Comparison of 3 Learning Methods and Their Underlying Mechanisms to Improve Independent Living in the Activities of Daily Living in Alzheimer's Dementia: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Scientific background and rationale Alzheimer dementia (AD) is the most common cause of progressive cognitive deterioration that alters memory and learning to such a degree that it heavily interferes with daily living. Functional autonomy loss is a key feature of AD, as it follows a slow degradation process in cognitive function and in the ability to perform instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), such as managing finance, food preparation or using a dish washer. Normally, learning occurs in an unstructured manner, which consists of guessing and the occurrence of errors during acquisition (Trial and Error, TE). However, there is abundant evidence that reducing errors during learning (Errorless Learning, EL) or increasing the time period between recall attempts (Modeling with Spaced Retrieval, MR) allow even moderate and severe Alzheimer Dementia (AD) patients to (re)learn instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) such as using a new route, an agenda or a cassette/radio player. While these findings are encouraging, we still do not fully understand the memory mechanisms underlying different learning techniques that are crucial in improving IADL tasks (re)learning and remembering in AD patients. Because acetyl cholinesterase inhibitors or memantine may be active moderators of intervention targeting memory improvement, complex intervention using behavioral enrichment training should explore any drug treatment by behavioral intervention interaction effects.

Description of the project methodology

This study focuses on the relationship between learning techniques, IADL and memory processes, in a threefold way:

1. it will determine which of the of the three learning techniques (EL, SR, TE) will improve most the (re)learning of instrumental skills in different dementia stages using a randomized controlled trial;
2. it will explain the role of implicit and explicit memory mechanisms in the (re)learning of IADL tasks.; and
3. it will explore the possible drug treatment by behavioral intervention interaction effects of the three learning techniques.

• Primary outcome :