Comparative Effectiveness of Behavioral Interventions to Prevent or Delay Dementia: One-Year Partner Outcomes

Various behavioral interventions are recommended to combat the distress experienced by caregivers of those with cognitive decline, but their comparative effectiveness is poorly understood.

Caregivers in a comparative intervention study randomly had 1 of 5 possible interventions suppressed while receiving the other four. Caregivers in a full clinical program received all 5 intervention components. Care partner outcomes in the study group were compared to participants enrolled in a full clinical program.

Two hundred and seventy-two dyads of persons with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (pwMCI) and care partners enrolled in the comparative intervention study. 265 dyads participated in the full clinical program.

Behavioral intervention components included: memory compensation training, computerized cognitive training, yoga, support group, and wellness education. Each was administered for 10 sessions over 2 weeks.

A longitudinal mixed-effect regression model was used to analyze the effects of the interventions on partner burden, quality of life (QoL), mood, anxiety, and self-efficacy at 12 months follow-up.

At 12 months, withholding wellness education or yoga had a significantly negative impact on partner anxiety compared to partners in the clinical program (ES=0.55 and 0.44, respectively). Although not statistically significant, withholding yoga had a negative impact on partner burden and mood compared to partners in the full clinical program (ES=0.32 and 0.36, respectively).

Our results support the benefits of wellness education and yoga for improving partner's burden, mood, and anxiety at one year. Our findings are the first to provide an exploration of the impact of multicomponent interventions in care partners of pwMCI.