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Background: Female sex, subjective cognitive decline (SCD), and cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs) are known risk factors for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). We previously demonstrated that yoga improved depression, resilience, memory and executive functions, increased hippocampal choline concentrations, and modulated brain connectivity in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.Objective: In this study (NCT03503669), we investigated brain gray matter volume (GMV) changes in older women with SCD and CVRFs following three months of yoga compared to memory enhancement training (MET).Methods: Eleven women (mean age = 61.45, SD = 6.58) with CVRF and SCD completed twelve weeks of Kundalini Yoga and Kirtan Kriya (KY + KK) while eleven women (mean age = 64.55, SD = 6.41) underwent MET. Anxiety, resilience, stress, and depression were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks, as were T1-weighted MRI scans (Siemens 3T Prisma scanner). We used Freesurfer 6.0 and tested group differences in GMV change, applying Monte-Carlo simulations with alpha = 0.05. Region-of-interest analysis was performed for hippocampus and amygdala.Results: Compared to KY + KK, MET showed reductions in GMV in left prefrontal, pre- and post-central, supramarginal, superior temporal and pericalcarine cortices, right paracentral, postcentral, superior and inferior parietal cortices, the banks of the superior temporal sulcus, and the pars opercularis. Right hippocampal volume increased after yoga but did not survive corrections.Conclusion: Yoga training may offer neuroprotective effects compared to MET in preventing neurodegenerative changes and cognitive decline, even over short time intervals. Future analyses will address changes in functional connectivity in both groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Compensatory aids can help mitigate the impact of progressive cognitive impairment on daily living.Objective: We evaluate whether the learning and sustained use of an Electronic Memory and Management Aid (EMMA) application can be augmented through a partnership with real-time, activity-aware transition-based prompting delivered by a smart home.Methods: Thirty-two adults who met criteria for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) were randomized to learn to use the EMMA app on its own (N = 17) or when partnered with smart home prompting (N = 15). The four-week, five-session manualized EMMA training was conducted individually in participant homes by trained clinicians. Monthly questionnaires were completed by phone with trained personnel blind to study hypotheses. EMMA data metrics were collected continuously for four months. For the partnered condition, activity-aware prompting was on during training and post-training months 1 and 3, and off during post-training month 2.Results: The analyzed aMCI sample included 15 EMMA-only and 14 partnered. Compared to the EMMA-only condition, by week four of training, participants in the partnered condition were engaging with EMMA more times daily and using more basic and advanced features. These advantages were maintained throughout the post-training phase with less loss of EMMA app use over time. There was little differential impact of the intervention on self-report primary (everyday functioning, quality of life) and secondary (coping, satisfaction with life) outcomes.Conclusion: Activity-aware prompting technology enhanced acquisition, habit formation and long-term use of a digital device by individuals with aMCI. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03453554). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several modifiable lifestyle factors have been shown to have potential beneficial effects in slowing cognitive decline. Two such factors that may affect cognitive performance and slow the progression of memory loss into dementia in older adults are cognitive training and physical activity. There are currently no effective treatments for dementia; therefore, preventative strategies to delay or prevent the onset of dementia are of critical importance.Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the relative effectiveness of simultaneous performance of memory training and aerobic exercise to a sequential performance intervention on memory functioning in older adults.Methods: 55 older adults (aged 60- 75) with subjective memory impairments (non-demented and non-MCI) completed the intervention that consisted of 90-minute small group classes held twice weekly. Participants were randomized to either 4-weeks of supervised strategy-based memory training done simultaneously while stationary cycling (SIM) or sequentially after the stationary cycling (SEQ). Standardized neurocognitive measures of memory, executive functioning, speed of processing, attention, and cognitive flexibility were assessed at baseline and post-intervention.Results: The SIM group, but not the SEQ group, had a significant improvement on composite memory following the intervention (t(51) = 2.7, p = 0.01, effect size (ES) = 0.42) and transfer to non-trained reasoning abilities (t(51) = 6.0, ES = 0.49) and complex attention (t(51) = 3.1, p = 0.003, ES = 0.70). Conversely, the SEQ group, but not the SIM, showed significant improvement in executive functioning (t(51) = 5.0, p = 0.0001, ES = 0.96).Conclusion: These findings indicate that a 4-week simultaneous memory training and aerobic exercise program is sufficient to improve memory, attention, and reasoning abilities in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No study has explored the effect of yoga on cognitive decline and resting-state functional connectivity.Objectives: This study explored the relationship between performance on memory tests and resting-state functional connectivity before and after a yoga intervention versus active control for subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Methods: Participants ( ≥ 55 y) with MCI were randomized to receive a yoga intervention or active "gold-standard" control (i.e., memory enhancement training (MET)) for 12 weeks. