Symposium

Cross-Cutting

Clinical Practice (assessment, diagnosis, treatment, knowledge translation/EBP, implementation science, program development)

Geriatric Rehabilitation

Measurement

Military and Veterans Affairs

Neurodegenerative Disease (e.g. MS, Parkinson's disease)

Cognitive Capacity, Neural Targets and Cognitive Rehabilitation in Older Adults with Neurodegenerative Conditions (843264)

Presenter(s)

• 

  Sandra L. Kletzel, PhD

  Clinical Research Scientist
  Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital
  Hines, Illinois

  Presentation Slides
• 

  Pallavi Sood, PT, PhD

  Research Assistant
  University of Florida
  Gainesville, Florida
• 

  Melike Kahya, PT, PhD

  Postdoctoral Fellow
  Marcus Institute for Aging Research
• 

  Ahmed Negm, MD, MSc, PhD

  Postdoctoral fellow
  University of Alberta
  Edmonton, Alberta
• 

  Shilpa Krishnan, PT, PhD

  Assistant Professor
  Emory University
  Atlanta, Georgia

Non-presenting Author(s)

• 

  Patricia C. Heyn, PhD, FGSA, FACRM

  Associate Professor
  University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  Arvada, Colorado
• 

  Hannes Devos, Ph.D.

  Associate Professor
  University of Kansas Medical Center
  Kansas City, Kansas

We present data from a study investigating neurophysiological changes, indexed by pupillary response, during dual task balance between PD fallers, PD non-fallers, and healthy controls. Second, we present an on-going study examining feasibility of an at-home cognitive rehabilitation program for Veterans living with PD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). The intervention includes computerized cognitive training (CCT – play a set of executive function training games on an iPad for 16 hours over 8 weeks) and Prospective implementation intentions strategies, which is based on patient-centered goal setting and training prospective memory using encoding strategies. Finally, members from the Measurement Networking Group -Applied Cognition Geriatric task force present data from their systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of brain gaming in older adults with MCI or dementia of the Alzheimer’s disease type.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the potential utility of pupillary responses in predicting falls in a person with Parkinson's disease.
• Explain the potential utility of prospective implementation intentions strategies in cognitive rehabilitation for people living with Parkinson's disease.
• Describe the limitations to understanding whether brain gaming is ineffective in improving cognitive function in people with mild cognitive impairment or Alzheimer’s disease dementia.