Author(s): KUMAGAI, K., KAGEYAMA, Y., ISAKA, T., NAKAGAICHI, M., Institution: KYUSHU SANGYO UNIVERSITY, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 1205

INTRODUCTION:
The global aging population has led to a steady increase in the prevalence of dementia. In Japan, approximately 30% of individuals aged 65 years and older are reported to have dementia or mild cognitive impairment, and dementia is the leading cause of long-term care dependency, accounting for about 23.6% of all care recipients. Early detection and primary prevention of dementia are therefore essential for maintaining the quality of life for the elderly and controlling national healthcare costs. From this perspective, significant expectations are placed on community-based dementia prevention programs; however, their effectiveness has not been sufficiently verified. In a previous study, we reported significant cognitive improvements following a three-month cognitive training program conducted twice weekly that combined square-stepping exercise (SSE) and CogEvo. The present study examined whether the same program, when delivered once weekly over three months, would produce similar cognitive effects.
METHODS:
Fifteen community-dwelling elderly Japanese women (mean age ± SD: 70.2 ± 3.0 years) participated in this study. The program was conducted once weekly for 12 sessions over three months. Each session consisted of approximately 15 minutes of CogEvo and 45 minutes of SSE. CogEvo included five basic cognitive tasks performed on a touch-panel monitor. SSE involved practicing 5–12 step patterns per session, with task difficulty gradually increased. Cognitive function was assessed before and after the intervention using the Japanese version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE-J). Baseline risk of cognitive decline was evaluated using plasma free amino acid concentrations measured by the AminoIndex® technique. Pre- and post-training outcomes were compared using paired t-tests, and effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated.
RESULTS:
Baseline AminoIndex® results indicated a low risk of cognitive decline, with only two participants showing potential cognitive impairment. All participants scored above the MMSE-J cutoff value at baseline, and no significant changes in MMSE-J scores were observed after the intervention. No statistically significant improvements were detected in CogEvo performance; however, effect size analysis based on mean pre- and post-training differences revealed small to moderate effects.
CONCLUSION:
A once-weekly cognitive training program conducted over three months did not result in statistically significant improvements in global cognitive function. Nevertheless, the observed small to moderate effect sizes suggest potential subtle cognitive benefits. Further studies with larger sample sizes and focus on older adults with lower baseline cognitive function are required to verify the effectiveness of once-weekly cognitive training for dementia prevention.