Cognitive Training to Promote Brain Health: Implementation and Engagement

Cognitive Training to Promote Brain Health: Implementation and Engagement

Cognition encompasses memory, attention, language and other brain capacities that are necessary for good quality of life and independence. Age-related cognitive decline starts at the third decade of life and in some cases can start to impact daily functioning in the late forties. Dementia is the most devastating consequence associated with age-related cognitive decline. Recent studies indicate that improving cognition by means of intensive computerized brain training can mitigate some aspects of agerelated cognitive decline, and may even have a role in preventing or delaying dementia onset. Critically, the capacity of a given individual to improve their cognitive performance after training is fundamentally related to engagement with the exercises. Currently, little is known about how to apply intensive computerized cognitive training effectively in the health system, ensuring engagement and best progress. This project aims to tackle this challenge by developing, applying and testing personalized approaches to implement cognitive training in daily life of older adults that were recently evaluated at Memory Clinics and their care partners. The community readiness approach will be implemented using semi-structured interviews, conducted with subjects that may be interested in cognitive training, key informant, and key stakeholders. Using this information, the investigators will design an individualized training program and follow up its application in a feasibility trial. Twenty participants, recently evaluated at different Memory Clinics in Ireland, will be recruited, interviewed and invited to engage, over the ensuing 2 to 3 months, in computerized cognitive training. Subjects will be assessed after completion of the intervention for training adherence and individual gains on the computerized exercises. In order to gain insight about regional specificities of the approach the investigators will perform a parallel project using the same methodology in Brazil. This project is expected to inform the future implementation of cognitive training in public health policies for older adults.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being evaluated at a memory clinic in the last year, or be the care partner of a person evaluated at a memory clinic
• Adequate visual and auditory acuity to allow practice on the computerized training exercises
• Physical ability sufficient to allow performance of the computerized training exercises
• Provide signed and dated informed consent form.
• Willing to comply with all study procedures and be available for the duration of the study.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any medical condition that precludes performing the computerized training exercises
• Advanced dementia.