Prior studies in the elderly have shown limited results for programs of cognitive training using image association mnemonic techniques. Attempting to improve results, we found that three types of preliminary training (pretraining) enhanced learning of mnemonics and produced overall results showing improvements of 75-110% from baseline in the criterion measure (face/name recall). Controls improved 27%. Despite these positive results, we found substantial variability of individual response to treatment. Within group analysis of the three successful treatments suggested two psychometrics potentially useful for measuring attributes of individuals most likely to benefit from certain types of training. This led to the following new hypotheses to be tested in our proposed research: 1) Subjects who improve most from verbal elaboration of visual image association mnemonics will have high scores on measures of verbal intelligence and low scores on state anxiety measures. 2) Subjects who improve most from training in relaxation for performance anxiety prior to learning mnemonics will have low scores on measures of verbal intelligence and high scores on measures of state anxiety. Since no prior studies have examined personality factors as predictors of response to training, an additional hypothesis will be tested: 3) The NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI) and the Personality in Intellectual-Aging Contexts (PIC) will provide additional personality attributes not considered in Hypotheses 1-2 which reflect performance outcome. A final hypothesis will be tested relating to the potential benefit of combining two of our most effective treatments: 4) Participants will improve more with training combining two of our most effective treatments (mnemonic training plus pretraining in verbal elaboration of associations and pretraining in relaxation for performance anxiety), than participants receiving either treatment alone. We will test these hypotheses in two phases. In Phase 1 a blocked design with regression-type analyses in 484 subjects (121 subjects/group) will be used to test Hypotheses 1 and 2. All subjects in Phase 1 will also receive the personality measures. Phase 2 will independently re-test in a smaller group of subjects (120) any predictors of response found promising in Phase 1. Hypothesis 4 will be tested by between group analyses in Phase 1.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
2R01MH035182-04A1
Application #
3375607
Study Section
Cognition, Emotion, and Personality Research Review Committee (CEP)
Project Start
1984-02-01
Project End
1990-06-30
Budget Start
1987-07-01
Budget End
1988-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
1987
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
800771545
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305
Fairchild, J K; Friedman, L; Rosen, A C et al. (2013) Which older adults maintain benefit from cognitive training? Use of signal detection methods to identify long-term treatment gains. Int Psychogeriatr 25:607-16
Rosen, Allyson C; Sugiura, Lisa; Kramer, Joel H et al. (2011) Cognitive training changes hippocampal function in mild cognitive impairment: a pilot study. J Alzheimers Dis 26 Suppl 3:349-57
Yesavage, Jerome A; Friedman, Leah; Ashford, J Wesson et al. (2008) Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor in combination with cognitive training in older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 63:P288-94
O'Hara, Ruth; Sommer, Barbara; Way, Nate et al. (2008) Slower speed-of-processing of cognitive tasks is associated with presence of the apolipoprotein epsilon4 allele. J Psychiatr Res 42:199-204
O'Hara, Ruth; Brooks 3rd, John O; Friedman, Leah et al. (2007) Long-term effects of mnemonic training in community-dwelling older adults. J Psychiatr Res 41:585-90
de Medeiros, Kate; Kennedy, Quinn; Cole, Thomas et al. (2007) The impact of autobiographic writing on memory performance in older adults: a preliminary investigation. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 15:257-61
Yesavage, Jerome; Hoblyn, Jennifer; Friedman, Leah et al. (2007) Should one use medications in combination with cognitive training? If so, which ones? J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 62 Spec No 1:11-8
Steffens, David C; Otey, Emeline; Alexopoulos, George S et al. (2006) Perspectives on depression, mild cognitive impairment, and cognitive decline. Arch Gen Psychiatry 63:130-8
Ota, Ken S; Friedman, Leah; Ashford, J Wesson et al. (2006) The Cost-Time Index: a new method for measuring the efficiencies of recruitment-resources in clinical trials. Contemp Clin Trials 27:494-7
O'Hara, Ruth; Schroder, Carmen M; Bloss, Cinnamon et al. (2005) Hormone replacement therapy and longitudinal cognitive performance in postmenopausal women. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 13:1107-10

Showing the most recent 10 out of 33 publications