Impact of mindfulness-based and health self-management interventions on mindfulness, self-compassion, and physical activity in older adults with subjective cognitive decline: A secondary analysis of the SCD-Well randomized controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Older adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD) have a higher risk of dementia. Reducing this risk through behavioral interventions, which can increase emotional well-being (mindfulness and compassion) and physical activity, is crucial in SCD. METHODS: SCD-Well is a multicenter, observer-blind, randomized, controlled, superiority trial. Three hundred forty-seven participants (mean [standard deviation] age: 72.7 [6.9] years; 64.6% women) were recruited from memory clinics in four European sites to assess the impact of an 8-week caring mindfulness-based approach for seniors (CMBAS) and a health self-management program (HSMP) on mindfulness, self-compassion, and physical activity. RESULTS: CMBAS showed a significant within-group increase in self-compassion from baseline to post-intervention and both a within- and between-group increase to follow-up visit (24 weeks). HSMP showed a significant within- and between-group increase in physical activity from baseline to post-intervention and to follow-up visit. DISCUSSION: Non-pharmacological interventions can differentially promote modifiable factors linked to healthy aging in older adults with SCD.

Predicting progression to Alzheimer's disease dementia using cognitive measures.

OBJECTIVES: It is important to determine if cognitive measures identified as being prognostic in dementia research cohorts also have utility in memory clinics. We aimed to identify measures with the greatest power to predict future Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia in a clinical setting where expensive biomarkers are not widely available. METHODS: This study utilized routine Memory Clinic data collected over 18 years. From 2214 patients assessed in the clinic, we selected 328 patients with an initial diagnosis of subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment. We compared two types of statistical model for the prediction of AD dementia. The first model included baseline cognitive test scores only, while the second model also included change scores between baseline and the first follow-up. RESULTS: Baseline scores on tests of global cognitive function (Mini-mental state examination and Cambridge Cognitive Examination-Revised), verbal episodic memory and psychomotor speed were the best predictors of conversion to AD dementia. The inclusion of cognitive change scores over 1 year of follow-up improved predictive accuracy versus baseline scores alone. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the best cognitive predictors of AD dementia in a clinical setting were similar to those previously identified using research cohorts. Taking change in cognitive function into account enabled the onset of AD dementia to be predicted with greater accuracy.

Crop filling: A pipeline for repairing memory clinic MRI corrupted by partial brain coverage.

Data-driven solutions offer great promise for improving healthcare. However, standard clinical neuroimaging data is subject to real-world imaging artefacts that can render the data unusable for computational research and quantitative neuroradiology. T1 weighted structural MRI is used in dementia research to obtain volumetric measurements from cortical and subcortical brain regions. However, clinical radiologists often prioritise T2 weighted or FLAIR scans for visual assessment. As such, T1 weighted scans are often acquired but may not be a priority, resulting in artefacts such as partial brain coverage being systematically present in memory clinic data. Here we present "MRI Crop Filling", a pipeline to replace the missing T1 data with synthetic data generated from the T2 scan, making real-world clinical T1 data usable for computational research including the latest AI innovations. Our method consists of the following steps:•Register scans: T2 and (cropped) T1.•Synthesise a new T1 using an open source deep learning tool.•Replace missing (cropped) T1 data in original T1 scan and super-resolve to improve image quality.

The Impact of Dance Movement Interventions on Psychological Health in Older Adults without Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle-based multimodal interventions that integrate physical, sensory, cognitive and social enrichment are suggested to promote healthy mental aging and resilience against aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). OBJECTIVES: This meta-analysis examined the efficacy of dance movement interventions (DMI) as an integrated mind-body activity on outcomes of psychological health in older adults. METHODS: Pre-registration was carried out with PROSPERO (CRD42021265112). PubMed, Web of Science and PsycINFO were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCT) evaluating the effects of DMI (>4 weeks' duration) compared to comparators on measures of psychological health (primary outcome) and cognitive function (additional outcome) among older adults without dementia (aged ≥55). Data of 14 primary RCT (n = 983, n-DMI = 494, n-control = 489) were synthesized using a random effects meta-analysis with robust variance estimation. RESULTS: DMI had a small positive effect on overall psychological health (g = 0.30; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.06, 0.53; p = 0.02, I2= 65.04) compared to control conditions. Small effects of DMI on positive and negative psychological domains as well as quality of life were not statistically significant. DMI had a medium positive effect on general cognitive function (g = 0.50; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.89, p = 0.02, I2= 79.61) over comparators. None of the primary intervention studies evaluated measures of neuroplasticity. CONCLUSIONS: We found that DMI was effective in promoting mental health amongst older adults without dementia, suggesting that the multimodal enrichment tool is a potential strategy for health promotion and prevention of AD. High-quality intervention studies are needed to expand evidence on DMI-induced changes in specific psychological domains and identify underlying neurophysiological correlates.

