Multicomponent Intervention on Improving the Cognitive Ability of Older Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT

This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the feasibility and potential outcomes of an innovative 16-session multicomponent intervention model to improve cognitive abilities in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) by promoting healthy lifestyle, cognitive skills, tai chi and mindfulness practices. This study was a multicentre, randomized controlled, two-arm, parallel-group, unblinded trial in Hong Kong. 57 Chinese older adults with MCI recruited from three local elderly centers were randomly assigned to either the control or intervention group. The study results support the feasibility and efficacy of the multicomponent intervention, and recommend future larger-scale randomized control trials.

KEYWORDS:

• Healthy lifestyle
• mild cognitive impairment
• mindfulness
• multi-component cognitive intervention
• tai chi

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to express their sincere gratitude to the participants and the cooperating elderly centres for their cooperation and support in this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Contributorship

YOUNG Kim-wan: Study concept and design, negotiating with other social service organizations involved in this project, acquisition of subjects and data, analysis and interpretation of data, and preparation of manuscript

KWOK Chi Yui: Study concept. Reviewed & approved the final version of the manuscript.

Ng Yat-nam: Reviewed & approved the final version of the manuscript.

NG Siu-man: Reviewed & approved the final version of the manuscript.

CHEN Qi-rong: Collection of data; reviewed & approved the final version of the manuscript.

Ethical approval

The ethical considerations of this study have been evaluated and approved by the Research Committee of Hong Kong Baptist University (reference no.: REC/18–19/0271). Written informed consent was obtained from all participants and their family members before the preliminary research was conducted.

Additional information

Funding

The authors declared that this research was supported by the General Research Fund, Research Grants Council, Hong Kong Government [Reference number: 12600119].