Poster Presentations: P4
only age was independently significant (b¼-.54, p<.01). Conclu-
sions: A 12-week moderate intensity walking intervention leads to
significantly improved fitness in both MCI and HOA. The change
in fitness (VO2Peak-DR) was associated with robust cortical thickness
increases in bilateral and multiple brain regions, which was not
differentiated by cognitive status or ε4 inheritance. These prelimi-
nary findings suggest improved fitness may lead to increased
cortical thickness in older adults regardless of cognitive status or
ε4 inheritance. Thus, regular exercise may be an especially benefi-
cial intervention to counteract cortical atrophy in all risk groups,
and may provide protection against future cognitive decline in
both HOA and older adults who have begun to experience cognitive
decline.
P4-044 FEASIBILITY OFA COGNITIVE REHABILITATION
GROUP PROGRAM FOR PATIENTS WITH MILD
DEMENTIA IN ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:
A RANDOMIZED, CONTROLLED, SINGLE-
BLINDED PILOT STUDY
Sina Luisa Ochmann1, Elisabeth Kasper2, Wolfgang Hoffmann3,
Wolfgang Schneider4, Stefan J. Teipel5,6, 1German Center for
Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) - Rostock, Rostock, Germany;
2
University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany; 3DZNE German Center for
Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Rostock/ Greifswald, Greifswald,
Germany; 4Department of Psychosomatics, University Medical Center
Rostock, Rostock, Germany; 5DZNE, Rostock, Germany; 6University
Medicine Rostock, Rostock, Germany. Contact e-mail: sina.ochmann@
uni-rostock.de
Background: Recent studies suggest that cognitive rehabilitation in
the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) enhances the patients’
ability to mobilise personal recourses to compensate the loss of
cognitive functioning. Cognitive rehabilitation aims at the mainte-
nance of autonomy and quality of life. We investigated the feasi-
bility and effectiveness of a multimodal individualized group
rehabilitation program for people with mild AD dementia. Methods:
We adapted an individualised manual-guided cognitive rehabilita-
tion program (CORDIAL, Werheid et al. 2010) to a group-setting.
To allow a standardised repeatability and comparison, we chose the
manual-based approach. Additionally, we implemented a group-
setting, to support the patients’ social interaction and sense of
coherence, but also to provide a potentially cost-efficient, feasible
treatment. Individual strategies pursue the independent perfor-
mance of meaningful activities; integrating the care-giver enhances
a sustainable transfer into everyday-life. To enhance compensating
resources, we offer relaxation-therapy and psychoeducation. The
single-blinded study comprised 14 participants with an early-staged
AD who were randomised to either the intervention group (mean
age 73 years; mean MMST 23) or the control-group (mean-age
72,5 years; mean MMST 22). The intervention was conducted in
12 weekly sessions in comparison to the control-group, performing
monthly meetings with homework. The baseline- and follow-up ex-
aminations included neuropsychological testing and MRI-scans.
Results: From the ongoing pilot phase we derived preliminary re-
sults with qualitative character: Firstly, the group-setting facilitates
an effective communication training. Secondly, the intervention
group appeared heterogeneous in aspects of motivation and aware-
ness, influencing the implementation of external memory-aids.
Thirdly, preserved awareness, regarding one’s own deficits, seemed
more relevant to a successful intervention than the level of cogni-
tive impairment. Finally, we learned that it enhanced the effective
P783
use of strategies, when a care-giver showed a high personal engage-
ment in the patient’s care. Conclusions: In order to achieve social and
cognitive benefits, the patients and their care-givers should be
selected appropriately in terms of motivation and awareness as
well as level of functional impairment. Based on these results, we
will prepare a second effectiveness study that will terminate in
June 2015.
P4-045 THE EFFICACY OF A COMPUTER-ASSISTED
COGNITIVE REHABILITATION PROGRAM FOR
PATIENTS WITH MILD COGNITIVE DEFICITS:
A PILOT STUDY
Ryan A. Mace, William E. Mansbach, Mansbach Health Tools, LLC,
Simpsonville, MD, USA. Contact e-mail: rmace@thebcat.com
Background: Whereas computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation
(CR) programs show promise to improve cognition in certain pa-
tient types, a consensus regarding their efficacy is far from defini-
tive. The present study focuses on restorative CR, a specialized
treatment process designed to improve cognitive functioning
affected by progressive brain changes due to disease or aging
through computer-assisted cognitive exercises. Our primary goal
of this study was to investigate the efficacy of a computer-assisted
restorative CR intervention for improving cognitive functioning in
older rehabilitation patients with relatively mild cognitive deficits.
Methods: Patients (N ¼ 205) in a Maryland residential community
campus receiving physical rehabilitation services were referred by
their primary care physician for neuro-cognitive evaluation and
treatment. Participants (n ¼ 43) who met inclusion criteria were as-
signed to either the CR treatment or control group using a matched-
groups design to ensure equivalent cognitive functioning at base-
line. CR treatment consisted of a three-week, nine-session course
(30 minutes each) of Memory Match, an online, cognitive rehabil-
itation module designed to improve attention and visual memory.
Study analyses were based on the 38 participants (n ¼ 20 treatment,
n ¼ 18 control) group participants (M age ¼ 78.08 6 10.31) that
completed the post assessment, which consisted of a self-rating in-
ventory of cognitive ability and retesting on the BCAT. Results: Our
analyses showed that treatment group participants who received a
three-week course of CR treatment obtained significantly higher
BCAT scores at post-assessment than did participants in the control
group over the same period. It is unlikely that the treatment effect
was caused by individual differences, as demographic and cogni-
tive characteristics between the groups did not significantly differ
at baseline. Additional evidence for the efficacy of the CR program
was found by comparing responses on a SRI of cognitive ability be-
tween the two groups. Conclusions: We describe the merits and
shortcoming of this pilot study, discuss the positive utility of the
CR program for older rehabilitation patients with relatively mild
cognitive deficits, and explore ideas for future research.
P4-046 FINANCIAL LITERACY IS ASSOCIATED WITH
WHITE MATTER INTEGRITY IN OLD AGE
S. Duke Han1,2, Patricia A. Boyle1, Konstantinos Arfanakis1,3,
Debra A. Fleischman1, Lei Yu1, David A. Bennett4, 1Rush University
Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; 2VA Long Beach Healthcare System,
Long Beach, CA, USA; 3Illinois Institute for Technology, Chicago, IL, USA;
4
Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
Contact e-mail: Duke_Han@rush.edu