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Petri MC, Messinis L, Patrikelis P, Nasios G, Dimitriou N, Nousia A, Kosmidis MH. Feasibility and Clinical Effectiveness of Computer-Based Cognitive Rehabilitation in Illiterate and Low-Educated Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment: Preliminary Data. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024:acae078. [PMID: 39333010 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acae078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2024] [Revised: 08/04/2024] [Accepted: 09/10/2024] [Indexed: 09/29/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated the feasibility of the RehaCom cognitive rehabilitation software in illiterate and low-educated individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and its clinical effectiveness in improving cognitive functions. METHODS Twenty illiterate or low-educated individuals with MCI were randomly assigned to an intervention (IG; n = 10) and control group (CG; n = 10). The IG participated in the cognitive enhancement program for 6 weeks, twice a week and a duration of 50-60 min for each session, while the CG did not receive any kind of intervention. RESULTS The two groups were demographically matched. The IG successfully completed all sessions of the cognitive enhancement program. A within-subject comparison between baseline and post-intervention assessment of cognitive functions indicated that the IG improved significantly on all administered neuropsychological tests, in contrast to the CG, whose performance remained stable between baseline and final assessment. A between-group comparison found statistically significant differences between the IG and CG groups on the Hindi Mental State Examination, Mini-Mental State Examination, and on delayed memory and recognition tasks, in favor of the IG. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the present study support the feasibility of applying computerized cognitive enhancement programs to illiterate and low-educated individuals. Moreover, these programs appear to contribute positively to improving the cognitive functions of this population group. In order to generalize and confirm similar findings in a broader population of illiterate and low-educated individuals, future studies should include larger samples, possibly with longer duration of treatment and control groups that will receive non-targeted interventions as placebo interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Christina Petri
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Lambros Messinis
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Panayiotis Patrikelis
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Grigorios Nasios
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Nefeli Dimitriou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece
| | - Anastasia Nousia
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Peloponnese, Kalamata 24100, Greece
| | - Mary H Kosmidis
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology and Behavioural Neuroscience, School of Psychology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
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Tomás AM, Bento-Torres NVO, Jardim NYV, Moraes PM, da Costa VO, Modesto AC, Khayat AS, Bento-Torres J, Picanço-Diniz CW. Risk Polymorphisms of FNDC5, BDNF, and NTRK2 and Poor Education Interact and Aggravate Age-Related Cognitive Decline. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17210. [PMID: 38139046 PMCID: PMC10743741 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities tend to decline with aging, with variation between individuals, and many studies seek to identify genetic biomarkers that more accurately anticipate risks related to pathological aging. We investigated the influence of BDNF, NTRK2, and FNDC5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the cognitive performance of young and older adults with contrasting educational backgrounds. We addressed three questions: (1) Is education associated with reduced age-related cognitive decline? (2) Does the presence of SNPs explain the variation in cognitive performance observed late in life? (3) Is education differentially associated with cognition based on the presence of BDNF, NTRK2, or FNDC5 polymorphisms? We measured the cognitive functions of young and older participants, with lower and higher education, using specific and sensitive tests of the Cambridge Automated Neuropsychological Test Assessment Battery. A three-way ANOVA revealed that SNPs were associated with differential performances in executive functions, episodic memory, sustained attention, mental and motor response speed, and visual recognition memory and that higher educational levels improved the affected cognitive functions. The results revealed that distinct SNPs affect cognition late in life differentially, suggesting their utility as potential biomarkers and emphasizing the importance of cognitive stimulation that advanced education early in life provides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Mendonça Tomás
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Department of Physical Education, Federal University of Pará Application School, Belém 66095-780, Brazil
| | - Natáli Valim Oliver Bento-Torres
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Graduate Program in Human Movement Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66095-780, Brazil
| | - Naina Yuki Vieira Jardim
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66050-160, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Martins Moraes
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Graduate Program in Human Movement Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66095-780, Brazil
| | - Victor Oliveira da Costa
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66050-160, Brazil
| | - Antônio Conde Modesto
- Oncology Research Center (NPO), Graduate Program in Oncology and Medical Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.C.M.); (A.S.K.)
| | - André Salim Khayat
- Oncology Research Center (NPO), Graduate Program in Oncology and Medical Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.C.M.); (A.S.K.)
| | - João Bento-Torres
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Graduate Program in Human Movement Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66095-780, Brazil
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço-Diniz
- Neurodegeneration and Infection Research Laboratory, Institute of Biological Science, João de Barros Barreto University Hospital, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.M.T.); (N.Y.V.J.); (P.M.M.); (V.O.d.C.); (J.B.-T.); (C.W.P.-D.)
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66050-160, Brazil
- Oncology Research Center (NPO), Graduate Program in Oncology and Medical Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém 66073-000, Brazil; (A.C.M.); (A.S.K.)
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