Multidimensional intervention in individuals with mild cognitive impairment: a pilot nonrandomized study.

Background: There is an increasing need for non-pharmacological treatments that can enhance the cognitive function of individuals with mild cognitive impairment. We firstly performed multidimensional intervention based on the concept of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and aimed to explore its short-term effect on the improvement of cognitive function in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.

Methods: Twenty-four individuals with mild cognitive impairment in this pilot study were recruited from the memory clinic and neurology ward in Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital from August 2018 to August 2019. According to participants' personal wishes, 13 and 11 participants were enrolled into an intervention group and a control group, respectively. Based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, we performed baseline assessments to all participants. According to the assessment results and the wishes and hobbies of the patients, then doctors, therapists, nurses, patients and their families together chose the appropriate multidimensional interventions to the intervention group in seven 1-hour sessions and health education to the both groups. After one week, all participants underwent reevaluation of cognitive function.

Results: There were significant differences between the two groups on the improvement of cognitive function. The intervention group (mean ± SD, 3.460±1.613) scored higher than the control group (1.360±0.924) on the change score of the total score in the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (t =3.808, P<0.001, 95% CI: 0.955-3.240), though not on the change score of any cognitive domain score. Regression results showed that the change score of the total score was negatively correlated with the baseline score of Abstraction score (aR2 =0.583, β =-0.506, P=0.031) and the modified Barthel index score (β =-0.464, P=0.045) in the intervention group.

Conclusions: The pilot study demonstrated that the short-term multidimensional intervention may produce cognitive benefits in individuals with mild cognitive impairment.