Effects of Meditation Training and Non-Native Language Training on Cognition in Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Nonpharmacological interventions are a potential strategy to maintain or promote cognitive functioning in older adults. Objective: To investigate the effects of 18 months' meditation training and 18 months' non-native language training on cognition in older adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: This study was a secondary analysis of the Age-Well trial, an 18-month, observer-masked, randomized clinical trial with 3 parallel arms. Eligible participants were community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older residing in Caen, France. Participants were enrolled from November 24, 2016, to March 5, 2018, and randomly assigned (1:1:1) to meditation training, non-native language (English) training, or no intervention arms. Final follow-up was completed on February 6, 2020. Data were analyzed between December 2021 and November 2022. Interventions: The 18-month meditation and non-native language training interventions were structurally equivalent and included 2-hour weekly group sessions, daily home practice of 20 minutes or longer, and 1 day of more intensive home practice. The no intervention group was instructed not to change their habits and to continue living as usual. Main Outcomes and Measures: Cognition (a prespecified secondary outcome of the Age-Well trial) was assessed preintervention and postintervention via the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite 5 (PACC5), and composites assessing episodic memory, executive function, and attention. Results: Among 137 randomized participants, 2 were excluded for not meeting eligibility criteria, leaving 135 (mean [SD] age, 69.3 [3.8] years; 83 female [61%]) eligible for analysis. One participant among the remaining 135 did not complete the trial. In adjusted mixed effects models, no interaction effects were observed between visit and group for PACC5 (F2,131.39 = 2.58; P = .08), episodic memory (F2,131.60 = 2.34; P = .10), executive function (F2,131.26 = 0.89; P = .41), or attention (F2,131.20 = 0.34; P = .79). Results remained substantively unchanged across sensitivity and exploratory analyses. Conclusions and Relevance: In this secondary analysis of an 18-month randomized trial, meditation and non-native language training did not confer salutary cognitive effects. Although further analyses are needed to explore the effects of these interventions on other relevant outcomes related to aging and well-being, these findings did not support the use of these interventions for enhancing cognition in cognitively healthy older adults. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02977819.

The Effect of Meditation-Based Interventions on Patients with Fatigue Symptoms: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Persistent fatigue constitutes a prevalent and debilitating symptom in several diseases. The symptom is not effectively alleviated by pharmaceutical treatments, and meditation has been proposed as a non-pharmacological intervention. Indeed, meditation has been shown to reduce inflammatory/immune problems, pain, stress, anxiety and depression which are associated with pathological fatigue. This review synthesizes data from randomized control trials (RCTs) that explored the effect of meditation-based interventions (MeBIs) on fatigue in pathological conditions. Eight databases were searched from inception to April 2020. Thirty-four RCTs met eligibility criteria and covered six conditions (68% cancer), 32 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The main analysis showed an effect in favor of MeBIs compared to control groups (g = 0.62). Separate moderator analyses assessing control group, pathological condition, and MeBI type, highlighted a significantly moderating role of the control group. Indeed, compared to actively controlled studies, studies using a passive control group were associated with a statistically significantly more beneficial impact of the MeBIs (g = 0.83). These results indicate that MeBIs alleviate pathological fatigue and it seems that the studies with a passive control group showed a greater effect of MeBI on the reduction of fatigue compared to studies using active control groups. However, the specific effect of meditation type and pathological condition should be analyzed with more studies, and there remains a need to assess meditation effects on different types of fatigue (i.e., physical and mental) and in additional conditions (e.g., post-COVID-19).

