In the FINGER study, a multidomain lifestyle intervention was conducted with the objective of preventing cognitive impairment and reducing the risk of dementia. The aim of the intervention was also to improve the participants' lifestyles and to bring about a comprehensive and long-term change.
The active lifestyle intervention phase was carried out in 2009–2014 and lasted for two years for each study participant. The study included 1259 older people who had an increased risk of developing dementia.
The FINGER study was the first in the world to show that following a multidomain lifestyle intervention can improve cognitive function of the older adults and prevent cognitive decline. The lifestyle intervention has also been found to be beneficial in terms of e.g. functional capacity, exercise, diet, and the development of other chronic diseases.
The FINGER research group has been involved in establishing the international WW-FINGERS network for the prevention of dementia. At the national level, the FINGER operational model has been developed based on the research, and it can be used to apply the model in different environments. The users of the model have been brought together in the FINGER developers' network.
Goals
The main objective of the FINGER study was to investigate whether a two-year multidomain lifestyle intervention can prevent cognitive decline. As secondary objectives, the effects of the intervention on different cognitive domains, physical functioning, lifestyles, quality of life, and the development of chronic diseases were studied. The data is also used in several studies that investigate the mechanisms associated with dementia.
Implementation
Persons aged 60–77 who had previously participated in population-based studies conducted by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and its predecessor, the National Public Health Institute, were invited to participate in the study. The study was carried out in six centres across Finland.
The study participants had an increased risk of developing dementia based on a risk score. Eligible individuals were randomized into two groups, one of which received multidomain lifestyle intervention including dietary counselling, exercise training, cognitive training, and cardiovascular disease risk management for two years. The other group received regular health advice.
All participants took part in annual measurement visits during the study and in follow-up visits after 5, 7, and 11 years. The measurements included a health check-up, cognitive testing, functional capacity measurements, a blood test and health-related questionnaires. In addition, the health of the study group has been monitored from national health registers.
Funding
The FINGER study was launched with funding from the Academy of Finland's SALVE programme, and it has received funding from several different sources during the research period. The funders are, in alphabetical order, the Alzheimer's Foundation (Sweden), the Alzheimer's Association (US), the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation (US), the Center for Innovative Medicine (CIMED), (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)), the Diabetes Research Foundation, the EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND), EVO/VTR funding (Kuopio, Oulu, Turku, Seinäjoki), the Jalmari and Rauha Ahokas Foundation, the Juho Vainio Foundation, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (Sweden). La Carita Foundation, NordForsk, Novo Nordisk Fonden, Ministry of Education and Culture, Päivikki and Sakari Sohlberg Foundation, Sigrid Jusélius Foundation, Stockholm Sjukhem Foundation (Sweden), Academy of Finland, Finnish Cultural Foundation, Finnish Medical Foundation, Swedish Research Council (Sweden), Swedish Research Council (Sweden), Wilhelm och Else Stockmann Foundation, and Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation. In addition, individual researchers have received personal funding from different foundations.
Partners
The FINGER study has been carried out as a consortium together with the University of Eastern Finland, the University of Helsinki, and the University of Oulu. The Karolinska Institute (Sweden) also participates in the analysis of the data.
In addition, individual collaborative projects have been/are being carried out with other partners: Hospital District of Southwest Finland, PET Centre (Finland), Technical Research Centre, VTT Ltd (Finland), Combinostics Oy (Finland), Imperial College London (UK), Umeå University (Sweden), University of Gothenburg (Sweden), Janssen Pharmaceutica NV (Belgium), Hospital del Mar Research Institute (Spain), Medical University of Vienna (Austria), University of Perugia (Italy), FH-Joanneum (Austria).
Hospital ORTON, and cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Oulu, Seinäjoki and Turku have also participated in the conduction of the lifestyle intervention.
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