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Results from a six-year study led by researchers at Queen Mary University of London, show that a new low intensity group therapy, APPLE-Tree, helps people living with memory loss to address dementia risk factors.

The findings from the paper in The Lancet: Healthy Longevity demonstrate that the intervention, delivered remotely by non-clinical facilitators, is the first to show promise in terms of improved cognition in people living with non-dementia memory problems.

The APPLE-Tree project, a preventive program aiming to lower the risk of dementia among older people, targets those who are concerned about memory loss. It is designed around key lifestyle changes that can help prevent dementia, including eating healthily and being physically active, connecting more with others and engaging more in enjoyed activities, and reducing smoking and alcohol use.

The study compared results over two years between those engaging with the APPLE-Tree intervention and a control group. The intervention group demonstrated improvements in cognition similar in magnitude to those achieved with more medicalized interventions led by experts over a longer time period. Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the intervention relative to the control condition suggests that dietary change may underpin these cognitive improvements.

An estimated 982,000 people are currently living with dementia across the UK.

WIPH Professor Claudia Cooper, APPLE-Tree Chief Investigator said, “Lifestyle and preventable health changes can make a difference now, but people with memory concerns have told us they feel in limbo—between health and dementia, and don’t know where to go for help. Neighborhood health services, planned as part of the government’s hospital to community shift in the 10-year health plan, will be well positioned to provide integrated, preventive health and social care support to this group. The APPLE-Tree intervention could help with that.”

Dr. Harriet Demnitz-King (WIPH) said, “The APPLE-Tree intervention appeared to improve cognition and offer an accessible, scalable model for secondary dementia prevention. Its remote delivery and use of non-clinical facilitators could enable wide-scale implementation to support adults with memory concerns.”

Ceclia, an APPLE-Tree participant, said, “The APPLE-Tree groups were exactly what I needed—an opportunity to connect with people with similar worries—the practical suggestions and support from other participants and facilitators were ever so helpful and I hope these groups will be available to many more people.”

More information: Remote, lower-intensity, multidomain lifestyle intervention for subjective cognitive decline or mild cognitive impairment (APPLE-Tree): a multicentre, single-masked, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet: Healthy Longevity. DOI: 10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100777

Citation: Remote intervention program offers hope and support for people facing memory loss (2025, October 21) retrieved 21 October 2025 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-remote-intervention-people-memory-loss.html

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