Evaluating Brain food groups for memory service clients

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Evaluating the effect of Brain food groups on people with Mild Cognitive Impairment and mild dementia: a preliminary mixed methodology study

  • IRAS ID

    213861

  • Contact name

    Claudia Cooper

  • Contact email

    claudia.cooper@ucl.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    UCL

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 2 months, 31 days

  • Research summary

    People with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia who eat a healthier diet, exercise more, look after their physical health and are socially more connected experience better mental health and less cognitive decline. In 2013, we developed Brainfood, a 5 session group programme for clients in Camden memory service newly diagnosed with MCI or mild dementia. We believe these groups are the first such lifestyle intervention designed for people with cognitive impairment offered within the NHS. Participants have enjoyed the groups and found them helpful. North East London Foundation Trust plan to start the groups too. This is a preliminary study to evaluate whether the groups are effective at encouraging a healthier lifestyle and whether they improve the mental health and life quality of participants. We will ask 32 clients attending the groups to complete questionnaires before the groups start, after the 5 group intervention is complete and 2 months later. These will include measures of depression and life quality, and questions to record diet, exercise and alcohol intake. After the group we will also ask questions about how they experienced it. We will record how many of the groups people invited to Brainfood attend. We will also ask their consent to obtain cognitive scores and diagnosis from their medical notes. We are only asking for ethics approval for clients to complete outcomes as the groups are offered as part of routine care. We will only include clients with capacity to decide whether they want to take part; if a potential participant is thought to lack capacity we will not ask them to take part but they can still attend the groups. Clients eligible to attend the groups may do so irrespective of whether they agree to take part in the study.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Sheffield Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    16/YH/0456

  • Date of REC Opinion

    1 Nov 2016

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion