Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) patients are at increased risk of developing dementia. There is a conflict if cognitive interventions can improve cognitive and functional performances in order to delay the development of dementia. Objectives: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a holistic cognitive rehabilitation program on patients with MCI. Methods: The participants, 176 MCI patients with Mini-Mental State Examination = 27.89 (1.73), were classified into 2 groups matched for age, gender, education and cognitive abilities: (1) patients (104) on nonpharmacological therapy and (2) patients (72) on no therapy at all. The effectiveness of the interventions was assessed by neuropsychological evaluation performed at baseline and at the end of the interventions. Results: Between-group difference in benefit of the experimental group was demonstrated in abilities of executive function (p = 0.004), verbal memory (p = 0.003), praxis (p ≤ 0.012), daily function (p = 0.001) and general cognitive ability (p ≤ 0.005). The experimental patients improved cognitive and functional performances, while the control patients demonstrated deterioration in daily function (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that nonpharmacological therapy of the holistic approach can improve MCI patients’ cognitive and functional performances.

FUCAS is a useful and reliable diagnostic tool for MCI. Cognitive-behavioral assessment such as that provided by FUCAS can provide objective information that can serve to enhance the quality of clinical decision-making.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of RHEA, a cognitive training through kinetic exercises, on patients with mild cognitive impairment. Subjects and Method: Participants, completing study, were 58 mild cognitive impairment patients with MMSE ϭ 27.69, assigned to 2 groups of 29 each (experimental, 20-weekly RHEA sessions, and no-therapy control), matched for age, gender, education, cholinesterase inhibitors, cognitive abilities. Neuropsychological assessments were performed at baseline and after 5 months. Results: Between groups difference to the benefi t of the experimental group were demonstrated in attention (P ϭ .002), language (P ϭ .015), visual-spatial abilities (P ϭ .013), MMSE (P ϭ .047), and daily function (P ϭ .009). Experimental participants improved cognitive and functional performances while control participants remained stable.sent. The dropouts were mainly due to health and family problems. At the completion of the study, there were 29 patients (6 men, 23 women) in the experimental group and 29 patients (6 men, 23 women) in the control group, a total of 58 persons.