BrainProtect® - A cognitive training program with nutritional and physical counseling components: a retrospective analysis of its effects in healthy individuals

• Main Authors: Julia Maria Falkenreck, Mandy Roheger, Hannah Weigert, Andrea Friese, Petra Jahr, Ingrid Becker, Gereon Nelles, Elke Kalbe, Maria Cristina Polidori
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: PAGEPress Publications 2020-11-01
• Series: Geriatric Care
• Subjects: Cognitive training; prevention; cognitive integrity; healthy ageing.
• Online Access: https://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/gc/article/view/9328

Cognitive integrity has a multifactorial basis and is essential for quality of life and wellbeing. Several lifestyle programs including those using cognitive training have been developed in the past recent years to preserve cognitive health, but there is still debate about the most effective strategy to be used. We retrospectively analyzed data from 289 healthy participants of the BrainProtect® cognitive training program, developed by the German Association for Memory Training (Bundesverband Gedächtnistraining e.V.). Eight weekly 90- minute sessions of cognitive exercises were holistically structured to include physical exercises and nutrition counseling basing upon social interaction. The large majority (79.9%) of the participants showed improved cognitive scores after the intervention with respect to the baseline, with more than 10/69 points gained. Almost 60% felt their cognitive efficiency increased and an average increase in all cognitive domain explored could be observed. This retrospective analysis of preliminary data suggests that BrainProtect® might improve mental fitness after 8 weeks of multidomain cognition-centered training. These encouraging results need to be confirmed in further randomized studies.