Effects of a mindfulness-based versus a health self-management intervention on objective cognitive performance in older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD): a secondary analysis of the SCD-Well randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Older individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) perceive that their cognition has declined but do not show objective impairment on neuropsychological tests. Individuals with SCD are at elevated risk of objective cognitive decline and incident dementia. Non-pharmacological interventions (including mindfulness-based and health self-management approaches) are a potential strategy to maintain or improve cognition in SCD, which may ultimately reduce dementia risk. METHODS: This study utilized data from the SCD-Well randomized controlled trial. One hundred forty-seven older adults with SCD (MAge = 72.7 years; 64% female) were recruited from memory clinics in four European countries and randomized to one of two group-based, 8-week interventions: a Caring Mindfulness-based Approach for Seniors (CMBAS) or a health self-management program (HSMP). Participants were assessed at baseline, post-intervention (week 8), and at 6-month follow-up (week 24) using a range of cognitive tests. From these tests, three composites were derived-an "abridged" Preclinical Alzheimer's Cognitive Composite 5 (PACC5Abridged), an attention composite, and an executive function composite. Both per-protocol and intention-to-treat analyses were performed. Linear mixed models evaluated the change in outcomes between and within arms and adjusted for covariates and cognitive retest effects. Sensitivity models repeated the per-protocol analyses for participants who attended ≥ 4 intervention sessions. RESULTS: Across all cognitive composites, there were no significant time-by-trial arm interactions and no measurable cognitive retest effects; sensitivity analyses supported these results. Improvements, however, were observed within both trial arms on the PACC5Abridged from baseline to follow-up (Δ [95% confidence interval]: CMBAS = 0.34 [0.19, 0.48]; HSMP = 0.30 [0.15, 0.44]). There was weaker evidence of an improvement in attention but no effects on executive function. CONCLUSIONS: Two non-pharmacological interventions conferred small, non-differing improvements to a global cognitive composite sensitive to amyloid-beta-related decline. There was weaker evidence of an effect on attention, and no evidence of an effect on executive function. Importantly, observed improvements were maintained beyond the end of the interventions. Improving cognition is an important step toward dementia prevention, and future research is needed to delineate the mechanisms of action of these interventions and to utilize clinical endpoints (i.e., progression to mild cognitive impairment or dementia). TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03005652.

The Effect of Mindfulness-based Programs on Cognitive Function in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Mindfulness-based programs (MBPs) are increasingly utilized to improve mental health. Interest in the putative effects of MBPs on cognitive function is also growing. This is the first meta-analysis of objective cognitive outcomes across multiple domains from randomized MBP studies of adults. Seven databases were systematically searched to January 2020. Fifty-six unique studies (n = 2,931) were included, of which 45 (n = 2,238) were synthesized using robust variance estimation meta-analysis. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses evaluated moderators. Pooling data across cognitive domains, the summary effect size for all studies favored MBPs over comparators and was small in magnitude (g = 0.15; [0.05, 0.24]). Across subgroup analyses of individual cognitive domains/subdomains, MBPs outperformed comparators for executive function (g = 0.15; [0.02, 0.27]) and working memory outcomes (g = 0.23; [0.11, 0.36]) only. Subgroup analyses identified significant effects for studies of non-clinical samples, as well as for adults aged over 60. Across all studies, MBPs outperformed inactive, but not active comparators. Limitations include the primarily unclear within-study risk of bias (only a minority of studies were considered low risk), and that statistical constraints rendered some p-values unreliable. Together, results partially corroborate the hypothesized link between mindfulness practices and cognitive performance. This review was registered with PROSPERO [CRD42018100904].

Harmonisation and Between-Country Differences of the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire in Older Adults.

Background: The Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ) assesses complex mental activity across the life-course and has been associated with brain and cognitive health. The different education systems and occupation classifications across countries represent a challenge for international comparisons. The objectives of this study were four-fold: to adapt and harmonise the LEQ across four European countries, assess its validity across countries, explore its association with brain and cognition and begin to investigate between-country differences in life-course mental activities. Method: The LEQ was administered to 359 cognitively unimpaired older adults (mean age and education: 71.2, 13.2 years) from IMAP and EU-funded Medit-Ageing projects. Education systems, classification of occupations and scoring guidelines were adapted to allow comparisons between France, Germany, Spain and United Kingdom. We assessed the LEQ's (i) concurrent validity with a similar instrument (cognitive activities questionnaire - CAQ) and its structural validity by testing the factors' structure across countries, (ii) we investigated its association with cognition and neuroimaging, and (iii) compared its scores between countries. Results: The LEQ showed moderate to strong positive associations with the CAQ and revealed a stable multidimensional structure across countries that was similar to the original LEQ. The LEQ was positively associated with global cognition. Between-country differences were observed in leisure activities across the life-course. Conclusions: The LEQ is a promising tool for assessing the multidimensional construct of cognitive reserve and can be used to measure socio-behavioural determinants of cognitive reserve in older adults across countries. Longitudinal studies are warranted to test further its clinical utility.

