SOCIABLE: A Comprehensive ICT Cognitive Training Programme for Healthy and Cognitively Impaired Elderly (P6.188)

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of SOCIABLE on cognition, affection and functional abilities of elderly people, cognitively intact or with mild cognitive deficits. Background: SOCIABLE was a multi-national, multicenter ICT project piloting a radically new approach for the support of mental activity of elderly people. A consortium of ICT and medical experts developed the cognitive training software and we present the results of the SOCIABLE pilot clinical trial. Equipment used consisted of multi-touch surfaces or all-in-one personal computers. Methods: 315 individuals aged 60-91 years old (mean=73.76, sd=6.45) participated in the study. Mean formal education was 9.83 years (sd=4.09). Subjects were assigned into three groups after a comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation: a) 124 (39.4[percnt]) cognitively intact elderly, b) 108 (34.3[percnt]) persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and c) 83 (26.3[percnt]) with mild Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). They participated in 24 hourly, twice-weekly sessions of computerized cognitive training for three months, individually or in groups, in Day Care Centers or at home. To assess the efficacy of SOCIABLE, cognitive, affective and functional assessment was performed pre- and post-intervention and 3 months after the end of the programme (follow up). In addition participants’ performance was compared to that of a control group. Results: Repeated measures 2 (group) x 3 (pathology) ANCOVA designs showed statistical significant improvement in the scores of most cognitive tests. Functionality was also improved, while depression scores remained unchanged. Improvement was maintained for three months after the end of the programme for the groups of the cognitively intact elderly and persons with MCI but it was not preserved in the group of AD patients. Conclusions: Such a personalized and multicomponent training regime, like SOCIABLE could be more effective in maintaining the cognitive abilities in the elderly than the classical approach. More research is needed through well designed trials. Disclosure: Dr. Sakka has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ntanasi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Zoi has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kalligerou has nothing to disclose. Dr. Pantelopoulos has nothing to disclose.