Targeting Cognitive Decline in Blacks with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Blacks have a high prevalence of Alzheimer disease and related dementias, and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) can be a transitional state towards dementia.

Now, researchers have conducted a single-center, randomized trial to determine whether behavioral activation prevents cognitive and functional decline in 221 black individuals with amnestic MCI (mean age, 75.8 years; 79% women) recruited from community settings in Philadelphia.

Behavioral activation included goal-setting techniques and reminders to increase cognitive, physical, and social activities, whereas supportive treatment mainly involved social interaction. Participants in both groups attended 9 or 10 one-hour sessions facilitated by community healthcare workers. Memory performance …