Effects of Smartphone-based Memory Training for Older Adults with Subjective Memory Complaints

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S176-S176 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.S. Shin ◽  
S.J. Oh ◽  
S. Seo ◽  
J.H. Lee ◽  
M.J. Song

IntroductionBrain health has garnered increasing attention as a requisite condition for healthy aging. The rapid growth in mobile health and increasing smartphone ownership among older adults has paved the way for smartphones to be utilized as effective tools for improving mental fitness.ObjectivesThere are few studies that have explored the efficacy of smartphone-based cognitive training. The present study examined the memory-enhancing effects of smartphone-based memory training for older adults.AimsWe explored whether newly developed application “Smartphone-based brain Anti-aging and memory Reinforcement Training (SMART)” improved memory performance in older adults with subjective memory complaints.MethodsA total of 53 adults (mean age: 59.3 years) were randomised into either one of two smartphone-based intervention groups (SMART vs. Fit Brains®) or a wait-list group. Participants in the intervention groups underwent 15–20 minutes of training per day, five days per week for 8 weeks. We used objective cognitive measures to evaluate changes with respect to four domains: attention, memory, working memory (WM), and executive function (inhibition, fluency, etc.). In addition, we included self-report questionnaires to assess levels of subjective memory complaints.ResultsThe performance on WM test increased significantly in the SMART group (t[17] = 6.27, P < 0.0001) but not in the control groups. Self-reports of memory contentment, however, increased in the Fit Brains® group only (t[18] = 2.12, P = 0.048).ConclusionsUse of an 8-week smartphone-based memory training program may improve working memory function in older adults. However, objective improvement in performance does not necessarily lead to decreased subjective memory complaints.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 1110-1120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikita L. Frankenmolen ◽  
Eduard J. Overdorp ◽  
Luciano Fasotti ◽  
Jurgen A.H.R. Claassen ◽  
Roy P.C. Kessels ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectives: Subjective memory complaints (SMC) in older adults are associated with a decline in everyday functioning and an increased risk for future cognitive decline. This study examines the effect of a memory strategy training compared to a control memory training on memory functioning in daily life. Methods: This was a randomized controlled trial with baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up assessments conducted in 60 older adults (50–87 years) with SMC. Participants were randomly assigned to either seven sessions of memory strategy training or seven sessions of control memory training. Both interventions were given in small groups and included psycho-education. Primary outcome measure was memory functioning in daily life. Objective measures of memory performance and self-reported measures of strategy use were included as secondary outcome measures. Results: Participants in each intervention group reported an improvement in personal memory goals (p<.0005), up to 6 months after training. An interaction effect showed that participants following memory strategy training reported a larger improvement in personal memory goals (p=.002). Both intervention groups improved on two memory tests (p<.001 and p<.01). In the memory strategy training group, an increase in strategy use in daily life was the strongest predictor (p<.05) of improvement in subjective memory functioning. Conclusions: Older adults with subjective memory complaints benefit from memory strategy training, especially in their memory functioning in daily life. (JINS, 2018, 24, 1110–1120)


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (12) ◽  
pp. 1699-1707 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshinori Nishizawa ◽  
Ayako Morita ◽  
Takeo Fujiwara ◽  
Katsunori Kondo

ABSTRACTBackground:Subjective memory complaints (SMC) have been suggested as an early marker of mild cognitive impairment and dementia. However, there is a paucity of evidence on the effects of early life conditions on the development of SMC in old age. This study is aimed at investigating the association between childhood socioeconomic status (SES) and SMC in community-dwelling older adults.Methods:We used the data of the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study, a population-based cohort study of people aged 65 years or older enrolled from 28 municipalities across Japan. Childhood SES and SMC in everyday life were assessed from the self-report questionnaire administered in 2010 (n = 16,184). Poisson regression was performed to determine their association, adjusted for potential confounders and life-course mediators and examined cohort effects.Results:We identified SMC in 47.4% of the participants. After adjusting for sex, age, and number of siblings, low and middle childhood SES were associated with 29% (prevalence ratio [PR]: 1.29, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.22, 1.36) and 10% higher prevalence of SMC (PR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.04, 1.17), respectively, compared with high childhood SES (p for trend <.001). The interaction terms between childhood SES and age groups were not statistically significant.Conclusion:Childhood SES is significantly associated with SMC among community-dwelling older adults. Efforts to minimize childhood poverty may diminish or delay the onset of SMC and dementia in later life.


