Feasibility and Acceptability of a Web-based Multidomain Intervention to Maintain Cognitive Function in Older Adults

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Web-based Multidomain Intervention With Connected Devices Made to Maintain Cognitive Function in Older Adults: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial

The primary purpose of the protocol is to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a home-based (using information and communication technologies) intervention composed of nutritional counselling, exercise and cognitive training in older adults and its potential effect on various health outcomes.

Nutritional interventions, physical exercise and cognitive training have been used to delay cognitive decline during aging, with mixed results being obtained. However, few studies have investigated the health benefits of combining two or more of those interventions (ie, the so-called multidomain approach) in older adults. Intensive in-person multidomain intervention may difficultly be translated into the "real world" of healthcare systems because currently unpractical.

Therefore, (cost-)effective interventions provided at distance and without the physical presence of healthcare professionals have the potential to be better translatable from research to real life. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have a crucial role to play in this context. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have investigated the effects of an ICT multidomain intervention on cognition in the elderly yet.

Thus, the main objective of eMIND is to test the feasibility and acceptability of a 6-month, home-based multidomain intervention composed of nutritional counselling, exercise, and cognitive training provided using ICT solutions in people aged 65 or over.

Secondary objectives include to obtaining preliminary data on the effects of the intervention on clinical outcomes in order to inform the design and sample size calculations of a future trial.

eMIND has a mixed design, being composed of a randomized controlled trial (RCT, with two groups: the ICT multidomain intervention group vs Control Group) and a qualitative study (semi-structured interview to assess the easiness-of-use of the website).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Mini-mental State Examination ≥ 24
• Presenting subjective memory complaints
• Have easy access to internet (defined as Internet access at home or elsewhere at least twice a week)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Terminal illness with life expectancy less than 6 months;
• Diagnosis of dementia of any subtype according with DSM-V
• diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson's disease;
• Major depression
• unstable cardiovascular condition or any other health condition that might be deteriorated by physical exercise;
• Dependency in ≥ 1 activity of daily living (basic ADL) already participating in structured sessions of physical exercise or cognitive stimulation ≥ 2 times/week in the last 2 months prior to the date of baseline assessments