[P4–026]: BIOLOGICAL FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE RESPONSE TO COGNITIVE TRAINING IN MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT

In mild cognitive impairment (MCI), small benefits from cognitive training was observed for memory functions but there appears to be great variability in the response to treatment. Our study aimed to improve the characterization and selection of those participants who might benefit from cognitive intervention. We evaluated the predictive value of MRI- and gene-based biological factors for the outcome after cognitive training in MCI (n=25) and also considered motivation of the participants. We did not include an active control group but compared the results of our study to a local sample of MCI patients (n=20) who did not receive cognitive training. Episodic memory was used as a primary target for the intervention, but transfer effects were examined, too. Verbal episodic memory remained stable after cognitive intervention. The effect transferred to other cognitive tasks and maintained 12 months later. In contrast, in MCI patients who did not receive cognitive training, episodic memory significantly decreased over 12 months. A larger left entorhinal cortex predicted more improvement in episodic memory after cognitive intervention and so did higher levels of motivation. Bootstrapping with resampling (n=1000) verified the stability of this key finding. Adding MRI-based biological factors significantly improved the prediction of training-related change compared to a model based simply on age and baseline performance. Cognitive training can stabilize episodic memory in MCI and transfers to other cognitive functions. When extended to alternative treatment options, stratification based on biological factors is a useful step towards individualised medicine.