A review of multidomain interventions to support healthy cognitive ageing.

OBJECTIVE

The risk for cognitive decline and for developing Alzheimer's disease increases with age. The aetiology is assumed to be of multi-factorial origin, and treatment opportunities are lacking. Despite the multi-factorial origin, many intervention studies focused on single factors to influence cognitive health with inconsistent findings. In this view, more and more intervention studies aim to intervene on multiple factors simultaneously to affect or slow down cognitive decline. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of these multidomain intervention trials.

METHODS

We conducted a non-systematic literature search in Medline, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and clinical trials databases up to October 2011 to review multidomain interventions that investigated effects of combined lifestyle-related factors on cognitive decline and the progression of dementia.

RESULTS

Interest in multidomain interventions increased over the past years. We identified six completed and published trials and eight ongoing or not yet published studies that investigated effects on cognitive outcomes. First completed trials yielded promising results for the combination of exercise and mental training and diet and behavioural weight management. Results of ongoing multidomain trials are awaited.

CONCLUSIONS

Some evidence suggests that strategies which target multiple factors simultaneously may prove more effective than those focusing on a single mechanism or domain. Larger high-quality randomized controlled trials are required to systematically investigate the cognitive effect of programs comprising physical and mental activity as well as nutritional aspects.