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This study aimed to present the method of the multi-center program of cognitive stimulation and rehabilitation known as  “Oficina da Lembrança” (Memory Workshop), held at the University of Southern Santa Catarina, Federal University of Santa Catarina and Federal University of São Paulo. This project has assisted about 450 people aged 50 or older with memory complaints. Each session consists of one to three meetings/week (approximately 20 meetings/semester), with groups of 10 to 20 participants to carry out activities on computers, physical activity and individual oral reports of the experiences they had at the meetings (approximately 90 minutes). In the first and final six-monthly meeting, socio-demographic, health and behavioral variables, cognitive performance, functional disability and presence of depressive symptoms are collected. The project was implemented in 2006 and it is expected to continue. Programs like this are extremely important in society because they can provide benefits to the population, especially in terms of helping cognitive improvement, thus promoting health and socialization.

Objective To estimate the effect of participating in cognitive cooperation groups, mediated by computers and the internet, on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) percent variation of outpatients with memory complaints attending two memory clinics. Methods A prospective controlled intervention study carried out from 2006 to 2013 with 293 elders. The intervention group (n = 160) attended a cognitive cooperation group (20 sessions of 1.5 hours each). The control group (n = 133) received routine medical care. Outcome was the percent variation in the MMSE. Control variables included gender, age, marital status, schooling, hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, hypothyroidism, depression, vascular diseases, polymedication, use of benzodiazepines, exposure to tobacco, sedentary lifestyle, obesity and functional capacity. The final model was obtained by multivariate linear regression. Results The intervention group obtained an independent positive variation of 24.39% (CI 95% = 14.86/33.91) in the MMSE compared to the control group. Conclusion The results suggested that cognitive cooperation groups, mediated by computers and the internet, are associated with cognitive status improvement of older adults in memory clinics.