Participants and inclusion/exclusion criteria
deafness, cognitive impairment, neurological impairment, MCI, visual impairment, somatic disease, dementia, word of mouth, cognitive decline, substance abuse, congenital cognitive impairment or disability
RECRUITMENT
Recruitment was conducted regionally via flyers, social media, email, physician referral, and word of mouth. Inclusion criteria included the following: age≥45 years; cognitive impairment, as demonstrated by a Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) of 12–23; ability to independently make decisions or have a legal Health Care Proxy; ability to safely travel to clinical site for Informed Consent and Formal Eligibility screening, Baseline study visit, then once per month for a duration of six months, and a twelve-month follow-up visit (nine trips to clinical site); ability to wear a wrist-worn activity tracker and keep it regularly charged; a high school diploma or equivalent; ability to communicate via email; ability to independently fill out a computer-administered questionnaire; willingness to adhere to a treatment plan, to complete computer based tests, to undergo brain wave testing by electroencephalogram, and to undergo a finger prick for a blood test at each study visit; and approved to be eligible for study participation at the discretion of the Clinical Investigator, after review of the Formal Eligibility Screen results.Exclusion criteria included the following: MoCA score > 23 or < 12; inability to read and write in English; a visual impairment that would prevent reading a computer screen; full deafness; congenital cognitive impairment or disability; alcohol or substance abuse; serious somatic disease, acute onset of cognitive decline, or rapid neurological impairment; inability to bring an affiliate to the informed consent consultation; current use of narcotics and/or marijuana, or use during the study period; and previous or ongoing treatment for MCI or dementia with the protocol used here or a very similar approach. Medications and supplements prescribed and taken outside of the study were tracked for the duration of study participation.