Cognitive Intervention Working Group

The ADNeT-Memory Clinics Cognitive Interventions Working Party and Pilot Project

The ADNeT-Memory Clinics Cognitive Interventions Working Party was formed in late 2021 with the purpose of advancing the implementation of cognitive interventions for older adults in Australian Memory and Cognition Clinics.

An increasing number of high-quality evidence shows that cognitive interventions (e.g. LaTCH Memory Group Program, see here for more information) can produce benefits for cognition and general wellbeing in older adults, including those with or at risk of dementia. Unfortunately, these interventions are not routinely offered in Memory and Cognition Clinics. Apart from limited financial and human resources, clinicians also cite a lack of clinician training and confidence as barriers to offering cognitive interventions routinely. To address this, the Working Party decided to adopt a structured approach to implementation to address this gap between research and practice and will conduct a pilot feasibility study to implement cognitive intervention in Australian Memory and Cognition Clinics. This study will comprise:

a) a cognitive intervention clinician training toolkit and a one-day training workshop to up-skill and support clinicians in delivering a variety of intervention techniques to suit various client presentations/needs, and

b) evaluation of how these interventions are implemented within participating Memory and Cognition Clinics (6-month initial implementation period and 12-month follow-up).

The study is aiming to recruit 1-2 Memory and Cognition Clinics per state, with multiple clinicians per clinic where possible.

Are you interested to learn more about the project and training opportunities?

Please contact Ms Alessandra Lee, Project Coordinator (email: alessandra.lee@sydney.edu.au) with any questions you may have. If you are not sure that your clinic would be suitable to participate but are interested in obtaining training to deliver cognitive interventions, please reach out to register your interest as we are eager to evaluate interest and consider other programs that could be developed for this purpose.

Project details

The members of the Working Party include researchers and clinical neuropsychologists that have expertise in cognitive interventions.

Members	Role	Affiliation and location
Professor Sharon Naismith	Convenor	NHMRC Leadership II Fellow & Lead, Australian Dementia Network Memory Clinics Initiative, University of Sydney
Associate Professor Alex Bahar-Fuchs	Co-chair	NHMRC Boosting Dementia Leadership Principal Fellow, University of Melbourne and Clinical Neuropsychologist
Dr Loren Mowszowski	Co-chair	NHMRC-ARC Dementia Fellow, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney
Associate Professor Kerryn Pike	Expert Member	Clinical Neuropsychologist, Griffith University
Dr Amit Lampit	Expert Member	Senior Research Fellow, University of Melbourne
Professor Belinda Goodenough	Expert Member	Dementia Training Australia
Ms Alessandra Lee	PhD Student	Ms Alessandra Lee is conducting this study as the basis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Science) at the University of Sydney
Dr Adam Bentvelzen	ADNeT Support	Research Fellow and Clinical Neuropsychologist, University of New South Wales
Dr Inga Mehrani	ADNeT Support	ADNeT-MC National Program Manager, University of New South Wales

Funding support: This study was supported by the Australian Dementia Network, funded by the NHMRC National Institute for Dementia Research–Boosting Dementia Grant (grant number: APP1152623). $101,831, for 1 year (1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023).