The effects of a computer-based cognitive and physical training program in a healthy and mildly cognitive impaired aging sample.

OBJECTIVES: The Long Lasting Memories (LLM) program concerns a newly integrated platform which combines cognitive exercises with physical activity within the context of advanced technologies. The main objective of this study was to present the preliminary results that determine the possible effectiveness of the LLM program in the improvement of cognitive functions and symptoms of depression in healthy elderly and subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHOD: Fifty healthy and MCI subjects participated in the study. All of them received one hour's physical training and 35 minutes' cognitive training, 3 times a week, during the 12 weeks of the program. Before and after the intervention all participants were assessed using a battery of neuropsychological tests. RESULTS: The results showed a significant improvement after the LLM training in global cognitive function, in verbal memory, in attention, in episodic memory and symptoms of depression. CONCLUSION: This study indicates that LLM is a promising solution for older adults with and without cognitive impairment, maintaining their wellbeing with few professional and technical requirements.

Clinical utility of the hopkins Verbal Test-Revised for detecting Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment in Spanish population.

The decline of verbal memory and learning is one of the main symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Hopkins Verbal Test-Revised (HVLT-R) to discriminate subjects with AD, amnestic MCI (aMCI), and a healthy control group in a Spanish population. Two hundred ninety-eight subjects were assessed with the HVLT-R and the Spanish version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MEC 35). There were significant differences in the HVLT-R delay recall and total free recall scores of aMCI, AD, and control subjects. Cut points with satisfactory sensitivity and specificity were found and showed better sensitivity than the MEC 35 in detecting AD and aMCI. Recognition scores failed to differentiate between impaired and control subjects. The HVLT-R delay recall and total free recall scores present high diagnostic utility for their employment in clinical practice in AD and MCI in a Spanish population.