Effects of Cognitive Training on Cognition and Quality of Life of Older Persons with Dementia

• Autores: Eeva Liisa Kallio, Hannareeta Öhman, Marja Hietanen, Helena Soini, Timo E. Strandberg, Hannu J. Kautiainen, Kaisu H. Pitkälä
• Localización: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, ISSN 0002-8614, Vol. 66, Nº. 4, 2018, págs. 664-670
• Idioma: inglés
• Enlaces
  • Texto Completo Ejemplar
• Resumen

  • Objectives To evaluate the effect of cognitive training on cognition and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in community‐dwelling persons with dementia.

    Design Single‐blind randomized controlled trial with 3‐ and 9‐month follow‐up.

    Setting Adult day care centers in Helsinki, Finland.

    Participants Older individuals with mild to moderate dementia living at home and attending adult day care twice a week (N = 147; mean age 83, 72% female, 63% at mild stage of dementia).

    Intervention A systematic 12‐week training program focused on subskills of executive function: attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and planning. The intervention group (n = 76) underwent cognitive training twice a week for 45 minutes, and the control group (n = 71) attended day care as usual.

    Measurements Primary outcomes were the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale—Cognitive subscale (ADAS‐Cog) for global cognition and the 15‐dimensional instrument (15D) for HRQoL. The outcomes were measured at baseline and 3 and 9 months.

    Results Both groups deteriorated in global cognition and HRQoL during follow‐up, and there were no differences between the two groups in change on the ADAS‐Cog (P = .43) or 15D (P = .61) over time (adjusted for age and sex). At 3 months, changes were 0.8 (95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.2–1.8) for the intervention group and 1.7 (95% CI = 0.6–2.7) for the control group on the ADAS‐Cog and −0.040 (95% CI = −0.058 to −0.021) for the intervention group and −0.037 (95% CI = −0.056 to −0.018) for the control group on the 15D.

    Conclusion Systematic cognitive training had no effect on global cognition or HRQoL in community‐living persons with mild to moderate dementia.