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Clinical Trial
. 2012 Mar;27(2):121-30.
doi: 10.1177/1533317512441386.

Cognitive stimulation in a-MCI: an experimental study

V Moro  1 , M T Condoleo, F Sala, S Pernigo, G Moretto, G Gambina
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Cognitive stimulation in a-MCI: an experimental study

V Moro et al. Am J Alzheimers Dis Other Demen. 2012 Mar.

Abstract

Nowadays, preventing the effects of mental decline is an international priority, but there is little research into cognitive training in mild cognitive impairment (MCI). We present the results of a program aimed at teaching memory strategies and improving metacognitive abilities. This was associated with training to ameliorate caregivers' assistance. Two groups (A and B) were compared in a crossover design. After the first evaluation, group A (but not B) participated in a 6-month cognitive stimulation program. After a second assessment, only B received treatment and then a final evaluation was carried out on both the groups. The results show that (1) both the groups improved their performance as an effect of training; (2) improvements are specific to the functions trained; (3) in the interval without intervention, performance of group B worsened; and (4) group A has maintained their results over time. In conclusion, our results show that specific training may reduce memory impairment in MCI.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
The time line of the crossover design utilized in the study. T1, T2, and T3 refer to the 3 consecutive assessment sessions.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
The performance in memory tasks (means and standard errors) of the 2 groups in the 3 assessment sessions: (A) immediate recall of AVLT; (B) Delayed recall of AVLT; (C), Listening span test; D, Story recall. •Contrasts <.05; *significant values of t test (P < .05) in within-group measurements (T1 versus T2 and T2 versus T3); Δ, significant value (P < .05) between T1 and T3.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
The performance in the attention test (means and standard errors) of both the groups in 3 assessment sessions. •Contrasts < .05; *significant values of t test (P < .05) in within-group measurements (T1 versus T2 and T2 versus T3).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
The performance in the verbal fluency and Stroop test (seconds; means and standard errors) in both groups. •Contrasts <.05; *significant values of t test (P < .05) in within-group measurements (T1 versus T2 and T2 versus T3).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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