Efficacy of Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Integrated With Stress Reduction Intervention for Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment

March 10, 2026 updated by: Saliha Moazzam, University of the Punjab
The aim of this study is to determine if integrating a culturally congruent indigenous stress reduction intervention into Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) enhances cognitive outcomes in Pakistani adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is characterized by noticeable decline in cognitive functioning that is greater than expected for normal aging but does not significantly interfere with daily functioning. Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST) has been shown to improve cognitive functioning through structured activities that stimulate memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities. However, psychological stress is an important factor that may contribute to cognitive decline and reduced engagement in cognitive activities. The present randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether integrating a culturally congruent indigenous stress reduction intervention with CST enhances cognitive outcomes and reduces perceived stress among Pakistani adults with MCI. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: (1) CST integrated with a CBT-based stress reduction intervention, (2) CST only, and (3) a no-intervention control group. The interventions will be delivered over a period of seven weeks. Cognitive functioning will be assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and perceived stress will be assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after completion of the intervention period. The study aims to determine whether the integrated intervention provides greater benefits in improving cognitive functioning as compared to CST alone.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
12

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adults aged 45 years and above
  • Individuals with education up to Matric
  • Individuals who obtain a score lower than 23 on Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) suggesting the presence of cognitive decline.
  • Individuals who obtain a score of 14 or more on the Perceived Stress Scale suggesting increased levels of perceived stress (moderate and high)
  • Individuals who obtain score ranged from 13 to 25 (Poor to Adequate) on Quality of Life in Alzheimer's Disease (Qol-AD)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosis of dementia or major neurocognitive disorder
  • Presence of severe psychiatric illness (e.g., psychosis, major depressive episode)
  • Significant hearing or visual impairments that interfere with participation
  • Currently undergoing psychological or cognitive therapy
  • Any neurological condition that may interfere with cognitive assessment (e.g., stroke, Parkinson's disease)

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Cognitive Stimulation Therapy integrated with Stress Reduction Intervention
Participants receive Cognitive Stimulation Therapy integrated with Stress Reduction Intervention for 7 weeks.
Behavioral: Cognitive Stimulation Therapy integrated with Stress Reduction Intervention
Participants in this Arm will receive Cognitive Stimulation Therapy integrated with Stress Reduction Intervention for 7 weeks, combining structured cognitive exercises targeting memory, attention, and problem-solving with guided stress reduction techniques.
Active Comparator: Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (CST)
Participants receive Cognitive Stimulation Therapy sessions for 7 weeks.
Behavioral: Cognitive Stimulation Therapy
Participants in this Arm will attend Cognitive Stimulation Therapy sessions only for 7 weeks, including structured cognitive exercises targeting memory, attention, and problem-solving in a group format.
No Intervention: Control Group
Participants will not receive any structured therapy during the 7 week study period.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total score from baseline to 7 weeks
Time Frame: 7 weeks
The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) will be used to assess overall cognitive functioning, including attention, memory, language, executive functions, and visuospatial abilities. The MoCA total score ranges from 0 to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognitive functioning. Assessments will be conducted at baseline and after completion of the 7-week intervention period.
7 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
University of the Punjab

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 4, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 10, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
March 13, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 13, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 10, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • D/14/FIMS

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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