title: Efficacy of a cognitive training programme for mild cognitive impairment: results of a randomised controlled study.
abstract: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of cognitive training in a 10-week randomised controlled study involving 22 individuals presenting with mild cognitive impairment of the amnestic type (MCI-A). Participants in the experimental group (n = 11) learned face-name associations using a paradigm combining errorless (EL) learning and spaced retrieval (SR) whereas participants in the control group (n = 11) were trained using an errorful (EF) learning paradigm. Psycho-educational sessions on memory were also provided to all participants. After neuropsychological screening and baseline evaluations, the cognitive training took place in 6 sessions over a 3-week period. The post-training and follow-up evaluations, at one and four weeks respectively, were performed by research assistants blind to the participant's study group. The results showed that regardless of the training condition, all participants improved their capacity to learn face-name associations. A significant amelioration was also observed in participant satisfaction regarding their memory functioning and in the frequency with which the participants used strategies to support memory functions in daily life. The absence of difference between groups on all variables might be partly explained by the high variability of scores within the experimental group. Other studies are needed in order to verify the efficacy of EL learning and SR over EF in MCI-A.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada. Leonie.Jean.1@ulaval.ca
authors.forename: Léonie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jean
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simard
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiederkehr
authors.forename: Marie-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Bergeron
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Turgeon
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hudon
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tremblay
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Reekum
mesh_terms: D001245:Association Learning; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011594:Psychometrics; D012153:Retention, Psychology; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014706:Verbal Learning