Working Memory Training in Amnestic and Non-amnestic Patients With Mild Cognitive Impairment: Preliminary Findings From Genotype Variants on Training Effects

Working memory training (WMT) effects may be modulated by mild cognitive impairment (MCI) subtypes, and variations in APOE-epsilon (APOE-ε) and LMX1A genotypes. Sixty-one individuals (41 men/20 women, mean age 66 years) diagnosed with MCI (31 amnestic/30 non-amnestic) and genotyped for APOE-ε and LMX1A completed 4 weeks/20–25 sessions of WMT. Cognitive functions were assessed before, 4 weeks and 16 weeks after WMT. Except for Processing Speed, the non-amnestic MCI group (naMCI) outperformed the amnestic MCI (aMCI) group in all cognitive domains across all time-points. At 4 weeks, working memory function improved in both groups (p < 0.0001), but at 16 weeks the effects only remained in the naMCI group. Better performance was found after training for the naMCI patients with LMX1A-AA genotype and for the APOE-ε4 carriers. Only the naMCI-APOE-ε4 group showed improved Executive Function at 16 weeks. WMT improved working memory and some non-trained cognitive functions in individuals with MCI. The naMCI group had greater training gain than aMCI group, especially in those with LMX1A-AA genotype and among APOE-ε4-carriers. Further research with larger sample sizes for the subgroups and longer follow-up evaluations is warranted.

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Memory aid —/INS; Computer based working memory training in elderly with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). A randomized, controlled trial

Journal of the Neurological Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jns.2013.07.1201 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 333 ◽

pp. e322-e323 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

M. Flak ◽

S.S. Hernes ◽

J. Skranes ◽

G.C. Lohaugen

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Computer Based

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Erratum to: ‘The Memory Aid study: protocol for a randomized controlled clinical trial evaluating the effect of computer-based working memory training in elderly patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI)’

Trials ◽

10.1186/s13063-016-1180-0 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Marianne M. Flak ◽

Susanne S. Hernes ◽

Linda Chang ◽

Thomas Ernst ◽

Vanessa Douet ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Clinical Trial ◽

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Computer Based

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Effects of working memory training on oscillatory activity in patients with mild cognitive impairment and age-matched elderly controls

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/conf.neuro.09.2009.01.054 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Author(s):

Linden D.

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Oscillatory Activity ◽

Memory Training

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Sex differences in cortisol and memory following acute social stress in amnestic mild cognitive impairment

10.1101/757484 ◽

2019 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kelly J. Murphy ◽

Travis E. Hodges ◽

Paul A.S. Sheppard ◽

Angela K. Troyer ◽

Elizabeth Hampson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Episodic Memory ◽

Social Stress ◽

Spatial Working Memory ◽

Memory Function ◽

Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment ◽

Amci Group ◽

The Relationship

AbstractObjectiveOlder adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) develop Alzheimer’s type dementia approximately ten times faster annually than the normal population. Adrenal hormones are associated with aging and cognition. We investigated the relationship between acute stress, cortisol, and memory function in aMCI with an exploratory analysis of sex.MethodSalivary cortisol was sampled diurnally and during two test sessions, one session with the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), to explore differences in the relationship between cortisol and memory function in age-normal cognition (NA) and aMCI. Participants with aMCI (n=6 women, 9 men; mean age=75) or similarly aged NA (n=9 women, 7 men, mean age=75) were given tests of episodic, associative, and spatial working memory with a psychosocial stressor (TSST) in the second session.ResultsThe aMCI group performed worse on the memory tests than NA as expected, and males with aMCI had elevated cortisol levels on test days. Immediate episodic memory was enhanced by social stress in NA but not in the aMCI group, indicating that stress-induced alterations in memory are different in individuals with aMCI. High cortisol was associated with impaired performance on episodic memory in aMCI males only. Cortisol in Session 1 moderated the relationship with spatial working memory, whereby higher cortisol was associated with worse performance in NA, but better spatial working memory in aMCI. In addition, effects of aMCI on perceived anxiety in response to stress exposure were moderated by stress-induced cortisol in a sex-specific manner.ConclusionsWe show effects of aMCI on Test Session cortisol levels and effects on perceived anxiety, and stress-induced impairments in memory in males with aMCI in our exploratory sample. Future studies should explore sex as a biological variable as our findings suggests that effects at the confluence of aMCI and stress can be obfuscated without sex as a consideration.

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