Use it or lose it! Cognitive activity as a protec-tive factor for cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Because of the worldwide aging of populations, Alzheimer's disease and other dementias constitute a devastating experience for patients and families as well as a major social and economic burden for both healthcare systems and society. Multiple potentially modifiable cardiovascular and lifestyle risk factors have been associated with this disease. Thus, modifying these risk factors and identifying protective factors represent important strategies to prevent and delay disease onset and to decrease the social burden. Based on the cognitive reserve hypothesis, evidence from epidemiological studies shows that low education and cognitive inactivity constitute major risk factors for dementia. This indicates that a cognitively active lifestyle may protect against cognitive decline or delay the onset of dementia. We describe a newly developed preventive programme, based on this evidence, to stimulate and increase cognitive activity in older adults at risk for cognitive decline. This programme, called "BrainCoach", includes the technique of "motivational interviewing" to foster behaviour change. If the planned feasibility study is successful, we propose to add BrainCoach as a module to the already existing "Health Coaching" programme, a Swiss preventive programme to address multiple risk factors in primary care.
Memory Clinic, University Centre for Medicine of Aging, Felix Platter Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
Panagiota
P
Mistridis
Health Psychology, Department of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Germany.
Jutta
J
Mata
Institute of Primary Care, University of Zurich and University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland; Swiss College of Primary Care Medicine, Fribourg, Switzerland Swiss College of Primary Care Medicine, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Stefan
S
Neuner-Jehle
Neurology Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Science, University of Fribourg, Switzerland.
Jean-Marie
JM
Annoni
Public Health Services, Berne, Switzerland.
Andreas
A
Biedermann
Memory Clinic, University Clinic of Geriatrics, Stadtspital Waid, Zurich, Switzerland.
Irene
I
Bopp-Kistler
General Practitioner, Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Courtelary, Switzerland.
Dominique
D
Brand
Leenaards Memory Centre, University Hospital Lausanne, Switzerland.
Andrea
A
Brioschi Guevara
General Practitioner, Corseaux, Switzerland.
Hedi
H
Decrey-Wick
Leenards Memory Center, University Hospital Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Jean-François
JF
Démonet
Psychiatric Services St Gallen-North, Centre of Education and Research (COEUR), St Gallen, Switzerland.
Ulrich
U
Hemmeter
University of Basel, Switzerland; University Centre for Medicine of Aging, Felix Platter Hospital, Basel, Switzerland.
Reto W
RW
Kressig
Chief Medical Officer of the Canton of Basel-Country, Liestal, Switzerland; Institute of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention EBPI, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
Brian
B
Martin
University Hospital of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Bern, Switzerland.
Luca
L
Rampa
University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, Department of Geriatric Psychiatry, Zurich, Switzerland.
Egemen
E
Savaskan
Department of Geriatrics, Inselspital, Berne University Hospital, University of Berne, Switzerland.
Andreas
A
Stuck
General Practitioner, Basel, Switzerland.
Philipp
P
Tschopp
Department of Internal Medicine, Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Switzerland.
Dina
D
Zekry
Memory Clinic, University Centre for Medicine of Aging, Felix Platter Hospital, Basel, Switzerland; University of Basel, Switzerland.
Andreas
A
Monsch
D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003071:Cognition; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000517:prevention & control*; D058245:Cognitive Reserve; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000379:methods; D065840:Protective Factors; D012307:Risk Factors; D013557:Switzerland