earning to preserve: foreign language training as a cognitive *vaccine* to prevent old-age disorders?

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 113

Inclusion Criteria

1) between 65 years and 80 years of age;
2) native Dutch speakers;
3) functionally monolingual. That is, they should not use any language other
than Dutch in their daily lives (they use the Dutch language 80% of the time);
4) not multilingual, although they may have learned additional (foreign)
languages in their lives;
5) proficiency in the English language is below B1 level;
6) a current experience of self-perceived or informant-perceived persistent
decline in cognitive capacity in comparison to his/her previously normal
cognitive status which is unrelated to an acute event (as measured with the
Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire; score>5)
7) normal age-, sex-, and education-adjusted performance (>=23) on the Montreal
Cognitive Assessment (MoCA);
8) participants should display normal intelligence (IQ>85) as assessed with the
Dutch Adult Reading Test (DART);
9) they should be able to read
10) they should have access to a computer or tablet with internet connection
and have basic skills using it as both interventions take place using an online
format.

Exclusion Criteria

1) a diagnosis of MCI, prodromal AD or dementia according to DMS-V criteria;
2) having extensive experience playing a musical instrument for the last 20
years;
3) a psychiatric or neurologic disease (apart from AD), medical disorder,
medication, or substance use;
4) any current DSM-V disorders according to the SCID-I interview or a past
diagnosis in the last 10 years;
5) any current or past alcohol or drug dependency or abuse;
6) daily use of benzodiazepines;
7) neurological problem (including epilepsy, dementia, neuromuscular disorders);
8) hearing or visual impairments other than correctable to normal by hearing
devices or glasses.

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The main study parameters concern i) cognitive flexibility; ii) brain activity<br /><br>in the theta band during switch tasks, and iii) changes in oxy- and<br /><br>deoxyhemoglobin concentration during switch tasks. Baseline characteristics and<br /><br>changes herein following foreign language training will be analysed. </p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Secondary study parameters include clinical measures, measures of vulnerability<br /><br>for depression, quality of life and language proficiency. These measurements<br /><br>provide additional information to interpret and understand the effects induced<br /><br>by the language intervention vis-à-vis other forms of intervention and to<br /><br>understand the changes in neurocognitive functioning. </p><br>