Effects of the Multicomponent Cognitive Training Program BrainProtect in Cognitively Healthy Adults: A Randomized...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Gerontology

Background:

• Cognitive integrity is crucial for overall health.
• Strategies to prevent cognitive impairment are actively researched.
• Maintaining cognitive function in aging populations is a public health priority.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the short-term impact of a multicomponent cognitive training program (BrainProtect) versus general health counseling (GHC) on cognitive abilities.
• To assess the effects of BrainProtect and GHC on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in healthy older adults.
• To compare cognitive training with standard health advice for cognitive health maintenance.

Main Methods:

• A parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 132 cognitively healthy adults aged 50+.
• Participants were assigned to either BrainProtect (n=60) or GHC (n=72).
• BrainProtect involved 8 weekly 90-minute sessions focusing on executive functions, attention, learning, perception, imagination, nutrition, and exercise, with pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Main Results:

• No significant improvement in the primary endpoint of global cognition (CERAD-Plus-z Total Score) was observed.
• The BrainProtect group showed significant improvements in verbal fluency, visual memory, and visuo-constructive functions compared to GHC.
• Health-related quality of life (HRQoL) significantly improved in the BrainProtect group; some changes were clinically relevant despite loss of statistical significance after adjustment.

Conclusions:

• BrainProtect did not significantly enhance global cognitive performance in this study.
• The observed improvements in specific cognitive domains and HRQoL suggest potential benefits that warrant further investigation.
• Larger sample sizes are recommended for future studies to confirm the efficacy of BrainProtect for cognitive enhancement.