Washington State University researchers recently received a $320,000 grant from the national Alzheimer's Association to test a new early intervention method for the treatment of mild cognitive impairments, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

The three-year study will combine two treatment methods developed and adapted by the study's two co-investigators Maureen Schmitter-Edgecomb, a professor of psychology at WSU's Pullman campus, and Dennis Dyck, a professor of psychology at WSU Spokane.

Schmitter-Edgecomb says the grant-funded study will merge a cognitive therapy method she developed with what's called multifamily group treatment. She says the therapy she created involves the use of a "memory notebook" to prompt individuals to recall daily activities they've performed or events they need to remember in the future. Dyck has adapted the multifamily method from other cognitive rehabilitation therapies, including those used to treat traumatic brain injuries, to also treat mild memory loss.

Schmitter-Edgecomb says that throughout the study, about 40 patient-caregiver pairs will be evaluated and observed as they participate in memory and problem solving activities. The pairs, consisting of the memory-impaired patients and either a family member or spouse, will meet twice a week in group settings of five to seven pairs for 10 consecutive weeks, Schmitter-Edgecomb says. The group studies are planned for Spokane, the Pullman-Moscow area, and possibly the Lewiston-Clarkston area.

"We're blending the two intervention methods and working with the families because it will be synergistic and improve the relationship between the pair and the quality of life for them, and lead to independence of the person with difficulties," she says. "During that time, we'll teach the groups strategies to assist them with memory difficulties in their everyday lives. Through the use of the memory notebook, they'll work on problem-solving skills and have the social support through the group by working together throughout the 10 weeks."

Schmitter-Edgecomb says participants will use the memory notebook to record past activities or events, "so if they can't remember things they did the day before, or there's any information they want to remember in the future, they can look in the notebook and see that information."

One of the study's focuses in working with a cognitively impaired person and his or her caregiver is to strengthen or share strategies that a pair already may have been using at home that could benefit other group members, she says.

The study also will encourage and promote healthy behaviors among the pairs, including regular exercise and healthy living habits, because, "It's important to try and make any changes to their overall health if they have some kind of progressive dementia, because it helps that progression occur more slowly," Schmitter-Edgecomb says.

She says after the 10 weeks of biweekly sessions are over, the group's paired teams will meet once a month for a year for follow-up sessions to monitor their progress. Cognitive testing will take place before and after the 10 weeks of sessions are complete to determine its effectiveness, she says.

The study is seeking participants over the age of 50 who are in the earliest stages of memory difficulties that aren't associated with normal aging changes, she says.

"If they already have the diagnosis of dementia, by that point typically they won't have the cognitive skills to acquire and learn the notebook," she says. "These skills have to be taught early on so they can be developed and the person can use the skills longer during the disease's progression."

The study is free for participants, and each pair will receive a $200 honorarium for their participation, she says.

Schmitter-Edgecomb says one result of the study she hopes to see is the compilation of a clinical manual that health-care providers could use in the treatment of patients with mild cognitive impairment.

"The goal of the study is to increase the quality of life for an individual with memory impairment and their spouse or family members, and also to increase the period of functional independence before the person needs more assistance," she says. "All of those things will also help in decreasing the cost of care to society. One of the things we're also trying to do is focus on the person's family members because we know as care giving needs grow, it causes stress on the caregiver that can have negative impacts on their health, too."

Schmitter-Edgecomb says she's been researching mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, and dementia for about five years at WSU, including through another study that seeks to develop smart-technology home environments to keep memory-impaired persons in their homes for a longer period of time.

The Alzheimer's Association, based in Chicago, supports Alzheimer's research and care.