Objective: The efficacy of cognition-focused interventions (CFIs) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has been questioned recently. To date, the specific effects of cognitive rehabilitation (CR), cognitive training (CT), and cognitive stimulation [CS] have not been analyzed due to inconsistencies in the use of the comparison groups. This work aims to analyze the differential effects of CFIs by removing the influence of the comparison group from the estimates of the effects.

Method: a literature search performed in Pubmed, Proquest, and Embase databases yielded 65 potential studies, of which 33 studies with a sample size of 1,225 individuals were meta-analyzed. Each intervention group was treated as the unit of analysis to remove the confounding effects of the comparison condition. Measures of general cognitive functioning, memory and functional outcomes were compared using the hierarchical robust variance estimator metaregression. Age, education, sex, risk of bias, sample size, duration of intervention, the proportion of drop-outs, pharmacological treatment, and severity of disease were included as covariates.

Results: Only CT differed from no cognition-focused interventions (NCFI) for memory outcomes in univariate analyses, but differences became nonsignificant when covariates were included in the model. CR showed a significantly higher effect in outcomes measuring functioning in targeted domains with no differences in standard cognitive tests relative to NCFI.

Conclusions: This work supports previous findings questioning the efficacy of CT or CS for AD. Moving toward CFIs focused on relevant goals and including measures related to the skills, abilities or activities that are the focus of the intervention is encouraged. (PsycINFO Database Record

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/neu0000449DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cognition-focused interventions
12
differential effects
8
alzheimer's disease
8
sample size
8
cognitive
5
effects cognition-focused
4
interventions people
4
people alzheimer's
4
disease meta-analysis
4
meta-analysis objective
4

Similar Publications

Background: Enhancing long-term support for post-stroke cognitive impairment is a top research priority. Addressing current gaps in UK post-stroke cognitive care provision requires a pragmatic and scalable intervention that can be integrated within the existing stroke care pathway. This study aimed to develop consensus on an initial set of core features for a UK-based monitoring and psychoeducational intervention for cognitive changes after stroke.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Emerging research suggests that Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) share underlying pathology and may represent a single, biologically defined disease spectrum. Cognitive changes are among the most worrisome symptoms for patients with PD, and are the core feature of DLB. While the cognitive changes experienced by individuals with PD and mild cognitive impairment share some clinical characteristics with patients who have undiagnosed or prodromal DLB, these changes are distinct from other types of dementias, such as Alzheimer's disease.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Numerous nonpharmacological treatments (NPTs) have been developed for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Two forms of cognition-focused NPTs, cognitive rehabilitation (CR) and cognitive training (CT), demonstrate cognitive benefit, but limitations remain regarding the contribution of cultural and demographic factors to study outcome heterogeneity, generalizability to diverse populations, and feasibility. This article aimed to review demographic and culturally informed NPTs and provides recommendations for culturally informed clinical practice and research.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Cognitive impairment is a core feature of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Violent and aggressive behavior represents a complex issue in psychiatry, and people with SSD have been shown to be at risk of being both victims and perpetrators of violence. In this review, the complex relationship between cognitive impairment and violent behavior is explored, also considering the usefulness of treating cognitive impairment to improve violence-related outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Web-based rehabilitation, a branch of telerehabilitation, is carried out over the internet, unrestricted by time or place. Even though web-based interventions have been reported as feasible and effective in cases of mood disorders, for example, such evidence on the effectiveness of web-based cognitive rehabilitation remains unclear. This systematic review summarizes current knowledge on web-based psychoeducational programs aiming to manage cognitive deficits in patients with diseases that affect cognition.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!