In:
Clinical Rehabilitation, SAGE Publications, Vol. 24, No. 12 ( 2010-12), p. 1102-1111
Abstract:
Objective: To determine the efficacy of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) in the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Design: A randomized, controlled, rater-blind clinical trial. Setting: The military sanatorium. Subjects: Thirty-two patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease exhibiting marked neuropsychiatric symptoms were included in the study. Intervention: All 32 patients were randomly assigned to a cognitive stimulation therapy group (n = 16) or a control group (n = 16) for 10 weeks. Main measure: The efficacy measures included the Mini Mental State Examination and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Results: Patients receiving cognitive stimulation therapy showed a greater improvement in the Neuropsychiatric Inventory total score (mean change — 2.06 points versus 0.00 points, t = -4.766, P 〈 0.001) and in the Mini Mental State Examination total score (mean change 0.81 points versus —0.19 points, t =3.106, P =0.004) compared to control at week 10. Analysis of the individual Neuropsychiatric Inventory domains revealed a statistically significant benefit for cognitive stimulation therapy-treated patients in the areas of apathy (mean change —1.06 points versus —0.31 points, P =0.017) and depression/dysphoria (mean change —0.50 points versus 0.06 points, P =0.047). There were no statistically significant benefits for cognitive stimulation therapy-treated patients in the other individual Neuropsychiatric Inventory domains or in the caregiver distress score. Conclusions: Cognitive stimulation therapy has significant efficacy in lowering apathy and depression symptomatology and in the Mini Mental State Examination in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0269-2155
,
1477-0873
DOI:
10.1177/0269215510376004
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
2010
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2028323-4