Brain-IT: Targeting the Brain using Information Technology for Secondary Prevention of mild Neurocognitive Disorder
dc.contributor.author
Manser, Patrick
dc.contributor.supervisor
De Bock, Katrien
dc.contributor.supervisor
de Bruin, Eling
dc.contributor.supervisor
Temprado, Jean-Jacques
dc.date.accessioned
2024-06-04T12:10:08Z
dc.date.available
2024-06-04T09:59:18Z
dc.date.available
2024-06-04T12:10:08Z
dc.date.issued
2024
dc.identifier.uri
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/676597
dc.identifier.doi
10.3929/ethz-b-000676597
dc.description.abstract
Introduction: Effective interventions to mitigate one of the key challenges for aging societies, neurocognitive disorders, are urgently needed. A collaborative international guideline recently recommended physical exercise (PE) for secondary prevention of mild neurocognitive disorder (mNCD). Physical exercises that integrate cognitive exercises and are combined with resonance breathing guided by heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) target various relevant mechanisms of action to alleviate the pathological state in mNCD. However, this novel intervention approach has not yet been investigated.
Methods: We systematically designed, developed, and evaluated a novel training concept (called ‘Brain-IT’) specifically for older adults with mNCD that implements this novel intervention approach. The projects’ methodology followed the guidelines of the Medical Research Council for the development and evaluation of complex interventions as well as the Multidisciplinary Iterative Design of Exergames (MIDE) - Framework. Primary end users (individuals with mNCD), secondary end users (physiotherapists, occupational therapists, healthcare professionals), exergaming researchers, as well as experts from the exergaming industry were continuously involved to facilitate the acceptance and transfer of the resulting training concept into clinical practice.
Results: In the first phase of the project, we successfully determined a set of design requirements for the 'Brain-IT' training concept in collaboration with 10 experts and 8 individuals with mNCD. This set of design requirements formed the basis for phase 2, where a first prototype of the 'Brain-IT' training concept was co-designed and developed. We iteratively tested and refined this prototype until we achieved an "acceptable" (= feasible, usable, safe, and well accepted) solution. In the final randomized controlled trial (RCT), we observed statistically significant effects with large effect sizes for global cognitive performance, immediate verbal recall, and delayed verbal recall in favor of the intervention group. 55 % of participants showed a clinically relevant improvement in global cognitive functioning in response to training. The remaining (underpowered) statistical analyses revealed no significant effects, but favorable changes in descriptive statistics with small to moderate effects in favor of the intervention group, particularly with regards to quality of life.
Conclusion: Our rigorous methodological approach resulted in a user-centered, personalized, and highly innovative training concept. Notably, we revealed, to the best of our knowledge, as the first research team, that this novel intervention approach of combining exergame training with biofeedback-guided resonance breathing is not only safe, feasible, and highly accepted by individuals with mNCD, but also highly effective in improving cognitive performance. Confirmatory RCTs are warranted to (i) be able to conclude about potential near- and far-transfer effects of the training; (ii) investigate whether the observed improvements in cognitive performance translate to affecting the rates of progression to or onset of dementia; (iii) test the implementation of the training in clinical practice; and (iv) elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms of action.
en_US
dc.format
application/pdf
en_US
dc.language.iso
en
en_US
dc.publisher
ETH Zurich
en_US
dc.rights.uri
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject
Cognition
en_US
dc.subject
Cognitive impairment
en_US
dc.subject
Effectiveness
en_US
dc.subject
eHealth
en_US
dc.subject
Exercise
en_US
dc.subject
Exergame
en_US
dc.subject
Neuroplasticity
en_US
dc.subject
Neurosciences
en_US
dc.subject
Technology
en_US
dc.subject
Training
en_US
dc.title
Brain-IT: Targeting the Brain using Information Technology for Secondary Prevention of mild Neurocognitive Disorder
en_US
dc.type
Doctoral Thesis
dc.rights.license
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
dc.date.published
2024-06-04
ethz.size
256 p.
en_US
ethz.code.ddc
DDC - DDC::6 - Technology, medicine and applied sciences::610 - Medical sciences, medicine
en_US
ethz.identifier.diss
30148
en_US
ethz.publication.place
Zurich
en_US
ethz.publication.status
published
en_US
ethz.leitzahl
ETH Zürich::00002 - ETH Zürich::00012 - Lehre und Forschung::00007 - Departemente::02070 - Dep. Gesundheitswiss. und Technologie / Dep. of Health Sciences and Technology::02535 - Institut für Bewegungswiss. und Sport / Institut of Human Movement Sc. and Sport::09560 - De Bock, Katrien / De Bock, Katrien::08758 - Trainingslehre / E. de Bruin
en_US
ethz.relation.cites
10.3929/ethz-b-000675923
ethz.relation.cites
10.3929/ethz-b-000632922
ethz.relation.cites
10.3929/ethz-b-000593679
ethz.relation.cites
10.3929/ethz-b-000523744
ethz.date.deposited
2024-06-04T09:59:18Z
ethz.source
FORM
ethz.eth
yes
en_US
ethz.availability
Open access
en_US
ethz.rosetta.installDate
2024-06-04T12:10:20Z
ethz.rosetta.lastUpdated
2024-06-04T12:10:20Z
ethz.rosetta.exportRequired
true
ethz.rosetta.versionExported
true
ethz.COinS
ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.atitle=Brain-IT:%20Targeting%20the%20Brain%20using%20Information%20Technology%20for%20Secondary%20Prevention%20of%20mild%20Neurocognitive%20Disorder&rft.date=2024&rft.au=Manser,%20Patrick&rft.genre=unknown&rft.btitle=Brain-IT:%20Targeting%20the%20Brain%20using%20Information%20Technology%20for%20Secondary%20Prevention%20of%20mild%20Neurocognitive%20Disorder
Files in this item
Publication type
-
Doctoral Thesis [30089]