ThinkingFit: Combined Physical, Cognitive and Social Treatment in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)

Overview

Dementia is serious problem and around 700 000 people are affected in the UK alone. Currently there is no cure however early diagnosis and effective treatment offers hope for reducing the impact. Dementia sufferers require care due to physical disability, cognitive deficits, social isolation and emotional symptoms (depression). Delaying the onset of dementia will improve quality of life for patients and reduce the cost of residential care (£42 000 per person per year). People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are at high risk of developing dementia. They have impaired cognitive abilities, such as memory, but still manage their everyday activities. Studies show that 8 out of 10 people with MCI will have developed dementia 6 years after diagnosis. Regular physical activities and performing a variety of cognitive activities reduce the risk of dementia and improves abilities and quality of life in healthy people. Therefore a combination of these activities may reduce the risk of developing dementia in MCI. The investigators want to see if they can develop a program which combines these activities in a fun and social way that gets people active and keeps them active. The aims are to improve fitness, cognition and quality of life. The investigators plan to use computers and the internet to help with the activities and to make them available to people who are isolated. Physical activity will involve walking from home, cognitive activities will be computer based games and puzzles and socialising will involve regular varied group-based activities. Participants (128) will be recruited from the UCL Derwent Memory Clinic and will complete a 26 week program. They will then be followed up yearly to monitor their progress. The main outcome of the study is engagement in the activities. The investigators will also measure fitness, cognition, quality of life and conversion to dementia.