Memory Training in Patients With Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment
• Interventions: Behavioral: Memory Training; Behavioral: Psychoeducation

• Registration Number: NCT01978353
• Lead Sponsor: University of Sao Paulo General Hospital

Brief Summary

Preview research reports evidence of cognitive plasticity among individuals with amnestic Mild cognitive Impairment, and small-size studies have suggest that this population can benefit from memory training. This project intends to assess the efficacy of cognitive training in persons with MCI with a randomized controlled design.

The hypothesis is that cognitive training can improve memory performance for persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and this improvement can be maintained over time.

Detailed Description

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) often represents a transitional state between healthy aging and dementia, being considered a public health problem especially due to the increase of elder population in Brazil and in the World in general. Yet the conclusions of studies on pharmacological treatments for this population are still controversial, making imperative to invest on new efficient therapies such as non pharmacological interventions aimed at memory improvement.

One training mode that has benefited elders is the association between names and faces, which has a compelling clinical relevance considering that one of the main complains among elders is the difficulty in remembering names. However, the exact effects of this kind of training in elders (i.e. the eventual changes in cognition and in brain activation on Magnetic Resonance Imaging) are still unclear.

Therefore, this study aims to verify the effects of memory training (name-face association) compared with control intervention - psychoeducation, in 30 elders with amnestic MCI. We will request the participants with amnestic MCI to submit to a Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) in order to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis. Training and psychoeducation will be conducted in 4 sessions (two per week). To assess the effects, we will use cognitive instruments and MRI exams before and after the intervention. Also, one and three months after the conclusion of the training patients will again be submitted to cognitive tests.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2012-11
• Study First Submitted: 2013-10-21
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-10-31
• Study First Posted: 2013-11-07
• Status Verified: 2015-10
• Primary Completion: 2015-10
• Study Completion: 2015-10
• Last Update Submitted: 2015-10-23
• Last Update Posted: 2015-10-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

Portuguese as native and preferred language; A minimum of 4 years of education; MRI-compatible; Right-handed individuals; Normal corrected vision and hearing; Estimated intelligence average or above (≥ 80 IQ); Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment identified by a doctor and neuropsychological tests; Able to give informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria

History of neurological disorder; History of serious systemic disease; History of severe mental illness; Current untreated alcohol or substance abuse; Medical conditions that compromise in any way the central nervous system; Presence of visual impairment and / or hearing to preclude cognitive testing; Presence of contraindications to MRI exam; Findings in structural MRI that can interfere with the results of the study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Memory Training	Memory Training	Participants receive memory training to facilitate learning and memory of face-name associations
Psychoeducation	Psychoeducation	Participants receive information about memory functioning and aging

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)	Baseline and within two weeks after intervention	fMRI correlates of behavioral performance at face-name task
Changes in memory measures	Baseline and within two weeks after intervention	Word list learning test, behavioral performance on experimental stimuli - face-name memory task (accuracy, reaction time, confidence level)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Changes in memory performance and perception of memory performance over time - follow up	One and three months after intervention	Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory, Word list learning test and behavioral performance on experimental stimuli - face-name memory task (accuracy, reaction time, confidence level)
Changes in perception of memory performance and mood	Baseline, within two weeks after intervention	Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University of São Paulo, Faculty of Medicine, Institute and Department of Psychiatry; 🇧🇷 São Paulo, Brazil