A comprehensive program of cognitive stimulation with digital inclusion, physical activity and social interaction can modify BDNF levels and improve cognition in adults over 50: a randomized controlled pilot study

Abstract

Objectives

To analyze the effect of a comprehensive program of cognitive stimulation with digital inclusion, physical activity and social interaction, called "Oficina da Lembrança" (OL), on the cognitive status and concentration of biomarkers of neuroplasticity, neurodegeneration in adults aged 50 years and over attending a Memory Clinic.

Methods

In this pilot randomized controlled study, 64 patients without dementia aged 45 to 79 years, seen at a University Memory Clinic in Southern Brazil, were randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. The intervention consisted of participation in OL for 12 weeks. Serum biomarkers (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], S100β, and neuron-specific enolase [NSE]) and cognitive status were analyzed as primary and secondary outcomes. The Wilcoxon test and Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) were applied.

Results

Of the 64 patients invited to participate in the study, 33 (intervention: 17, control: 16) completed the study with all data. Improvement of cognitive status was significant in the intervention group (22.6 to 24.5) but not in the control group (20.1 to 21.1). There was a significant reduction of BDNF in OL participants, but no significant change was observed in the neurodegenerative biomarkers S100β or NSE. The concentration of BDNF decreased significantly post-OL in the intervention group (-288.1, 95%CI −362.1 to −94.1), even after adjusting for sex, age, and educational level. Cognitive status was significantly improved in OL participants.

Conclusion

The OL program improved cognitive status, reduced serum BDNF levels, and empowered digitally excluded older adults. There was no effect of this intervention on S100β or NSE.

Clinical trial registration

This study has a Universal Trial Number (UTN) U1111-1195-2642 and was registered in the Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry (ReBEC), number RBR-38X665.

Keywords:

• Cognitive stimulation
• biomarkers
• neuroplasticity
• digital inclusion

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Debora Pacheco Bombazaro, Renan Costa Brito, Rozelaine Maria Ziemann and Letícia Siqueira and the students who assisted in the Oficina da Lembrança Project at the University of Southern Santa Catarina (UNISUL). Special thanks to Suzane Garcia de Steffani and the team at the Palhoça Municipal Polyclinic of the Medicine Course at the University of Southern Santa Catarina. Special thanks to Daiana Salm and researchers from the Experimental Neuroscience Laboratory (LaNex) at the University of Southern Santa Catarina.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by FAPESC - Santa Catarina State Foundation for Research Support (grant number FAPESC2016TR2259).