The effect of remotely delivered lifestyle interventions on cognition in older adults without dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Up to 40% of dementias may be preventable via risk factor modification. This inference has motivated the development of lifestyle interventions for reducing cognitive decline. Typically delivered to older adults face-to-face, the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated their adaptation for remote delivery. We systematically reviewed randomized controlled trials of remotely delivered lifestyle interventions (≥4 weeks duration and delivered >50% remotely), for adults aged ≥ 60 without dementia, examining effects on objective cognitive measures. Comparators were active (face-to-face or remote) or passive. Ten studies (n = 2967) comprising multidomain (k = 4), physical activity (k = 3) or psychosocial (k = 3) remote interventions were included. Data were synthesized using robust variance estimation meta-analysis. The pooled estimate comparing the effect of remote interventions versus comparators on cognition was not significant (g=-0.02; 95%CI [-0.14, 0.09]; p = .66); subgroup analyses by type of intervention or comparator also yielded non-significant effects. Most studies had low risk of bias. Current evidence to support remote lifestyle interventions is limited. Included studies were conducted pre-pandemic, and evaluated individual, rather than group interventions. Future studies may exploit the greater digital connectivity of older people since the pandemic. Group formats, more frequently efficacious than individual interventions in face-to-face dementia prevention trials, may be a rational approach for future remote trials.

Affective symptoms and risk of progression to mild cognitive impairment or dementia in subjective cognitive decline: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: To systematically review the literature on outcomes for individuals with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) with concurrent affective symptoms. To conduct a meta-analysis to establish whether either higher depressive symptoms or higher levels of anxiety increased the risk of progression SCD to mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. METHODS: Five databases were searched from inception to February 2021 for longitudinal studies of older adults with SCD, reporting depressive and anxiety symptoms at baseline and risk of MCI or dementia at follow-up. Data were extracted and pooled using a random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: Twelve studies were identified. Pooled effect sizes indicated higher depressive symptoms did not increase risk of clinical progression to either MCI (RR = 0.98; 95 % CI: 0.75-1.26) or dementia (RR = 0.69; 95 % CI: 0.27-1.79). However, presence of anxiety or SCD-related worry did significantly increase risk of progression from subjective to objective cognitive impairment by 40 % (RR = 1.40; 95 % CI:1.20 - 1.63). CONCLUSIONS: Affective symptoms in the form of anxiety, but not depressive symptoms, increase the risk of progression to objective cognitive impairment in individuals with SCD. Further research should focus on establishing whether psychological interventions aimed at reducing anxiety and worry also reduce the risk of clinical progression.

Effects of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention versus Health Self-Management on Subclinical Anxiety in Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline: The SCD-Well Randomized Superiority Trial.

INTRODUCTION: Older adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline (SCD) have a heightened risk of developing dementia and frequently experience subclinical anxiety, which is itself associated with dementia risk. OBJECTIVE: To understand whether subclinical anxiety symptoms in SCD can be reduced through behavioral interventions. METHODS: SCD-Well is a randomized controlled trial designed to determine whether an 8-week mindfulness-based intervention (caring mindfulness-based approach for seniors; CMBAS) is superior to a structurally matched health self-management program (HSMP) in reducing subclinical anxiety. Participants were recruited from memory clinics at 4 European sites. The primary outcome was change in anxiety symptoms (trait subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; trait-STAI) from pre- to postintervention. Secondary outcomes included a change in state anxiety and depression symptoms postintervention and 6 months postrandomization (follow-up). RESULTS: One hundred forty-seven participants (mean [SD] age: 72.7 [6.9] years; 64.6% women; CMBAS, n = 73; HSMP, n = 74) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. There was no difference in trait-STAI between groups postintervention (adjusted change difference: -1.25 points; 95% CI -4.76 to 2.25) or at follow-up (adjusted change difference: -0.43 points; 95% CI -2.92 to 2.07). Trait-STAI decreased postintervention in both groups (CMBAS: -3.43 points; 95% CI -5.27 to -1.59; HSMP: -2.29 points; 95% CI -4.14 to -0.44) and reductions were maintained at follow-up. No between-group differences were observed for change in state anxiety or depression symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A time-limited mindfulness intervention is not superior to health self-management in reducing subclinical anxiety symptoms in SCD. The sustained reduction observed across both groups suggests that subclinical anxiety symptoms in SCD are modifiable. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03005652.