Author(s):  
R.-Y. Chao ◽  
T.-F. Chen ◽  
Y.-L. Chang

Background: Although evidence suggests that subjective memory complaints (SMCs) could be a risk factor for dementia, the relationship between SMCs and objective memory performance remains controversial. Old adults with or without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) may represent a highly heterogeneous group, based partly on the demonstrated variability in the level of executive function among those individuals. It is reasonable to speculate that the accuracy of the memory-monitoring ability could be affected by the level of executive function in old adults. Objective: This study investigated the effects of executive function level on the consistency between SMCs and objective memory performance while simultaneously considering demographic and clinical variables in nondemented older adults. Setting: Participants were recruited from both the memory clinics and local communities. Participants: Participants comprised 65 cognitively normal (CN) older adults and 54 patients with MCI. Measurements: Discrepancy scores between subjective memory evaluation and objective memory performance were calculated to determine the degree and directionality of the concordance between subjective and objective measures. Demographic, emotional, genetic, and clinical information as well as several executive function measurements were collected. Results: The CN and MCI groups exhibited similar degrees of SMC; however, the patients with MCI were more likely to overestimate their objective memory ability, whereas the CN adults were more likely to underestimate their objective memory ability. The results also revealed that symptoms of depression, group membership, and the executive function level together predicted the discrepancy between the subjective and objective measures of memory function; however, the executive function level retained its unique predictive ability even after the symptoms of depression, group membership, and other factors were controlled for. Conclusion: Although both noncognitive and cognitive factors were necessary for consideration, the level of executive function may play a unique role in understanding the equivocal relationship of the concurrence between subjective complaints and objective function measures. Through a comprehensive evaluation, high-risk individuals (i.e., CN individuals heightened self-awareness of memory changes) may possibly be identified or provided with the necessary intervention during stages at which objective cognitive impairment remains clinically unapparent.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Fritsch ◽  
McKee J. McClendon ◽  
Maggie S. Wallendal ◽  
Trevor F. Hyde ◽  
Janet D. Larsen

Objectives. To estimate the prevalence of subjective memory complaints (SMCs) in a sample of community-dwelling, older adults and to examine cognitive bases of these complaints. Participants. 499 community-dwelling adults, 65 and older. Measurements. A telephone survey consisting of cognitive tests and clinical and sociodemographic variables. SMCs were based on subjects' evaluations and subjects' perceptions of others' evaluations. Analysis. Logistic regression was used to model the risk for SMCs as a function of the cognitive, clinical, and sociodemographic variables. We tested for interactions of the cognitive variables with age, education, and gender. Results. 27.1% reported memory complaints. Among the younger age, better objective memory performance predicted lower risk for SMCs, while among the older age, better memory had no effect on risk. Among the better-educated people, better global cognitive functioning predicted lower risk for SMCs, while among the less-educated people, better global cognitive functioning had no effect on SMC risk. When predicting others' perceptions, better objective memory was associated with lower risk for SMCs. Conclusion. Objective memory performance and global cognitive functioning are associated with lower risk for SMCs, but these relationships are the strongest for the younger age and those with more education, respectively. Age and education may affect the ability to accurately appraise cognitive functioning.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S654-S654
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Gallagher

