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A growing body of research suggests that older adults in assisted living facilities can delay or even prevent cognitive decline through multidomain interventions. These interventions combine various activities such as improving diet, solving puzzles, and increasing social interactions.
Smartphone-based applications delivering cognitive exercises and social engagement tools have emerged as promising methods for slowing cognitive decline. One such intervention is the Silvia Program, a free cognitive healthcare lifestyle app offering one-on-one coaching from a clinical psychologist, cognitive exercises, personalized routine suggestions, and a voice analysis tool capable of detecting dementia symptoms.
Until recently, the impact of the Silvia Program on cognitive decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment had not been widely studied. To explore this, researchers Junhyoung “Paul” Kim, Ph.D., and Marcia Ory, Ph.D., from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health, along with Yongseop Kim, Ph.D., from the University of Utah, and two representatives from Silvia Health, Inc., conducted a pilot study in an assisted living facility in Indiana. Their findings were published in Public Health and Practice.
“We evaluated the Silvia Program’s overall efficacy on cognitive functioning in residents, while also examining whether age or gender influenced outcomes,” Kim stated. “Many assisted living facility residents face challenges such as social isolation and limited access to healthcare, which can exacerbate cognitive decline. Tools like the Silvia Program could provide valuable support.”
The study recruited 20 residents with mild cognitive impairment, dividing them into two groups: 10 participants received the Silvia intervention, while 10 served as a control group with no intervention. The participants’ average age was 78 years, and both groups had similar male-to-female ratios. However, educational levels varied, with a higher number of control group participants having less than a high school education.
The Silvia Program intervention included daily goal-setting, cognitive training through 15 personalized programs, and monitoring of nutrition, activity, and sleep patterns. It also featured a home-based aerobic and resistance exercise program with step-by-step visual guides. Cognitive training sessions were held three times per week for 12 weeks, with physical exercises conducted twice per week.
“Participants engaged in individualized, AI-generated conversations about their activities, including task difficulty, time spent, and cognitive exercise scores,” Kim explained.
Baseline cognitive assessments showed no significant difference between the two groups. However, after 12 weeks, the Montreal Cognitive Assessment and other statistical analyses revealed that the Silvia group demonstrated significant cognitive improvement (p = 0.04), while the control group experienced a nonsignificant decline (p = 0.49). The intervention group also showed improvements in visuospatial/executive function, language, delayed recall, and orientation scores, though attention scores decreased and naming and abstraction scores remained unchanged.
“Our study demonstrates that customized, mobile multidomain programs can benefit older adults experiencing mild cognitive decline,” Kim concluded. “The potential for even greater outcomes as these programs are refined and expanded is immense.”
Disclaimer:
This article summarizes recent research on the Silvia Program and its effects on cognitive health in older adults. While the findings suggest promising outcomes, further large-scale studies are necessary to validate these results. Individuals should consult healthcare professionals before adopting any cognitive training interventions.
