The Effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation on Daily Functioning of Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials
Frontiers in Neurology
Ren, S., Pan, F., et al. (2024).
Frontiers in Neurology, 15, 1371298.
This systematic review with meta-analysis compares daily functioning outcomes of cognitive rehabilitation to other cognitive interventions in adults with Alzheimer's disease.
No funding received
From database inception to June 2023
Randomized or non-randomized controlled designs. Excludes letters, reviews, case reports, editorial comments, conference abstracts, and unpublished articles.
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<div>Compared to controls, cognitive rehabilitation (CR) had a moderate-to-large, positive effect on quality of life (weighted mean difference [WMD] = 2.87) and occupational performance levels (WMD = 1.53) in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Additional findings included:</div>
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<li>For follow-up periods of less than 6 months, quality of life showed no significant difference between CR and control groups; however, occupational performance levels showed significant improvement with CR (WMD =1 .54).</li>
<li>For follow-ups longer than 6 months, CR demonstrated greater improvements in quality of life (WMD = 2.90); however, there was no significant effect for occupational performance levels.</li>
<li>There was no significant difference for neuropsychiatric status, caregiver burden, independent performance on daily living, behavioral memory, attention, and verbal fluency.</li>
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<div>Limitations of this review included the small number of included studies, heterogeneity among the included studies, the presence of random assignment bias, and the possible exclusion of relevant non-English studies. Additional research is needed to investigate the long-term effects of cognitive intervention strategies.</div>
