Effectiveness of Cognitive Stimulation for Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Psychological Bulletin
Cafferata, R. M. T., Hicks, B., et al. (2021).
Psychological Bulletin, 147(5), 455-476.
This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the effect of cognitive stimulation therapy on cognition, quality of life, activities of daily living, and psychosocial symptoms in individuals with dementia.
Not stated
The data in this systematic review are available elsewhere in the Evidence Maps. See the Associated Article(s) section below for more information.
After 2011
Randomized controlled trials
44
Findings demonstrated positive outcomes in global cognition for individuals with dementia following cognitive stimulation (CS) treatment (g= 0.49). These gains were not maintained at follow-up. Small, but significantly positive impacts were noted on memory, activities of daily living, dementia ratings, and depression measures (no effect size given). Small and insignificant gains were noted for linguistic, quality of life, anxiety, and behavioral measures (no effect size given). Limitations to this review included heterogeneity between assessments administered, reduced methodological rigor regarding blinding, limited studies assessing long-term effects, small sample sizes limiting statistical power, and insufficient data reporting. Further research is warranted to determine the efficacy of CS for this population.
