veterans 55 years old or older enrolled at one of the participating VAs who are able to provide informed consent, 2) Independently living, 3) Meet criteria for MCI based on previously published criteria (Petersen, 2004; Petersen, 2011), and 4) Willingness to participate in audio-recorded group sessions. Exclusion criteria will be: 1) Current substance use disorder with less than 30 days abstinence, 2) History of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or other primary psychotic disorder, 3) History of significant head trauma with loss of consciousness >30 minutes, and 4) Auditory or visual impairments that would prevent ability to participate in the cognitive rehabilitation group. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the ME-CCT or an active control group, Goal-focused Supportive Contact (SC). The SC group will provide the same frequency and amount of therapist and peer contact as ME-CCT, but without specific training in cognitive strategies, lifestyle strategies, or motivational enhancement. 8 2-hour long weekly sessions will be delivered in both conditions. Both groups will undergo evaluations at baseline, 4 weeks (midway through the intervention), 8 weeks (immediately following the end of the intervention), and 21 weeks (3 months after completion of the intervention).

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 193
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • San Diego, California, United States, 92161-0002
      • VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA
  • Oregon
    • Portland, Oregon, United States, 97239
      • VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, OR

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 55 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Veterans >55 years old enrolled at one of the participating VA sites (VASDHS and VAPORHCS) who are able to provide informed consent
• Independently living
• Meet criteria for MCI based on previously published criteria (see below)
• Willingness to participate in audio-recorded sessions.

• MCI Criteria:

  • Concern about a decline in cognitive functioning expressed by a physician, informant, participant or nurse

  • Cognitive impairment in one or more of the following domains

    • executive function
    • memory
    • attention
    • language or visuospatial abilities
  • Normal or minimal impairment in functional activities
  • Does not meet criteria for dementia

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current substance use disorder with < 30 days abstinence
• History of schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or other primary psychotic disorder
• History of significant brain injury with loss of consciousness > 30 minutes
• Auditory or visual impairments that would prevent ability to participate in the cognitive rehabilitation group or benefit from compensatory strategies

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: ME-CCT; 8-week Motivationally Enhanced Compensatory Cognitive Training group	Behavioral: Motivationally Enhanced Compensatory Cognitive Training; ME-CCT is a manualized group-based behavioral intervention (8 weeks, 2 hours per week, 20 hours total) designed to improve cognitive and everyday functioning in patients with MCI.; Other Names: ME-CCT
Active Comparator: SC; 8-week Goal-focused Supportive Contact group	Behavioral: Goal-focused Supportive Contact; SC is a group therapy intervention that provides the same frequency and amount of therapist and other group member contact as ME-CCT, but does not provide training in cognitive strategies, lifestyle strategies, or motivational enhancement. The SC intervention focuses on setting and achieving short or long-term goals.; Other Names: SC

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Objective Cognitive Performance Composite z Score	Change in composite z score on the following tests: Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) Brief Visuospatial Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV) Digit Span WAIS-IV Coding Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Trails, Number and Letter Sequencing D-KEFS Trails, Number-Letter Switching D-KEFS Color-Word Interference Test, Inhibition and Inhibition-Switching A Z score of 0 represents the sample mean. Higher composite Z scores reflect better performance.	assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in Functional Capacity Performance Composite z Score	Change in composite z score on the following measures: UCSD Performance-Based Skills Assessment-Brief (UPSA-B) Medication Management Ability Assessment (MMAA) Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Daily Living Memory Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Judgment Neuropsychological Assessment Battery Driving Scenes A Z score of 0 represents the sample mean. Higher Z scores reflect better performance.	assessed at baseline, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Subjective Everyday Functioning Composite Score	Change in average total score across Applied Cognition Executive Function and Applied Cognition General Concerns scales. The average total score ranges from 8-40, with higher scores reflecting better subjective cognition.	assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in Everyday Cognition Scale	Change in total score on the Everyday Cognition Scale. Total scores range from 39-195, with higher scores reflecting worse everyday cognition.	assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in Cognitive Activity Inventory	Change in total score on the Cognitive Activity Inventory. Scores represent hours per month of cognitive activity and range from 0-730 (the number of hours in a month). Higher scores represent more hours of cognitive activity.	assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults	Change in total score on the CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults. The score reflects hours of exercise per week and ranges from 0-168 (the number of hours in one week). Higher scores reflect higher levels of exercise.	assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in Portland Cognitive Strategies Scale	Change in total score on the Portland Cognitive Strategies Scale. Scores reflect use of cognitive strategies and range from 0-60, with higher scores reflecting greater use of cognitive strategies.	assessed at baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in Fitbit-measured Physical Activity Level	Change in total daily step count as measured by Fitbit. Scores could range from 0 steps per day to over 20,000 steps per day. Higher scores reflect more steps per day.	assessed at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.
Change in Fitbit-measured Sleep Time	Change in total sleep time in minutes, per 24 hours, as measured by Fitbit. Possible scores range from 0-1440 (the number of minutes in 24 hours). Higher scores reflect more minutes of sleep.	assessed at baseline, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 21 weeks; change from baseline to 21 weeks reported.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: VA Office of Research and Development
• Collaborators: Portland VA Medical Center
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Elizabeth W. Twamley, PhD, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 11, 2018
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): June 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 7, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 18, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): July 21, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 11, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 7, 2025
• Last Verified: August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Mild Cognitive Impairment; Cognitive remediation; Cognitive training; Cognitive rehabilitation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: NURD-019-16F; I01CX001592 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

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