The prevalence of depressive symptoms in older adults is on the rise, affecting 13 to 37% of older adults globally. These symptoms significantly impact health, increasing the risk of dementia and cognitive decline, and impairing daily functioning and quality of life. Reduced cognitive control (CC) is a key factor contributing to depressive symptoms, affecting 40% of adults with such symptoms. Despite this, over half of affected adults do not respond well to available treatments. Computerized cognitive training (CCT) has shown efficacy in improving CC but its impact on daily functioning is limited. The Cognitive Orientation to Occupational Performance (CO-OP) approach has demonstrated promise in improving daily functioning, as measured by occupational performance (OP). We propose a novel intervention, GOLD-Cog+, combining CCT and CO-OP, to address CC and functional deficits in older adults with depressive symptoms.
The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate the relationship between mood and cognitive control in community-dwelling older adults (65+) with sub-clinical depression and to assess feasibility, efficacy, and sustainability of a proposed combined cognitive intervention, GOLD-Cog+, for this population group. Cognitive control is the mental abilities that underlie our goal-directed behavior. These mental abilities include: the ability to shift our attention, constantly monitoring and updating information provided by our environment and having the ability to inhibit unwanted reactions. The main questions of this study are: Question 1: What is the relationship between mood and cognitive control in daily life of older adults with depressive symptoms? Question 2: Can this proposed combined cognitive intervention, GOLD-Cog+ help improve daily functioning, cognitive control, mood, quality of life and subjective cognition in older adults with depressive symptoms? Question 3: Are the participants satisfied with this new proposed intervention? Participants will participate in a crossover randomized control trial in which they will participate in a 6-week experimental period and a 6-week waiting period. During the experimental period, they will take part in individual computerized cognitive training and functional-based, goal-oriented group sessions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
42
6 weeks of combined cognitive intervention (GOLD-Cog+),which includes participation in 9, one hour long Cognitive-Orientation to Occupational Performance(CO-OP)-based group sessions and 24 individual and independent 30-minute computerized cognitive training (CCT) program using the Effectivate platform (Israeli-based CCT developed for older adults. Available in both Hebrew and English).
Computerized Neurotherapy Lab, School of OT, Hebrew University, Mt. Scopus Campus
Jerusalem, Israel
RECRUITINGAdaptive Cognitive Evaluation (ACE) Battery
An online assessment tool, comprised of 6 sub-tasks based on standardized tests to assess cognitive control (inhibition, shifting, monitoring) in an immersive and user-friendly interface
Time frame: Pre-test, post-test (7-weeks after pre-test)
Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM)
Used to measure functioning by measuring occupational performance. The COPM is a semi-structured interview rating clients' self-perception of performance and satisfaction in their five most important functional problems. Importance, performance, and satisfaction for each goal are rated on a 10-point Likert scale, with 1 denoting not important at all, not satisfied at all and not able to do it at all, and 10 denoting extremely important, able to do it extremely well and extremely satisfied, respective of the scale used
Time frame: Pre-test, post-test (7-weeks after pre-test)
Beck Depression Scale (BDI-II)
Used to measure depressive symptomsThe BDI-II is a 21-item, self-administered questionnaire which requires 5-to-10-minutes to complete, aimed at measuring the severity of depression in diagnosed patients, as well as detecting possible depression in the normal population above the age of 13. Each question refers to the previous 2 weeks and is rated on a 4-point Likert scale, with scores ranging from 0 (absence of a given symptom) to 3 (maximum level of severity). Total scores range between 0-63 where a higher score indicates a higher severity of depression .
Time frame: Pre-test, post-test (7-weeks after pre-test)
State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) tool
Used to measure anxiety. It is a 20-item self-administered questionnaire regarding one's general feelings of anxiety at the present moment, using a 4-point Likert scale, with scores ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very). Total scores range between 4-80 where a higher score indicates a higher level of anxiety.
Time frame: Pre-test, post-test (7-weeks after pre-test)
The Older People's Quality of Life (OPQoL-35)
Used to measure quality of life. It is a 35-item self-administered questionnaire designed to capture the older adult's quality of life needs. Each question is scored on a 5-point Likert Scale, from 1 (strongly agree) to 5 (do not agree at all). Total scores range from 35 to 175, where a higher score indicates better quality of life.
Time frame: Pre-test, post-test (7-weeks after pre-test)
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