Abstract Cognitive health is a rising public health concern in the U.S. Currently, approximately 5.7 million older adults suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and by the year 2050 this number is expected to increase to 14 million. Subjective memory complaints (SMC) are shown to be an early indicator of cognitive decline, and accordingly included as a clinical criterion for diagnoses of MCI, an indicator of pre-dementia states, and a research criterion for AD diagnoses. Among older adults, depressive symptoms hinder the accuracy of memory self-ratings. However, there has yet to be consensus regarding the nature of how depressive symptoms may condition the relationship between SMC and cognitive performance. The aims of the present study are to both investigate whether SMC is related to episodic memory and to determine whether depressive symptoms act as a moderator for the relationship between SMC and episodic memory among older adults. This research used nationally representative sample of 8,123 older adults aged 65 and older who completed the Leave Behind Questionnaire in the 2012 and 2014 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Linear regression was performed and results showed that there was a significant main effect of SMC on episodic memory performance, in that older adults with increased SMC have worse episodic memory. There was also a significant moderating effect of depressive symptoms, in that depressive symptoms cause older adults to underestimate their memory abilities. In order to use SMC as a tool for early detection efforts it is critical to understand these complex relationships.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Merav Papirovitz ◽  
Ariela Gigi

Background: Subjective memory complaints are a key component in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis. However, studies that examined memory awareness among MCI participants have published contradictory results. One possible explanation for the inconsistent findings could be the disregard from the multidimensional structure of subjective memory. Objectives: The present study is directed at assessing subjective memory among healthy and MCI participants, referring to three main types of memory: episodic, semantic, and working memory. Method: Participants were 123 adults (aged 50-90). They were divided into two groups, the MCI group, and the control group, according to their objective cognitive performance in RAVL or Mo- CA tests. All participants filled a subjective memory questionnaire, assessing their awareness of episodic, semantic, and working memory. Results: MCI participants estimated their semantic memory as significantly lower in comparison to the estimation of the healthy controls. By contrast, MCI participants showed an overestimation of their episodic memory capabilities compared to the control group. No significant difference was found between groups (MCI and healthy controls) in evaluating their working memory. In addi- tion, for both groups, Pearson’s correlation revealed a significant negative correlation between age and semantic memory evaluation. Such correlation was not found for subjective episodic memory. Discussion: Findings suggest that while people with MCI exhibit poor awareness of their episodic and working memory capabilities, their awareness of their decrease in semantic memory is appar- ently intact. Therefore, it is suggested that when using the self-report criterion for MCI diagnosis, clinicians should consider the patient’s’ semantic memory complaints.


2006 ◽  
Vol 14 (7S_Part_1) ◽  
pp. P46-P46
Author(s):  
Raymond P. Viviano ◽  
Jessica M. Hayes ◽  
Patrick J. Pruitt ◽  
Zachary J. Fernandez ◽  
Sanneke van Rooden ◽  
...  

2008 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 1004-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
BETH E. SNITZ ◽  
LISA A. MORROW ◽  
ERIC G. RODRIGUEZ ◽  
KIMBERLY A. HUBER ◽  
JUDITH A. SAXTON

AbstractSubjective memory complaints (SMCs) are known to be inconsistently related to current memory impairment in older adults but this association has not been well investigated in primary care provider (PCP) settings. To characterize the complexity of the relationship between SMCs and objective memory in older outpatients of PCPs, we collected neuropsychological, subjective memory, depression and medical chart data from outpatients aged 65 and older, without documented dementia diagnoses, in eleven PCP offices in and around the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Results indicated that self-estimates of current memory ability were most strongly associated with objective memory performance; in contrast, perception of worsening memory over the past year showed no association; and specific memory-related activities were only weakly associated. Women were more likely than men to show inconsistency between SMCs and objective memory performance. Only two of the 11 most significantly memory-impaired participants endorsed SMCs and only four had PCP chart documentation of memory problems. Eliciting SMCs in non-demented older adults can be of clinical value in a PCP setting, but significant limitations of patient self-report in more memory-impaired patients underscore the need to develop brief, objective indicators of memory impairment for PCP office use when there is suspicion of decline. (JINS, 2008,14, 1004–1013.)


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