Acceptability of a lifelogging wearable camera in older adults with mild cognitive impairment: a mixed-method study.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this research was to evaluate the acceptance of technology based on a wearable lifelogging camera in a sample of older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). METHODS: A mixed-method design was used, consisting of a self-report questionnaire, numerous images taken by users, and a series of focus group discussions. The patients were involved in an individualized training programme. RESULTS: Nine MCI patients and their caregiver relatives were included. They showed good acceptance of the camera and downloaded an appropriate number of images on a daily basis. Perceived severity and ease of use were the main factors associated with the intention to use the device. CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with MCI can become competent users of lifelogging wearable cameras with a good level of acceptance. Privacy concerns are outweighed by the potential benefits for memory. Limitations, strengths and implications for future research are discussed.

Cognitive impairment following chemotherapy for breast cancer: The impact of practice effect on results.

Chemotherapy-Related Cognitive Impairment (CRCI) can be an adverse effect in women treated for breast cancer. Some longitudinal studies reported deficits in attention, memory, and executive function following treatment, but other studies did not find cognitive changes. It is known that practice effects (PE) on repeated assessments with cognitive tests contribute to the discrepancies in these results, but its influence on scores has not been systematically explored. The present study examines the impact of PE on retest scores in a group of women with breast cancer treated with chemotherapy and evaluated longitudinally. METHOD: 51 women with breast cancer treated with a combination of 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, and cyclophosphamide with or without taxanes were assessed after surgery but before chemotherapy (T1), post-chemotherapy (T2), and at one year after T2 (T3). Longitudinal changes on cognitive performance were analyzed twice: when retest scores were not corrected for PE and when correction for PE was applied to T2 and T3 scores. RESULTS: When PE was not corrected, progressive improvement over time in measures of memory and divided attention at T2 and T3 was observed. In contrast, when PE was corrected, worsening was found in measures of memory, fluency, executive function, and attention at T2 and in attention and executive function at T3. Results after correction for PE are in line with previous longitudinal studies that report cognitive impairment after treatment with chemotherapy for breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Accounting for PE is recommended to identify true change on cognition through treatment with chemotherapy for breast cancer.

Role of taxanes in chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment: A prospective longitudinal study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to elucidate the role of taxanes on cognition when they are administered as a part of the treatment with a fluorouracil, epirubicin and cyclophosphamide (FEC) regimen for breast cancer (BC). METHODS: Two groups of women (n = 51) with a novel diagnostic of BC that were treated with a combination of FEC alone (6 cycles of FEC) or with taxanes (4 cycles of FEC plus 8 cycles of taxanes) were compared at three moments: before chemotherapy, after its completion (short-term evaluation) and at a mean of 74.5 weeks from baseline as a long-term evaluation. RESULTS: Both groups showed worsening in tests of attention and executive functions on the short-term assessment, with the group treated with taxanes showing more number of affected cognitive measures at this time point, including verbal learning and speed measures. At the long-term evaluation, cognitive dysfunction was still found in attention and executive functions in both groups. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that chemotherapy for BC with a FEC regimen can have a negative effect on cognition. Acute deficits seem to be larger when taxanes are added, but treatment seems to affect cognition also at long term.

Comparison of neuropsychological and functional outcomes in Alzheimer's disease patients with good or bad response to a cognitive stimulation treatment: a retrospective analysis.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of cognitive stimulation (CS) treatments in dementia is unequal. This study has sought to identify cognitive and functional measurements before and after the treatment which are indicative of a better response to a one-year CS program. METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted between 2004 and 2012 in a sample of 60 users diagnosed with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD) who followed a one-year CS program and underwent a cognitive and functional assessment before and after the intervention. As a primary measure of treatment response, we used the annual change of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores, which distinguished good responders (R) from non-responders (NR). RESULTS: 51.7% of patients classified as R at baseline had a higher cognitive performance in attention, immediate verbal memory, language, and working memory compared to NR. No initial statistically significant differences were found between R and NR in any sociodemographic variables, medical conditions, anxiety and/or depressive symptoms, treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs), level of insight, global cognitive function (MMSE), or functional capacity. After 12 months of treatment, R had significantly better results than NR on MMSE, temporal orientation, category evocation, and Philadelphia Geriatric Center-Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (PGC-IADL). CONCLUSION: The response to a CS treatment of some subjects over others is linked to cognitive and functional capacity. This research contributes to characterize the neuropsychological profile that differentiates subjects who respond better than others before and after the treatment. This should contribute to customize and optimize neuropsychological interventions in patients with AD.

Efficacy of an adjunctive computer-based cognitive training program in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease: a single-blind, randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates the efficacy at 12 months of a computer-based cognitive training (CBCT) program, adjunctive to traditional cognitive training (TCT), on the basis of pen-and-paper exercises. METHODS: Sixty patients with multi-domain mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer's disease who were already receiving cognitive training, recruited from a day hospital, were assigned into two groups following a simple randomization procedure (computerized random numbers): (i) a group that received CBCT during 3 months and TCT (CBCT + TCT), n = 37, and (ii) a group that received only TCT, n = 23. Patients were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 12 months of treatment by a neuropsychologist blinded to group assignment, with a neuropsychological battery (primary outcomes) and measures of decision making, memory complaints, and emotional disturbances. RESULTS: With the use of repeated-measures analyses of covariance, the CBCT + TCT group showed less anxiety symptoms (F = 5.13, p = 0.03, d = 1.12) and less disadvantageous choices (F = 4.70, p = 0.04, d = 0.89) in decision making than the TCT group at 12 months. No significant improvement or worsening was observed in the other measures examined. However, positive effect sizes favoring the CBCT + TCT group were observed in all variables. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a CBCT program was effective in anxiety and decision making but had no significant effects on outcomes in basic cognitive functions in patients who were already receiving cognitive training, possibly due to a ceiling effect. Future studies should compare the efficacy of CBCT with TCT in naïve patients.