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Influence of Educational Attainment on Cognition-Based Intervention Programs for Persons with Mild Alzheimer’s Disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 March 2016

Israel Contador ,
Bernardino Fernández-Calvo ,
Francisco Ramos  and
Javier Olazarán
Israel Contador*
Affiliation:
Department of Basic Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences. University of Salamanca, Spain
Bernardino Fernández-Calvo
Affiliation:
Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Salamanca, Spain, currently, Department of Psychology, The Federal University of Paraíba, Brazil
Francisco Ramos
Affiliation:
Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment, University of Salamanca, Spain
Javier Olazarán
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain Maria Wolff Foundation, Madrid, Spain
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Israel Contador, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Salamanca, Avda. de la Merced 109-131, Salamanca, Spain, ES-37005. E-mail: icontador@usal.es
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Abstract

Objectives: This research retrospectively analyzed the effect of education on cognitive interventions carried out in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Methods: The total sample consisted of 75 patients with mild AD receiving treatment with cholinesterase inhibitors. The participants were divided into two groups: cognitive intervention (IG; n=45) and waiting list (WLG; n=30). Patients in the IG received either the Big Brain Academy (n=15) or the Integrated Psychostimulation Program (n=30) during 12 weeks. The influence of education on intervention effect was analyzed comparing mean change scores of the two study groups in the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog), stratified by educational level. The potential effect of age, sex, cognitive status, and type of intervention was examined using post hoc stratification analyses. Results: Higher education was associated with faster cognitive decline in the WLG (effect size=0.51; p<.01). However, cognitive evolution was not influenced by education in the IG (effect size=0.12; p=.42). Conclusions: Our results suggest that cognitive intervention might delay accelerated cognitive decline in higher educated individuals with mild AD. (JINS, 2016, 23, 1–6)

Keywords

Educational attainmentCognitive reserveCognitive interventionPsychosocial approachesDementiaAlzheimer’s disease
Type
Brief Communication
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 22 , Issue 5 , May 2016 , pp. 577 - 582
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2016 

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