Preventing Cognitive Decline in African Americans With Mild Cognitive Impairment

The goal of this study is to determine whether increasing participation in activities prevents cognitive decline in older African Americans with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). We will attempt to increase activities with Behavioral Activation (BA). BA is a manual-based, behavioral treatment to increase activities as a way to improve function and mood. As patients do more (through activation) and perceive the benefit (i.e., feel better), their activity levels increase. BA promotes activities that reflect an individual's preferences and goals by structuring, scheduling, and reinforcing daily activities. This increases participation in activities with strong personal value, such as social engagement or normative role function, which in turn enhances mood and motivation to remain active.

The control treatment is Supportive Therapy, which is a non-directive, supportive therapy that is based on empathy, reflection, and support.

This study is specifically targeting older African Americans (AAs). Most clinical trials for MCI have tested pharmacologic treatments and have enrolled mostly Whites; their results may not apply to AAs whose life experiences and medical and genetic characteristics may exert unique effects. Those with MCI are a high-risk population for whom interventions to prevent cognitive decline are particularly important. Because AAs comprise one of the largest minority groups in the U.S., suffer disparities in health outcomes, and are unlikely to seek pharmacologic treatments or participate in clinical drug trials, there is an urgent need to enroll older AAs in non-pharmacologic intervention studies of cognition.

We will recruit 200 AA subjects aged 65 and older who have amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) - Multiple Domain subtype of MCI (aMCI-MD). One of the inclusion criteria is for participants to have a Knowledgeable Informant (KI) who is willing to participate in the study (with the subject's permission as documented in the informed consent form). A KI is defined as a family member or friend who is identified by the subject as someone who has regular and frequent contact with the subject (at least twice per week) in-person or by phone. The KI will be asked to provide information regarding the subject's functioning.

Inclusion criteria

• Age 65 years and older
• Having a friend/relative willing to serve as a Knowledgeable Informant (KI)
• Diagnosis of aMCI-MD
• Self-identified as African American

Exclusion criteria

• Psychiatric diagnosis, including dementia and major depression
• Sensory deficits that preclude neuropsychological testing
• Institutional residence
• Reduced life expectancy due to known terminal illness