The Digital Memory Notebook
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Digital Memory Notebook (DMN) Application.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Prodromal Alzheimer's Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, Subjective Cognitive Complaints. Basic parameters: from 60 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Official title
Compensation Training to Improve Everyday Functioning of Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment and Subjective Cognitive Complaints: The Digital Memory Notebook
Overview
Compensatory aids (e.g., alarms, calendars) play an important supporting role when completing everyday tasks (e.g., appointments, medication management), and there is a growing body of scientific work suggesting that compensatory training improves daily functioning. However, traditional paper-based calendars and to-do-lists have limitations related to accumulation of information, difficulty retrieving information, and remembering to complete activities. Such limitations may be overcome using a digital format through organized digital files, search functions, and alarms. This pilot project proposes to train older adults at risk for cognitive decline to use the Digital Memory Notebook (DMN), a tablet-based application (app), to support everyday functioning. The primary goal is to obtain preliminary evidence that a 6-week, individual and group-based DMN training intervention results in demonstrable changes in target behaviors (e.g., goal-directed DMN use to support everyday activities) among older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive complaints (SCC). Participants will complete a curriculum involving 2-hour weekly sessions for 6-weeks. Each week will cover a specific function of the DMN and will include standardized goal-setting and weekly homework targets. Following the 6-week intervention, participants will continue to use the DMN app for 4-weeks to evaluate stability. Participants will complete a questionnaire packet 1 week prior to the 6-week intervention, 1 week after the 6-week intervention, and 5 weeks following the 6-week intervention. MCI and SCC participants will complete separate 6-week individual or group interventions spaced two months apart at UCD.
Detailed description
The manualized curriculum will involve 2-hour weekly sessions for 6-weeks. The study personnel will administer all intervention sessions. Each week will cover a specific function of the Digital Memory Notebook (DMN) and will include standardized goal-setting and weekly homework targets. A research assistant will assess homework adherence using a standardized form and through data extracted from the DMN (e.g., number of alarms set). Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) participants will complete separate 6-week individual or group interventions. Following the 6-week intervention, participants will continue to use the DMN app for 4-weeks to evaluate stability.
Participants will also be asked to complete questions about their medical background including history of traumatic brain injury or stroke, as well as any current medical conditions and questions regarding demographics including age, ethnicity, and education.
Potential participants will be told that participating in the study will involve completing questionnaires at 3 different time points within 12 weeks (i.e.,week 1, week 8, week 12), identifying a knowledgeable informant who will also complete questionnaires, participating in a 6-week course to learn how to use the DMN and to support everyday functioning, and to continue to use the DMN for one month following the intervention.
Information collected will be in the form of counts (e.g., number of alarms set) and number of minutes spent on the device. Specific content entered into the DMN will not be reviewed.
Interventions
- Behavioral Digital Memory Notebook (DMN) Application
Subjects will be taught to utilize the DMN application through 2-hour weekly sessions for 6-weeks.
Primary outcome measures
- Real-time data extracted from the DMN Application [Time frame: Change in number of entries assessed weekly from first weekly session through Week 6 weekly session and for 4 weeks after the completion of the last session]
Secondary outcome measures (1)
- Participant Questionnaire Outcomes [Time frame: Week 1, Week 8, and Week 12]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Diagnosis of subjective cognitive complaints (SCC) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)
- Adults at least 60 years of age (no upper age limit)
- Fluent in English
- Available informant (study partner) to complete surveys
Exclusion criteria
- Unable to consent
- Pregnant women
- Prisoners
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- N/A
- Model
- Single group
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Supportive care
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Alzheimer's Disease Center, University of California, Davis — Sacramento
Identifiers
NCT: NCT04240665 · 1454000