The Impact of a Twelve-Month Comprehensive Program of Cognitive Training for Alzheimer Patients: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Research has shown that non-pharmacological therapies can be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), significantly delaying cognitive decay. However, most AD interventions did not last beyond six months. Hence, little is known about the effect of these programs in the AD patients after six months of treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the twelve-month Comprehensive Program of Cognitive Training (CPCT) for a sample of AD patients and to compare the results with the average annual rate of change. Thirty-nine AD patients participated in the study. The CPCT consists of a set of cognitive stimulations, intervention in activities of daily life (ADL), and motor training for 12 months. All patients were evaluated at baseline and in three-month intervals via the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG), the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), and the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS). After CPCT implementation, there were no significant differences in the MMSE, IADL, and GDS evaluations between baseline and twelve months. Concerning the CAMCOG evaluation, there was no significant difference between the baseline and sixth-month assessments. Overall, the participants’ cognitive functioning did not decline when compared to the average annual rate of change. The CPCT extends the benefit of non-pharmacological interventions for AD patients to twelve months. Its implementation might provide the patients’ relatives with some guarantee concerning the delay of the disease. Future research may investigate the efficacy of the CPCT in comparison with a control group and over a more extended period.

A Scoping Review of Cognitive Training in Neurodegenerative Diseases via Computerized and Virtual Reality Tools: What We Know So Far

“…Most of the interventions did not last beyond six months, so that little is known about the effect of these programs in the AD patients after six months of treatment. In a recent study by Rodríguez-Mora and colleagues [ 89 ], the authors evaluate, in a sample of thirty-nine AD patients, the efficacy of the twelve-month Comprehensive Program of Cognitive Training (CPCT) consisting in a set of cognitive stimulations, intervention in activities of daily life (ADL), and motor training lasting 12 months. All patients were evaluated at baseline and in three-month intervals via the MMSE, the Cambridge Cognitive Examination (CAMCOG), the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale (IADL), and the Global Deterioration Scale (GDS).…”

Effects of a multimodal approach to food art therapy on people with mild cognitive impairment and mild dementia

“…Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MM-FAT program comprised 12 sessions within a month and a lasting effect could thus not be determined with a short period of intervention. It is recommended that an intervention of at least 6 months is required 48 because the effects of memory and learning may decrease if there is no stimulation over time. 49 In most studies, depression has been the commonly selected variable to identify the effectiveness of FAT.…”