Cognitive Rehabilitation Programme (CRP): An Effective Tool Against Mild Cognitive Impairment Among Elderly

Abstract

Background: With a steady increase in life expectancy seen worldwide, age-associated cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment in old age are major public health challenges. Objective: To determine the effectiveness of the Cognitive Rehabilitation Program on cognition parameters in old age people with mild cognitive impairment. Materials and Methods: Design: This study was a quasi-experimental design using a non-equivalent control group pretest post-test design. Setting/Location: Mullana and Adhoya villages of Ambala, Haryana. Subjects: Eighty old age people with mild cognitive impairment. Intervention: The pre- and post-interventional cognition parameters were assessed using Addenbrooke’s cognitive examination on Day 1 and Day 29. The cognitive Rehabilitation Program was administered in the experimental group once a day for 28 days. Outcome Measures: Dependent variables were cognition parameters. Results and Conclusion: In the experimental group, a significant increase in cognition parameters score was observed from Day 1 (62.28 ± 6.23) to Day 29 (63.25 ± 5.10) after administration of the Cognitive Rehabilitation Program. In the comparison group, there was a non-significant decrease in cognition parameters score from Day 1 (56.73 ± 8.24) to Day 29 (55.85 ± 8.90). The post-implementation cognition parameters score of old age people in the experimental group (mean = 63.25) was significantly higher than in the comparison group (mean = 55.85). The mean gain in cognition scores was significantly higher in the experimental group than in the comparison group with a moderate effect size. It is concluded that the cognitive rehabilitation program is an effective tool in improving cognition parameters score among old age people with mild cognitive impairment.