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to map correlations between brain networks and memory performance changes over time. Default mode networks (DMN), language and superior parietal networks were chosen as networks of interest to analyze the association with changes in verbal and visuospatial memory performance.Results: Fourteen yoga and 11 MET participants completed the study. The yoga group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in depression and visuospatial memory. We observed improved verbal memory performance correlated with increased connectivity between the DMN and frontal medial cortex, pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, right middle frontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, and left lateral occipital cortex. Improved verbal memory performance positively correlated with increased connectivity between the language processing network and the left inferior frontal gyrus. Improved visuospatial memory performance correlated inversely with connectivity between the superior parietal network and the medial parietal cortex.Conclusion: Yoga may be as effective as MET in improving functional connectivity in relation to verbal memory performance. These findings should be confirmed in larger prospective studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Governments are promoting the importance of maintaining cognitive health into older age to minimize risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Older people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) are particularly vulnerable to memory challenges in daily activities and are seeking ways to maintain independent living.Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of memory groups for improving memory strategies and memory ability of older people, especially those with aMCI.Methods: 113 healthy older adults (HOA) and 106 adults with aMCI were randomized to a six-week memory group or a waitlist control condition. Outcome was evaluated through knowledge and use of memory strategies, memory ability (self-report and neuropsychological tests), and wellbeing. Assessments included a six-month follow-up.Results: Using intention to treat analyses, there were intervention effects for HOA and aMCI groups in strategy knowledge (HOA: η2= 0.20; aMCI: η2= 0.06), strategy use (HOA: η2= 0.18; aMCI: η2= 0.08), and wellbeing (HOA: η2= 0.11; aMCI: η2= 0.05). There were also intervention effects in the HOA group, but not the aMCI group, in self-reported memory ability (η2= 0.06) and prospective memory tests (η2= 0.02). By six-month follow-up, gains were found on most HOA outcomes. In the aMCI group gains were found in strategy use, and by this stage, gains in prospective memory were also found.Conclusion: Memory groups can engage older people in techniques for maintaining cognitive health and improve memory performance, but more modest benefits are seen for older adults with aMCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most studies on plasticity using behavioural data, cognitive plasticity has been studied in the context of short-term interventions such as memory training. In order to systematically review the literature on memory training and summarize its effects for old healthy people and people with mild cognitive impairment on multiple functional domains, we conducted a meta-analysis of all published randomized controlled trials (RCT) between 1970 and 2007. Overall, 24 studies examining memory training effects in healthy and in mildly cognitively impaired old adults were identified and included in the analysis. Only memory trainings (e.g. memory skills training, imagery, method of loci) with cognitive outcome measures, duration of intervention with up to one year with at least a baseline and a post-intervention assessment reported, were included. Results demonstrate significant training effects for paired associate learning and immediate and delayed recall in healthy old adults and for immediate recall in mildly cognitively impaired old adults. However, training effects were no larger than those found for active control conditions. Our results suggest that evidence on the effectiveness and specificity of training interventions is scarce. We discuss limitations of existing knowledge about the efficacy of memory training interventions and implications for future research to improve knowledge regarding effective cognitive interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on the effectiveness of memory-improvement programs has typically included older adults or those with cognitive impairments. Results from these studies have been difficult to generalise to other populations and yielded inconsistent results, partly depending on the type of memory measured. Given that the effectiveness of memory-improvement programs on young healthy adults is not well understood, the aim of this study was to evaluate a commercially available memory training program, Memory Power, marketed as effective for all age groups, and all types of memory. Twenty, first-year psychology students were randomly allocated to one of two groups: Memory Power or Control. It was hypothesised that Memory Power participants would have significantly increased objective memory performance (RAVLT, RMBT), subjective memory functioning (EMQ, SMQ), and reported use of prospective memory aids (MAQ) at Follow-Up, than Controls. Multiple 2 × 2 mixed repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to assess training effects between Memory Power and Control groups, across Baseline and Follow-Up sessions. No significant group differences were found in subjective memory functioning, or reported use of prospective memory aids. Findings on objective memory function were mixed; no significant effects were found with the (RAVLT), but significant effects (a group main effect and a group by session interaction) were found using RMBT, suggesting improved performance on this measure of memory function for trained participants. The implications of these results for memory-improvement programs more broadly are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]