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Computerized cognitive training for memory functions in mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Chan ATC, Ip RTF, Tran JYS, Chan JYC, Tsoi KKF.. NPJ digital medicine, 2024-01-03
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Dementia is a common medical condition in the ageing population, and cognitive intervention is a non-pharmacologic strategy to improve cognitive functions. This meta-analysis evaluated the benefits of computerized cognitive training (CCT) on memory functions in individuals with MCI or dementia. The study was registered prospectively with PROSPERO under CRD42022363715 and received no funding. The search was conducted on MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO on Sept 19, 2022, and Google Scholar on May 9, 2023, to identify randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of CCT on memory outcomes in individuals with MCI or dementia. Mean differences and standard deviations of neuropsychological assessment scores were extracted to derive standardized mean differences. Our search identified 10,678 studies, of which 35 studies were included. Among 1489 participants with MCI, CCT showed improvements in verbal memory (SMD (95%CI) = 0.55 (0.35-0.74)), visual memory (0.36 (0.12-0.60)), and working memory (0.37 (0.10-0.64)). Supervised CCT showed improvements in verbal memory (0.72 (0.45-0.98)), visual memory (0.51 (0.22-0.79)), and working memory (0.33 (0.01-0.66)). Unsupervised CCT showed improvement in verbal memory (0.21 (0.04-0.38)) only. Among 371 participants with dementia, CCT showed improvement in verbal memory (0.64 (0.02-1.27)) only. Inconsistency due to heterogeneity (as indicated by I 2 values) is observed, which reduces our confidence in MCI outcomes to a moderate level and dementia outcomes to a low level. The results suggest that CCT is efficacious on various memory domains in individuals with MCI. Although the supervised approach showed greater effects, the unsupervised approach can improve verbal memory while allowing users to receive CCT at home without engaging as many healthcare resources.
Key findings
- The results suggest that CCT is efficacious on various memory domains in individuals with MCI.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Participants1,489
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 83/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 48 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 83 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (NPJ digital medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 1,489 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 38172429) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Points | 48 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 48 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 83 out of 100. |
| Total | 83 / 100 | — |
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APA 7th
Chan, A. T. C., Ip, R. T. F., Tran, J. Y. S., Chan, J. Y. C., & Tsoi, K. K. F. (2024). Computerized cognitive training for memory functions in mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. NPJ digital medicine. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-023-00987-5
Vancouver
Chan ATC, Ip RTF, Tran JYS, Chan JYC, Tsoi KKF. Computerized cognitive training for memory functions in mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. NPJ digital medicine. 2024. doi:10.1038/s41746-023-00987-5. PMID: 38172429.
BibTeX
@article{chan2024-38172429,
author = {Chan, A. T. C. and Ip, R. T. F. and Tran, J. Y. S. and Chan, J. Y. C. and Tsoi, K. K. F.},
title = {{Computerized cognitive training for memory functions in mild cognitive impairment or dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis}},
journal = {NPJ digital medicine},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1038/s41746-023-00987-5},
pmid = {38172429},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-023-00987-5}
}