Cognitive aging and neuroplasticity: prefrontal compensatory mechanisms during working-memory performance

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Recruiting

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 66

Inclusion Criteria

- Males and females aged 20-35 (young adults group) or 60-85 (older adults group and MCI group)
- MCI group: Diagnosis of amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment according to International Working Group criteria.
- Right-handed
- Dutch speaking
- Informed consent
- Normal or corrected-to-normal vision
- Access to a PC with internet connection at home (older adults group and MCI group)

Exclusion Criteria

- Estimated IQ < 85 (based on Nederlandse Leestest voor Volwassenen (NLV) -score)
- Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score of < 27 (for healthy older adults group)
- Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) * 1 (i.e. fulfilling the criteria for diagnosis of dementia)
- Current psychiatric disorder, such as psychosis or major depression
- Current or past neurological disorder, such as severe cerebral vascular disease (e.g. cortical stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage), Parkinson*s disease, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury, central nervous system infection, brain tumor, and alcoholic encephalopathy. N.B. Transient Ischaemic Attack, lacunar infarction and white matter lesions are no exclusion criteria.
- Current severe systemic disease such as coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction < 6 months, heart failure (unstable), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (unstable)
- General medical conditions, such as repetitive strain injury (RSI), which may confound the results of the study, as judged by the investigator
- Blood pressure > 160/90 mmHg (use of antihypertensives are allowed)
- Use of psychopharmacological drugs (anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotic drugs, long-acting benzodiazepines etc.)
- Current abuse of drugs or alcohol
- Current participation in another study, or a specific cognitive training study within the past six months

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Changes in functional prefrontal activation as determined by oxygenated<br /><br>hemoglobin changes (*mol/L) induced by working-memory training.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Changes in functional prefrontal activation as determined by deoxygenated<br /><br>hemoglobin changes (*mol/L) induced by working-memory training.</p><br>