Cognitive Stimulation Program Presented Through New Technologies in a Group of People with Moderate Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background: Cognitive stimulation is one of the non-pharmacological therapies recommended for intervention in dementia, consisting of activities involving different cognitive domains and involving brain activation. New technologies can be very useful in this field, favoring intervention tasks. Objective: The objective of this work is to test the effectiveness of a cognitive stimulation intervention mediated with new technologies on a group of people with moderate dementia. Methods: This is a quantitative, quasi-experimental study with a control and treatment group, with three measurement times (pre, post, and follow-up months after the end of the intervention). Ninety-eight subjects with moderate dementia were randomly assigned to the treatment group (N = 50) and the control group (N = 48). The treatment group received 16 intervention sessions including attention, executive function, and memory tasks, which were presented using new technologies and the activity was conducted in a group setting. Control group remained on a waiting list. The evaluators did not know which group each subject belonged to. All participants were assessed with a battery of neuropsychological tests. Results: The results show an improvement in post-intervention outcomes in the treatment group compared to the control group on cognitive variables. No differences were found in mood depression. These results fade overtime after a few months without intervention. Conclusion: This type of intervention is useful to maintain cognitive functioning using new technologies and in a group setting, which favors the intervention. The improvements of the intervention disappear at follow-up, which would indicate the need to maintain the intervention over time.