Decoding the Cognitive Trajectory of Hong Kong SuperAgers: a Longitudinal Follow-up Study

This is a prospective follow-up study conducted at the Department of Psychiatry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The participants, including high-performing elderly (SuperAgers), normal ageing elderly and neurocognitive disorder (NCD) patients will be re-invited from our previous cohort (2013-2014) (N=488).

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Cognitive Deterioration; Dementia, Mild; Age-related Cognitive Decline
• Intervention / Treatment: Diagnostic test: Ageing

Detailed Description

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the cognitive changes in older adults with different cognitive statuses.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 400

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Candy Wong; Phone Number: 85226076063; Email: candy.wong@cuhk.edu.hk
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Hanna LU, PhD; Phone Number: 85226076063; Email: hannalu@cuhk.edu.hk

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • Recruiting
    • Tai Po Hospital
    • Contact: Candy Wong; Phone Number: 85226076063; Email: candy.wong@cuhk.edu.hk

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 60 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

High-performing elderly (SuperAgers) and the cases with normal ageing and neurocognitive disorder (NCD) will be re-invited in this study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• SuperAgers are determined by the scores of global cognitive function. This ensured that the participants are divided by a measure relevant to the current study without directly biasing the results toward the domain of interest;
• Normal aging: the cases with the scores of cognitive performance within 1.5 standard deviation (SD) of age and education matched normative values derived from our cohort study, of which presented with HK MoCA score greater than 26 and CDR score equal to 0;
• NCD patients are defined as: evidence of modest decline in one or more cognitive domains, which is set as ≥ 1.5 SD below the age- and education-adjusted normative scores; no interference with independence in everyday activities; and no comorbid major psychiatric disorders.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of bipolar disorders or psychosis;
• History of major neurological deficits including stroke, transient ischemic attack or traumatic brain injury;
• Comorbidities with depressive symptoms.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

3

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Superagers; SuperAgers are determined by the scores of global cognitive function. This ensured that the participants are divided by a measure relevant to the current study without directly biasing the results toward the domain of interest.	Diagnostic test: Ageing; Using comprehensive cognitive tests to quality the domain-specific cognitive changes during ageing.
Normal ageing elderly; The cases with the scores of cognitive performance within 1.5 standard deviation (SD) of age and education matched normative values derived from our cohort study, of which presented with HK MoCA score greater than 26 and CDR score equal to 0	Diagnostic test: Ageing; Using comprehensive cognitive tests to quality the domain-specific cognitive changes during ageing.
Neurocognitive disorders patients; NCD patients are defined as: evidence of modest decline in one or more cognitive domains, which is set as ≥ 1.5 SD below the age- and education-adjusted normative scores; no interference with independence in everyday activities; and no comorbid major psychiatric disorders.	Diagnostic test: Ageing; Using comprehensive cognitive tests to quality the domain-specific cognitive changes during ageing.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Global cognition will be measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong version (HK MoCA)	The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Hong Kong version (HK MoCA) is a validated and widely used screening assessment for detecting cognitive impairment, which measures an array of cognitive functions such as visuospatial, memory, language and attention.HK MoCA score less than 26 indicates cognitive impairments.	2022-2024
Complex attention will be measured by Attention Network Test (ANT)	Attention Network Test (ANT). The ANT paradigm (Download from: https://www.sacklerinstitute.org/cornell/assays_and_tools/ant/jin.fan/), as a computerized test, was used and performed by E-Prime 3.0 (Psychology Software Tools, PA, USA). Within ANT paradigm, there are four types of cue: no cue, center cue, double cue, and spatial cue; and three types of flanker: neutral, congruent, and incongruent. In a given trial, a central cross-fixation point presents for 400 to 1,600 ms (randomized), subsequently is replaced for 100 ms by one of four warning cues. The target, a central arrow could appear above or below the cross-fixation and is surrounded by two flankers on each side.	2022-2024

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Learning and memory will be measured by Word list learning test (WLLT)	Word list learning test (WLLT) consisting of fifteen semantically non-associated words that is presented consecutively over three free trials of immediate recall (i.e., learning ability), a 20-min delayed recall (to prevent recency effects) and followed by yes/no recognition (i.e., recognition memory). Based on the proxies we developed in our previous work, components of learning and memory function will be evaluated and compared across groups, including working memory capacity (WMC), forgetting rate, delayed recall, initial learning, best learning, learning over trials (LOT) and learning ratio.	2022-2024

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hanna LU, PhD, Chinese University of Hong Kong

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Hong Kong SuperAgers

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 1, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 6, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 6, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): February 15, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): December 12, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 6, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Quality of life; Cognition; Cognitive ageing; Brain health; Cognitive maintenance; Superagers
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2019.078

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No