All the news surrounding smartphones – outside of the features that Apple and Samsung brag about with every year’s new release – seems to be bad. There’s research that spells out the threat it presents to our kids, driving up anxiety and depression risks. There’s data that explores the dangers of smartphone addiction. And some patients have even admitted to using their smartphones to circumvent dietary restrictions.
But now there’s a surprising bit of good news about our digital best friends.
A six-month digital brain-health program (delivered through a simple smartphone app) boosted cognitive performance among older adults who were already at high risk for dementia. Researchers discovered that the intervention also eased feelings of loneliness.
The results of the new randomized clinical trial appear this week in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.
Simply put, the Chinese study hints that scalable, app-based interventions could offer a pragmatic way to support cognitive health in aging populations, especially where in-person access to care is a challenge.
A Novel (Digital) Approach to Dementia Care
In the new trial, researchers tested a digital, multi-domain cognitive intervention designed for older adults at high risk of dementia. Scientists built the program as a WeChat applet, incorporating cognitive training, physical activity, health education, social engagement, and self-monitoring into a single, integrated system.
“Our goal was to test whether a fully digital, multidomain intervention could meaningfully improve cognitive and psychosocial outcomes in high-risk older adults living in the community,” the authors wrote.
Methodology
The researchers enrolled 166 elderly adults (60 and older) who scored in the top 20% of dementia risk. The team assessed that risk by relying on a modified dementia risk score that factored in the participant’s age, education level, vascular risk factors, physical activity, and depression. The researchers then randomly assigned participants to either the six-month digital intervention or to a control group.
The intervention group used the app several times a week. Cognitive training exercises targeted memory, attention, executive function, and visuospatial skills. Physical activity modules included aerobic exercise, resistance training, balance work, and traditional practices such as Tai Chi. Weekly health-education content focused on dementia risk and prevention. Finally, social-interaction features encouraged participants to share creative work and engage with peers.
The team then assessed cognitive performance, psychosocial well-being, mobility, and health-promoting behaviors at baseline and again after six months.
Modest (But Meaningful) Gains
Of the 166 participants enrolled, 154 completed the study. Compared with the control group, those who used the digital intervention showed statistically significant improvements in global cognitive function, as measured by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.
They also displayed gains in visuospatial memory (including immediate and delayed recall) on the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test.
In addition to cognitive benefits, participants in the intervention group reported a meaningful drop in loneliness. Other outcomes, including language, executive function, physical mobility, depression, anxiety, and quality of life, tended to improve or remain stable in the intervention group. Even so, they didn’t appear to vary much from the control group.
Who Benefited Most? And Least?
But results varied. Subgroup analyses suggested that the intervention didn’t affect everyone in the same way.
The researchers documented greater cognitive and psychosocial benefits among the more active, socially engaged participants. Nondrinkers and nonsmokers also reaped greater benefits. And those living without major chronic conditions also tended to respond better.
It’s also worth noting that participants with non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment appeared to benefit more than those with amnestic forms.
The researchers also looked closely at the adherence data that the app captured automatically. While overall adherence didn’t predict outcomes, greater engagement with specific components drove improvements in certain cognitive and functional metrics.
Aside from cognitive findings, this research makes a strong case for the potential benefits of digital delivery. Nearly 70 of the 83 participants assigned to the intervention met criteria for high adherence, a level of engagement the authors attribute to the app’s accessibility, age-friendly design, and integration into a familiar social platform. And because the program didn’t require face-to-face sessions, it could be easier to scale and adapt for broader public-health use..
What’s Next?
The results add to mounting evidence that multi-domain, lifestyle-based interventions – delivered digitally – can help play an important role in the preservation of cognitive health.
All told, the findings suggest that well-designed digital programs might just offer a feasible, low-cost supplement to legacy dementia-prevention strategies. They also underscore the need for larger, longer trials. And that’s because it’s crucial to find out if these benefits are sustainable long term. And whether that can translate into lower overall dementia rates.
Further Reading
US Dementia Cases Will Double By 2060
Could Smartphones Transform How We Diagnose Mental Health?
Cognitive Decline Threatens Financial Stability of Older Americans