Repetitive negative thinking is associated with subjective cognitive decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: In the absence of a cure or effective treatment for dementia, attention has shifted towards identifying risk factors for prevention. Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) describes self-perceived worsening of cognition despite unimpaired performance on neuropsychological tests. SCD has been associated with an increased dementia risk and steeper memory decline. Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is a transdiagnostic process that manifests across several mental health disorders associated with increased vulnerability to dementia. RNT has thus been proposed as a candidate marker of risk for dementia and, relatedly, could contribute to the manifestation of SCD. We aimed to investigate the relationship between SCD and RNT alongside other proposed psychological risk/protective factors for dementia and cognitive decline. METHODS: In a cross-sectional online survey, 491 older adults (mean = 64.9 years, SD = 4.2; 63.1% female) completed measures of RNT, personality traits, purpose in life, worry, rumination, and meditation practice. SCD was assessed continuously via self-perceived cognitive function (Neuro-QoL) and categorically via endorsement (yes/no) of memory complaints. Regression models, using a stepwise backwards elimination, were built to assess associations between SCD, demographics, and all risk/protective factors. RESULTS: A total of 24.2% of participants reported memory complaints. In the final prediction models, RNT was the only psychological variable associated with lower self-perceived cognitive function and with a higher likelihood of memory complaints. CONCLUSIONS: This study empirically corroborates the theoretical relationship between SCD and RNT. Longitudinal studies are needed to establish whether RNT is a prodromal symptom or an independent risk factor, and whether RNT can be a promising construct for future research on SCD and dementia risk.

Rate of Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer's Disease Stratified by Age.

BACKGROUND: There is only limited information available about the effect of age on course of cognitive decline in patients with onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) over the age of 64 years. OBJECTIVE: We compared the rate of, and factors affecting, cognitive decline in patients with AD aged < 65 years (young-onset AD), 65-74 years (middle-onset AD), and ≥75 years (late-onset AD). METHOD: The study used longitudinal data from the Essex Memory Clinic which included a total of 305 participants; 56 had YOAD, 73 had MOAD, and 176 had LOAD. The rate of cognitive decline was measured using scores from the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the data were examined using multilevel models analysis. RESULTS: There was evidence of a difference in cognitive decline across the age groups with the YOAD group declining 2.8 MMSE points per year, those with MOAD declined 2.0 MMSE points per year, and the LOAD group declined 1.4 MMSE points per year. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with LOAD have a better prognosis than YOAD and MOAD. However, even between the MOAD and LOAD groups, age is a significant predictor of cognitive decline, with older patients having a more benign course.

Prodromal Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease: A Comparison of the Cognitive and Clinical Profiles.

BACKGROUND: Dementia must be diagnosed accurately and early in the disease course to allow pathology-specific treatments to be effective. Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is often misdiagnosed as Alzheimer's disease (AD), especially at the prodromal stage. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and neuropsychological profiles of Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) patients who, at follow-up, progressed to AD (retrospectively AD-MCI) or DLB (retrospectively DLB-MCI) or remained MCI. METHODS: This longitudinal study used an unselected sample from a memory clinic database. A total of 1,848 new patients were seen at the memory clinic between 1994-2015. Of these, 560 patients (30%) had an initial diagnosis of MCI and were considered for the study. Inclusion criteria were patients who had a diagnosis of MCI at initial assessment and a minimum of 12 months' follow-up. RESULTS: Of the 429 MCI patients with follow-up data, 164 (38%) remained MCI, 107 (25%) progressed to AD, and 21 (5%) progressed to DLB. The remainder progressed to alternative diagnoses. At baseline, DLB-MCI patients performed significantly worse on visuospatial function and letter fluency tests than both AD-MCI and stable-MCI groups, and better on episodic memory tests than the AD-MCI group. At baseline, DLB-MCI patients had a significantly higher mean UPDRS score and were more likely to have REM sleep behavior disorder and fluctuating cognition. CONCLUSION: DLB-MCI patients have a specific cognitive and neuropsychiatric profile which should alert clinicians to the possibility of prodromal DLB. This is relevant when considered in the context of early disease-specific therapy.

