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P1‐591: OLFACTORY OUTCOMES OF COMPUTERISED COGNITIVE TRAINING IN OLDER ADULTS AT RISK OF DEMENTIA: AN RCT
Author(s) -
Bahar-Fuchs Alex,
Andrea Barendse Marjolein Eva
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.1196
Subject(s) - dementia , cognition , mood , psychology , cognitive training , olfaction , cognitive decline , population , randomized controlled trial , clinical psychology , audiology , disease , medicine , psychiatry , neuroscience , environmental health
Background: Decline in olfaction-related processes is common in the older population, and even more so in older people with Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Computerized cognitive training (CCT) is known to improve global cognitive abilities in older adults, but it is unknown if it can improve olfactory-mediated cognition. The aim of the current study was to examine the effect of CCT on olfactory cognition, including olfactory discrimination and identification, in older adults with MCI, mood-related neuropsychiatric symptoms (MrNPS), or both. Methods: The Canberra CCT trial was a double-blind RCT targeting community-dwelling older adults at risk of dementia and conducted in Canberra, Australia. Participants and intervention: 43 older adults (MCI 1⁄4 8, MCI+MrNPS 1⁄4 24, MrNPS 1⁄4 11; mean age1⁄4 74) were randomised to an individually-tailored and adaptive CCT (n1⁄418) or an active control condition (n1⁄424). The intervention lasted 8-12 weeks and participants were assessed before and after the intervention, as well as at 3-month follow up. Measurements: Olfactory discrimination and identification were assessed with an adapted version of the Sniffin’ Sticks test. Results: While positive changes were found for overall and domain-specific cognition, olfactory discrimination and identification scores did not improve following CCT in either condition. Conclusions: The effects of CCT on cognition appear to be limited to auditory-visual measures of cognition, while olfactory-mediated cognitive processes such as olfactory identification appear to be unaffected by CCT in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, mood-related neuropsychiatric symptoms, or both.