title: Cognitive stimulation intervention for elders with mild cognitive impairment compared with normal aged subjects: preliminary results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cognitive training programs have been developed for Alzheimer's disease patients and the healthy elderly population. Collective cognitive stimulation programs have been shown to be efficient for subjects with memory complaint. The aim of this study was to evaluate the benefit of such cognitive programs in populations with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve patients with MCI and twelve cognitively normal elders were administered a cognitive stimulation program. Cognitive performance (Logical Memory, Word paired associative learning task, Trail Making Test, verbal fluency test) were collected before and after the intervention. A gain score [(post-score - pre-score)/ pre-score] was calculated for each variable and compared between groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The analysis revealed a larger intervention size effect in MCI than in normal elders' performances on the associative learning task (immediate recall: p<0.05, delayed recall: p<0.01). The intervention was more beneficial in improving associative memory abilities in MCI than in normal subjects. At the end of the intervention, the MCI group had lower results than the normal group only for the delayed recall of Logical Memory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although further studies are needed for more details on the impact of cognitive stimulation programs on MCI patients, this intervention is effective in compensating associative memory difficulties of these patients. Among non-pharmacological interventions, cognitive stimulation therapy is a repeatable and inexpensive collective method that can easily be provided to various populations with the aim of slowing down the rate of decline in elderly persons with cognitive impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gerontology, Broca Hospital, 75013 Paris, France. emilie.wenisch@brc.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Emilie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wenisch
authors.forename: Inge
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cantegreil-Kallen
authors.forename: Jocelyne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Rotrou
authors.forename: Pia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garrigue
authors.forename: Florence
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Moulin
authors.forename: Fériel
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Batouche
authors.forename: Aurore
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Richard
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Sant'Anna
authors.forename: Anne Sophie
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rigaud
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome