Preventive effects of an intergenerational program on age‐related hippocampal atrophy in older adults: The REPRINTS study

Sakurai, Ryota; Sakuma, Naoko; Yasunaga, Masashi; Suzuki, Hiroyuki; Murayama, Yoh; Nishi, Mariko; Uchida, Hatsuzo; Shinkai, Shoji; Fujiwara, Yoshinori

doi:10.1002/gps.4785

Cited by 22 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Experience Corps, an organization which places volunteers in elementary schools to assist teachers with literacy and library functions, has improved physical, cognitive, and social activity among older adults (Fried et al, 2004). Similarly, the REPRINTS (Research of Productivity by Intergenerational Sympathy) program, an intergenerational program that involves engaging older adults in reading picture books to kindergarten and elementary school students, have shown to bolster physical, cognitive, and social activity (Sakurai et al, 2018). These social engagements could help reduce risk of mortality caused by the co-existence of social isolation and homebound status.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-existence of social isolation and homebound status increase the risk of all-cause mortality

Sakurai

Yasunaga

Nishi

et al. 2018

Int. Psychogeriatr.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Co-existence of social isolation and homebound status increase the risk of all-cause mortality

Sakurai

Yasunaga

Nishi

et al. 2018

Int. Psychogeriatr.

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“…In the program examined in the current study, many participants joined volunteer groups after the intervention, volunteering to read picture books in their local communities, such as at nursery schools and elementary schools. The effects of volunteering have also been examined in older adults, and beneficial impacts have been reported in the suppression of hippocampal atrophy ( 39 ) as well as physical function and mental health ( 40 , 41 ). Because the effects of this type of volunteering in middle-aged people have not previously been examined, long-term effects including volunteer activities after completing the program, and its effects on mental health and physical function should be investigated in future studies.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Randomized Controlled Trial of the Picture Book Reading Program on Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged People

et al. 2021

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Background: To delay cognitive decline, it is important to engage actively in preventive activities from middle age (50–64 years of age). We have developed a cognitive intervention program using picture book reading, and demonstrated that it is effective for improving memory in older adults. However, the effect of the intervention on memory and other cognitive functions in middle-aged people has not been examined. The current study investigated the effects of the picture book reading program on cognitive function in middle-aged people.Methods: This single-blind (examiners were blinded) randomized controlled trial was conducted in Tokyo, Japan. A total of 65 participants were randomly assigned to the intervention group (IG) (n = 32), in which members attended 12 picture book reading classes held once a week, or the active control group (CG) (n = 33), in which members received lectures on health maintenance. Cognitive tests were conducted before and after the intervention. The primary outcome was memory, and the secondary outcomes were verbal function and executive function.Results: The results showed that there was no significant difference between the IG and the CG in change scores (post minus pre) for memory. On the other hand, there was a significant difference in change scores of the category fluency, which is a measure of verbal function, suggesting improvements in IG compared to CG. There were also no significant differences in executive function.Conclusions: The results indicated that our previous finding of an improvement in memory function in older adults was not found in middle-aged people. However, the findings suggest that the picture book reading program may affect lexical access ability in verbal function among middle-aged people. Because maintaining verbal function is important for daily communication, these findings suggest that this program may be a useful countermeasure for cognitive decline in middle-aged people.Clinical Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trial Registry, https://upload.umin.ac.jp/cgi-open-bin/ctr_e/ctr_view.cgi?recptno=R000048012, Identifier: UMIN 000042071

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“…Eleven of the included studies met all MMAT assessment criteria (Hong et al, 2018; Table 1), indicating highest quality methods and scientific rigour. The main weaknesses of the quantitative studies included: small sample size; lack of control group in 21 of the evaluated studies; and high drop-out/data exclusion rates of up to 49% (6-year study;Sakurai et al, 2018) or approximately 56% (7-year study; Sakurai et al, 2016; see also Supplementary Table 1). A relatively high drop-out was even observed in a one-week intervention (27%; Xu et al, 2016).…”

Section: Study Quality Evaluationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A systematic review of the impacts of intergenerational engagement on older adults’ cognitive, social, and health outcomes

Krzeczkowska

Spalding

McGeown

et al. 2021

Ageing Research Reviews

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Background. Promoting older adults' health and wellbeing via intergenerational engagement can help with the needs of an ageing population. This systematic review evaluated the impacts of intergenerational engagement on cognitive, social, and health outcomes in healthy older adults and older adults with mild cognitive impairment.Research Design and Methods: Comprehensive literature searches were undertaken, with records screened and filtered according to pre-registered criteria. Study quality was formally assessed, and a narrative synthesis produced from the extracted findings.Results: Forty-four studies were included in the review. Two out of five studies found significant intergenerational engagement effects on cognitive outcomes; 16 of 24 on social outcomes; and 21 of 30 on health-related outcomes. Only 11 studies fully met the criteria for high quality research, of which the majority (eight) focused on social outcomes.Discussion and Implications: This review has identified potential benefits of intergenerational engagement, most notably regarding anxiety, generativity, cross-age attitudes, and physical activity. However, only five included studies were randomised, controlled trials, therefore strong conclusions cannot yet be drawn. More research is required involving gold standard and comparable models, enabling wider implementation and generalisability, and randomised, controlled trials to provide the highest quality evidence.

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Preventive effects of an intergenerational program on age‐related hippocampal atrophy in older adults: The REPRINTS study

Cited by 22 publications

References 34 publications

Co-existence of social isolation and homebound status increase the risk of all-cause mortality

Co-existence of social isolation and homebound status increase the risk of all-cause mortality

Randomized Controlled Trial of the Picture Book Reading Program on Cognitive Function in Middle-Aged People

A systematic review of the impacts of intergenerational engagement on older adults’ cognitive, social, and health outcomes

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