Back to Search Start Over

Adaptive working memory strategy training in early Alzheimer's disease: randomised controlled trial.

Adaptive working memory strategy training in early Alzheimer's disease: randomised controlled trial.

Authors :
Huntley, J. D.
Hampshire, A.
Bor, D.
Owen, A.
Howard, R. J.
Source :
British Journal of Psychiatry; Jan2017, Vol. 210 Issue 1, p61-66, 6p
Publication Year :
2017

Abstract

<bold>Background: </bold>Interventions that improve cognitive function in Alzheimer's disease are urgently required.<bold>Aims: </bold>To assess whether a novel cognitive training paradigm based on 'chunking' improves working memory and general cognitive function, and is associated with reorganisation of functional activity in prefrontal and parietal cortices (trial registration: ISRCTN43007027).<bold>Method: </bold>Thirty patients with mild Alzheimer's disease were randomly allocated to receive 18 sessions of 30 min of either adaptive chunking training or an active control intervention over approximately 8 weeks. Pre- and post-intervention functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans were also conducted.<bold>Results: </bold>Adaptive chunking training led to significant improvements in verbal working memory and untrained clinical measures of general cognitive function. Further, fMRI revealed a bilateral reduction in task-related lateral prefrontal and parietal cortex activation in the training group compared with controls.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>Chunking-based cognitive training is a simple and potentially scalable intervention to improve cognitive function in early Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00071250
Volume :
210
Issue :
1
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
British Journal of Psychiatry
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
120703665
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.116.182048