The Efficacy of Cognitive Stimulation, Cognitive Training, and Cognitive Rehabilitation for People Living With Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
GeroScience
Paggetti, A., Druda, Y., et al. (2024).
GeroScience, 47, 409-444.
<div>This systematic review with meta-analysis investigates the effects of cognitive stimulation (CS), cognitive training (CT), or cognitive rehabilitation (CR) on a variety of outcomes (e.g., global cognition, activities of daily living, quality of life) in adults, 40 years and older, with dementia.</div>
Italian Fund for Alzheimer's and Other Dementias; Ministry of Health (Italy)
From database inception to December 2023
<div>Randomized clinical trials</div>
53
<div>Group cognitive stimulation improved Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores for adults with dementia as follows:</div>
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<li>Mild dementia: Mean Difference [MD] = 2.61 (10 studies);</li>
<li>Mild-to-moderate dementia: MD = 2.24 (2 studies); and</li>
<li>Moderate dementia: MD = 1.31 (9 studies).</li>
</ul>
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<div>Individual cognitive stimulation showed no significant difference in MMSE scores or quality of life for adults with dementia (6 studies).</div>
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<div>Limitations of this review include the paucity of studies, the low frequency and intensity of interventions, and the moderate risk of bias of the studies. Additional research is needed to investigate dosage intensity, the effects on generalization, the role of lifestyle factors, and the outcomes of care providers of adults with dementia.</div>
<div>Group cognitive training showed mixed improvement on Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores and no difference in activities of daily living for adults with dementia (5 studies).</div>
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<div>Individual cognitive training improved MMSE scores for adults with mild dementia (MD = 2.43; 9 studies). Individuals with mild-to-moderate or moderate dementia showed no significant difference in cognition (3 studies), activities of daily living (4 studies), or health-related quality of life (1 study).</div>
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<div>Limitations of this review include the paucity of studies, the low frequency and intensity of interventions, and the moderate risk of bias of the studies. Additional research is needed to investigate dosage intensity, the effects on generalization, the role of lifestyle factors, and the outcomes of care providers of adults with dementia.</div>
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<div>Individual cognitive rehabilitation improved functional abilities (Standard mean difference [SMD]=0.52; 4 studies) in adults with dementia, but showed no significant difference in cognitive function (1 study), activities of daily living (2 studies), or quality of life (5 studies).</div>
<div> </div>
<div>Limitations of this review include the paucity of studies, the low frequency and intensity of interventions, and the moderate risk of bias of the studies. Additional research is needed to investigate dosage intensity, the effects on generalization, the role of lifestyle factors, and the outcomes of care providers of adults with dementia.</div>
