CE Workshop 08: Theory and Practice in the Design and Evaluation of Cognition-Oriented Treatments in Aging and Dementia
Alex Bahar-Fuchs
Associate Professor, Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age, Department of Psychiatry
The University of Melbourne
Credit Hours: 1.5
Level of Instruction: Intermediate
CE Workshop 08: Theory and Practice in the Design and Evaluation of Cognition-Oriented Treatments in Aging and Dementia
Abstract & Learning Objectives:
Cognition-Oriented Treatments (COTs) such as cognitive training and rehabilitation are increasingly recognized for their potential benefits for older people at risk of or with dementia, as well as for people with other conditions. An effective and well-informed use of such approaches depends on researchers and clinicians developing a careful understanding of key theoretical assumptions and of practical considerations. The workshop will provide participants with background theory and practical knowledge related to the application of COTs in research and practice, including review of the evidence, and demonstration of key principles in designing and delivering person-centered interventions likely to result in clinically meaningful outcomes. After attending this workshop, participants will be able to summarize the basic assumptions and techniques associated with different COTs, recognize important person and intervention-related factors likely to moderate treatment response, and able to apply those in designing COTs in research and clinical practice.
Upon conclusion of this course, learners will be able to:
1. Summarize basic theoretical assumptions and key techniques underpinning cognition-oriented treatments
2. Recognize key person-related and intervention-related factors moderating response to cognition-oriented treatments
3. Design appropriate clinical trials to evaluate cognition-oriented treatments
Speaker Biography:
Dr. Alex Bahar-Fuchs is a researcher and clinical neuropsychologist specializing in the field of cognitive ageing, and the co-leader of the CITE research group in the Department of Psychiatry, the University of Melbourne. He trained at Ben-Gurion University in Israel, as well as at the University of Melbourne, Monash University and the Australian National University. Alex’s earlier research focused on early detection of cognitive decline and dementia, with a particular focus on the role of olfactory processes. Over the past decade however, his research has mainly focused on the development, evaluation and synthesis of non-pharmacological interventions aimed at primary and secondary prevention of cognitive decline and dementia. His work on cognition-oriented treatments for people with or at risk of dementia has had far reaching impact, including on clinical practice guidelines in Australia and in the UK. His work has been funded by the Australian NHMRC, Dementia Australia, the Alzheimer’s Association, and the NIH. In January 2017, Alex Joined the Academic Unit for Psychiatry of Old Age at the University of Melbourne and he continues working as a clinician in private practice. He is the founder of the CIDER International Working Group on cognitive interventions in ageing and dementia, and between 2016 and 2019 he served as the Chair of the nonpharmacological interventions PIA of ISTAART.