Efficacy of MindAhead's Digital Behavioral Activation Therapy in Adults with MCI or Mild Dementia

MindAhead's Active app focuses on increasing meaningful and enjoyable cognitive, physical, and social activities specifically adapted to patients with early cognitive decline (MCI or mild dementia). These techniques include psychoeducation (explaining the rationale, the components of behavioral activation, and protective activities), action planning (selecting activities, goal setting, activity scheduling, graded task assignment, written schedules, and step-by-step sequencing) and action/self-monitoring (assessing execution of and enjoyment in activities, monitor mood and cognitive problems), as well as value-based activation (understanding most important values, selecting activities according to these values). This process aims to enable the users to understand which activities are enjoyable and meaningful to them and how to implement these activities into their daily lives. MindAhead's Active app consists of one to five sessions per week.

Depending on patient-specific clinical findings it includes antidementive medication (e.g., acetylcholinesterase inhibitors), advice on protective lifestyle factors, vitamin supplementation, ergotherapy, cognitive training (including digital health apps), or statins.