Effect of 12-week home-based cognitive training on cognitive function and brain metabolism in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment

Abstract

Purpose: We assessed the effect of home-based cognitive intervention (HCI) on cognitive function along with brain metabolism by 18F-FDG PET in patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI).

Patients and methods: Fifty-seven patients with aMCI from three hospitals were randomized (30 HCI, 27 control). For 12 weeks, subjects received HCI. Thirty-two subjects (15 HCI, 17 control) underwent brain 18-F-FDG-PET imaging at baseline and at 12 and 24 weeks.

Results: The HCI group showed significant improvement in the scores of the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) 12 and at 24 weeks. Significant brain metabolic changes by 18F-FDG PET were not observed.

Conclusion: The current study suggests that HCI was effective in improving general cognition along with frontal executive function in patients with aMCI.

Keywords: brain PET; cognitive training; mild cognitive impairment.

Figure 1

The flow diagram of enrollment. Abbreviations: FU, follow-up; AE, adverse event.

Figure 2

Changes from baseline at 12 weeks and 24 weeks on efficacy outcomes. Cognitive training significantly improved ADAS-Cog score at 24 weeks (A), COWAT total score at 12 and 24 weeks (B) and GDS-15 at 12 and 24 weeks (C). (A) Changes from baseline at 12 weeks and 24 weeks on the Modified ADAS-Cog. (B) COWAT (total) score change from baseline on Intervention group vs Control (C) GDS-15 (SGDS-K) score change from baseline on Intervention group vs Control. Abbreviation: COWAT, Controlled oral word association test.

Figure 3

Distribution of SUVr before treatment (A), after treatment (B), and more than 20% increased region after treatment (C) in participant with change (Fig 3-1). Distribution of SUVr before treatment (D), after treatment (E), and  no increased region after treatment (F) in participant without change (Fig 3-2).