image: Dr. DeLuca, a neuropsychologist, is senior VP for Research & Training at Kessler Foundation. view more
Credit: Kessler Foundation
West Orange, NJ. December 31, 2013. Kessler Foundation has been awarded a new grant by the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society for a pilot study of memory and learning difficulties in individuals with MS. Scientists will test the effectiveness of using of self-generated learning in a treatment intervention to improve memory and functional performance. Yael Goverover, PhD, visiting scientist in Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research, is the study's principal investigator. Dr. Goverover, an associate professor at New York University, will work with John DeLuca, PhD, the Foundation's senior VP for Research & Training. They will test the efficacy of self-generated learning in individuals with MS who have memory and learning difficulties and in controls. The total pilot award for the one-year grant is $42,185.
"Past research has shown that items that are "self-generated" by an individual, such as words or concepts, are remembered better than items that are simply read or heard," said Dr. DeLuca. The aim of the clinical trial to demonstrate the effects of learning to use a self-generation strategy as a treatment intervention to improve performance of both laboratory tasks (e.g. words and concepts) as well as functional tasks (e.g. activities of daily living). Forty persons with MS with memory impairment, age 18 to 65, will be recruited. Half will receive self-generation training while learning different types of tasks (experimental group) and half (control group) will be asked to learn the same information using more conventional methods (e.g. repetitions).
"Self-generated learning is geared toward helping patients self-discover their own strengths and abilities while learning to use principles of self-generation independently in everyday life situations," noted Dr. DeLuca. "We anticipate that participants undergoing the self-generation-training intervention will show better memory performance, functional performance, quality of life, and satisfaction with treatment and life compared with controls."
About MS Research at Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation's cognitive rehabilitation research in MS is funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, National MS Society, NJ Commission of Brain Injury Research, Consortium of MS Centers, and Kessler Foundation. Under the leadership of John DeLuca. PhD, and Nancy Chiaravalloti, PhD, director of Neuropsychology & Neuroscience Research, scientists have made important contributions to the knowledge of cognitive decline in MS. Clinical studies span new learning, memory, executive function, attention and processing speed, emotional processing and cognitive fatigue. Research tools include innovative applications of neuroimaging, iPADs, and virtual reality. Among recent findings are the benefits of cognitive reserve and aerobic exercise; correlation between cognitive performance and outdoor temperatures; efficacy of short-term cognitive rehabilitation using modified story technique; and the correlation between memory improvement and cerebral activation on fMRI. Foundation research scientists have faculty appointments at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School.
About Kessler Foundation
Kessler Foundation, a major nonprofit organization in the field of disability, is a global leader in rehabilitation research that seeks to improve cognition, mobility and long-term outcomes, including employment, for people with neurological disabilities caused by diseases and injuries of the brain and spinal cord. Kessler Foundation leads the nation in funding innovative programs that expand opportunities for employment for people with disabilities. For more information, visit KesslerFoundation.org.
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Carolann Murphy, PA
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Lauren Scrivo
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