Evolution of clinical features in possible DLB depending on FP-CIT SPECT result.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that core and suggestive features in possible dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) would vary in their ability to predict an abnormal dopamine transporter scan and therefore a follow-up diagnosis of probable DLB. A further objective was to assess the evolution of core and suggestive features in patients with possible DLB over time depending on the (123)I-FP-CIT SPECT scan result. METHODS: A total of 187 patients with possible DLB (dementia plus one core or one suggestive feature) were randomized to have dopamine transporter imaging or to follow-up without scan. DLB features were compared at baseline and at 6-month follow-up according to imaging results and follow-up diagnosis. RESULTS: For the whole cohort, the baseline frequency of parkinsonism was 30%, fluctuations 29%, visual hallucinations 24%, and REM sleep behavior disorder 17%. Clinician-rated presence of parkinsonism at baseline was significantly (p = 0.001) more frequent and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score at baseline was significantly higher (p = 0.02) in patients with abnormal imaging. There was a significant increase in UPDRS score in the abnormal scan group over time (p < 0.01). There was relatively little evolution of the rest of the DLB features regardless of the imaging result. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with possible DLB, apart from UPDRS score, there was no difference in the evolution of DLB clinical features over 6 months between cases with normal and abnormal imaging. Only parkinsonism and dopamine transporter imaging helped to differentiate DLB from non-DLB dementia.

Trends in referred patient profiles in a memory clinic over 20 years.

The increasing numbers of people with dementia in the UK, as well as the associated costs have led to an effort to improve dementia services for the benefit of patients, caregivers and the taxpayer. These efforts have frequently emphasised the importance of early diagnosis in dementia care. We sought to test the hypotheses that the mean cognitive score of new referrals to a secondary care memory assessment service increased while mean age decreased over a period of 20 years. We retrospectively analysed the data of 1476 patients. The passage of time was associated with a significant increase in mean cognitive scores, while there was no association between time and age after controlling for other factors. We suggest that memory services need to be designed to meet the needs of less cognitively impaired patients. In practice this means that using simple screening tests is not sufficient in this group of patients.

A complex multimodal activity intervention to reduce the risk of dementia in mild cognitive impairment--ThinkingFit: pilot and feasibility study for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Dementia affects 35 million people worldwide and is currently incurable. Many cases may be preventable because regular participation in physical, mental and social leisure activities during middle age is associated with up to 47% dementia risk reduction. However, the majority of middle-aged adults are not active enough. MCI is therefore a clear target for activity interventions aimed at reducing dementia risk. An active lifestyle during middle age reduces dementia risk but it remains to be determined if increased activity reduces dementia risk when MCI is already evident. Before this can be investigated conclusively, complex multimodal activity programmes are required that (1) combine multiple health promoting activities, (2) engage people with MCI, and (3) result in sufficient adherence rates. METHODS: We designed the ThinkingFit programme to engage people with MCI in a complex intervention comprised of three activity components: physical activity, group-based cognitive stimulation (GCST) and individual cognitive stimulation (ICST). Engagement and adherence was promoted by applying specific psychological techniques to enhance behavioural flexibility in an early pre-phase and during the course of the intervention. To pilot the intervention, participants served as their own controls during a 6- to 12-week run-in period, which was followed by 12 weeks of activity intervention. RESULTS: Out of 212 MCI patients screened, 163 were eligible, 70 consented and 67 completed the intervention (mean age 74 years). Activity adherence rates were high: physical activity = 71%; GCST = 83%; ICST = 67%. Significant treatment effects (p < .05) were evident on physical health outcomes (decreased BMI and systolic blood pressure, [pre/post values of 26.3/25.9 kg/m2 and 145/136 mmHg respectively]), fitness (decreased resting and recovery heart rate [68/65 bpm and 75/69 bpm]), and cognition (improved working memory [5.3/6.3 items]). CONCLUSIONS: We found satisfactory recruitment, retention and engagement rates, coupled with significant treatment effects in elderly MCI patients. It appears feasible to conduct randomized controlled trials of the dementia prevention potential of complex multimodal activity programmes like ThinkingFit. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov registration nr: NCT01603862; date: 17/5/2012.