Effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy Versus Cognitive Stimulation in Older Adults With Cognitive Decline (TRvsCS)

Effectiveness of Reminiscence Therapy Versus Cognitive Stimulation in Older Adults With Cognitive Decline: a Quasi-experimental Pilot Study

Although data suggest that non-pharmacologic therapies such as Reminiscence Therapy (RT) and Cognitive Stimulation (CS) can potentially maintain or reverse this trend, cognitive impairment can be a precursor to neurodegenerative processes. This study aimed to assess how an RT and a CS program affected cognition, depressive symptomatology, and quality of life (QoL) in older persons with cognitive decline who attended community support institutions in central Portugal. For seven weeks, a quasi-experimental study with two arms (RT and CS program) was conducted. The intervention was completed by 76 of the 109 older persons who were first screened (50 in the RT program, 26 in the CS program). In both groups, a pre- and post-intervention analysis revealed statistically significant differences in cognition, particularly in older adults' delayed recall ability.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cognitive Decline
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Group intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 106
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Portugal
  • Coimbra, Portugal, 3004-011
    • The Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years and older (OLDER_ADULT)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Ability to give informed consent before study commencement;
• Ability to participate in group activities for a period between 45 to 60 minutes;
• No pronounced impairment of their visual and auditory abilities;
• Mild to moderate cognitive decline, assessed as a score equal to or below 20 points in the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test (6-CIT).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Unstable clinical condition;
• Prescribed with cholinesterase inhibitors and/or antipsychotics during the study period.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Interventional Model: PARALLEL
• Masking: TRIPLE

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
EXPERIMENTAL: Reminiscence Therapy (RT); The RT program is composed of activities that follow older adults' lifespan (e.g., school, professional life, travelling, holidays and celebrations, historical dates/moments). Such activities allow older adults to revive and share life-changing/significant moments and integrate them into their autobiographical narrative. The program was developed and validated by Gil and colleagues for Portuguese older adults with cognitive decline.	Behavioral: Group intervention; This intervention was developed during 14 sessions, held twice a week, with a duration of 45 to 60 minutes each. The sessions were developed as group-based interventions, facilitated by a leader and a co-leader from each community institution.
EXPERIMENTAL: Cognitive Stimulation (CST); The CST intervention was based on the "Making a Difference" program, specifically developed for older adults with cognitive decline and previously adapted and validated to the European Portuguese language and culture. This program offers a sequence of activities that covers different cognitive domains and promotes older adults' socialization and self-esteem.	Behavioral: Group intervention; This intervention was developed during 14 sessions, held twice a week, with a duration of 45 to 60 minutes each. The sessions were developed as group-based interventions, facilitated by a leader and a co-leader from each community institution.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in cognition (person with cognitive decline)	Measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Scale scores vary between 0 and 30 points; higher scores correspond to a higher cognition level.	Pre-intervention (baseline)
Change in depressive dymptomatology (person with cognitive decline)	Measured using the 10-items Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-10). Scale scores vary between 0 and 10 points; scores equal or above 2 points correspond to a screening diagnosis of depression.	Pre-intervention (baseline)
Change in quality of life (person with cognitive decline)	Measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life - module for older adults (WHOQOL-OLD-8). Scale scores vary between 8 and 40 points; higher scores correspond to a higher level of quality of life.	Pre-intervention (baseline)
Change in cognition (person with cognitive decline)	Measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Scale scores vary between 0 and 30 points; higher scores correspond to a higher cognition level.	8 weeks post baseline
Change in depressive dymptomatology (person with cognitive decline)	Measured using the 10-items Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-10). Scale scores vary between 0 and 10 points; scores equal or above 2 points correspond to a screening diagnosis of depression.	8 weeks post baseline
Change in quality of life (person with cognitive decline)	Measured using the World Health Organization Quality of Life - module for older adults (WHOQOL-OLD-8). Scale scores vary between 8 and 40 points; higher scores correspond to a higher level of quality of life.	Pre-intervention (baseline), 8 weeks post baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Paulo Costa
• Collaborators: Junta de Freguesia de Santo António dos Olivais; Centro Sociocultural Polivalente de São Martinho; Centro Social e Paroquial de Carapinheira do Campo; Obra Social de Torre de Vilela; Centro Social Paroquial de Pedrulha; Associação Nacional de Apoio ao Idoso; Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Cantanhede; Doce Viver - Residencial Sénior, Bruscos
• Investigators: Study Chair: Rosa Silva, PhD, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra; Study Director: João Apóstolo, PhD, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Project website

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (ACTUAL): April 20, 2017
• Primary Completion (ACTUAL): June 6, 2017
• Study Completion (ACTUAL): June 6, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 21, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 7, 2022
• First Posted (ACTUAL): January 12, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (ACTUAL): January 12, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 7, 2022
• Last Verified: January 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Neurocognitive Disorders; Cognition Disorders; Cognitive Dysfunction
• Other Study ID Numbers: TRvsCS

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: The data presented in this study are available on request. The data are not publicly available due to ethical considerations, regarding personal information and respecting what was written in the signed informed consent.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: The data presented in this study are available on request. The data are not publicly available due to ethical considerations, regarding personal information and respecting what was written in the signed informed consent.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: The data presented in this study are available on request. The data are not publicly available due to ethical considerations, regarding personal information and respecting what was written in the signed informed consent.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; ICF; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No