Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) represents the initial clinical manifestation in the disease spectrum of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). It represents an essential stage for early prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment, making the SCD population an optimal target for prior intervention. This study aims to assess the feasibility and efficacy of an 8-week intervention targeting self-perception of aging in community-dwelling older adults with SCD.
Dementia, especially Alzheimer's Disease (AD), is a major healthcare issue in aging populations. It not only threatens the physical and mental health of older adults but also imposes significant economic and caregiving burdens on families and society. As a preclinical stage of AD, subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is regarded as the optimal phase for early intervention in cognitive impairment. When confronted with the threats of physical, psychological, and social aging, older adults with SCD often hold negative perceptions and emotional responses toward their own aging. They tend to attribute physical decline and memory loss to normal aging processes, overlooking controllable factors, which poses potential risks to their future cognitive outcomes, such as accelerated cognitive decline, elevated dementia risk, and increased accumulation of AD biomarkers. This study is based on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping (TMSC) and identifies the mechanisms through which self-perception of aging influences cognitive function in older adults with SCD. A comprehensive 8-week intervention program was developed to target these mechanisms. The 8-week intervention program aims to provide practical evidence for delaying cognitive decline in older adults with SCD by enhancing their positive perceptions of aging.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
64
The intervention program aims to help older adults with subjective cognitive decline understand the aging process and adopt a positive attitude toward aging, highlighting age-related benefits. The sessions also provide emotion regulation techniques and stress-coping strategies to encourage proactive problem-solving and build confidence in handling challenges. By recalling positive life experiences, the program seeks to strengthen emotional connections, enhance the sense of belonging, and reconstruct a meaningful later life.
School of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College
Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China
Subjective Cognitive Decline
The 9-item Subjective Cognitive Decline Questionnaire (SCD-Q9) consists of 9 items. Higher scores indicate a greater likelihood of subjective cognitive impairment.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention)，8 weeks (post-intervention)，and 16 weeks (follow-up)
Cognitive Function
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment Beijing Version (MoCA-Beijing) encompasses multiple cognitive domains, including visuospatial execution ability, naming, memory and delayed recall, attention, language, abstraction, and orientation. The total score ranges from 0 to 30 points, and the higher the score, the better the overall cognitive function. Assessment tools of other cognitive domains will be used depending on the progress of the intervention program.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention)，8 weeks (post-intervention)，and 16 weeks (follow-up)
Self-perception of Aging
The Chinese version of the Brief Aging Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ) comprises 17 items grouped into 5 dimensions. Participants rated their agreement on a Likert 5-point scale ranging from "strongly disagree" to "strongly agree" (1 to 5 scores). The total score ranges from 17 to 85 points, with higher scores indicating more negative self-perceived aging.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention)，8 weeks (post-intervention)，and 16 weeks (follow-up)
Perceived Stress
The Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS) will be used to measure individuals\' perceived stress when facing stressful events. It consists of 14 items, with higher scores indicating higher level of perceived stress.
Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention)，8 weeks (post-intervention)，and 16 weeks (follow-up)
Coping Strategies
The Simplified Coping Skill Questionnaire (SCSQ) includes two dimensions: positive coping and negative coping. Higher average scores in each dimension indicate a greater frequency of using that particular coping strategy.
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Time frame: Baseline (pre-intervention)，8 weeks (post-intervention)，and 16 weeks (follow-up)