title: A rehabilitation program for mild memory impairments.
abstract: Eight subjects, 60-75 years of age, with at least 5 years of education and mild memory impairments were recruited for a rehabilitation program. Other 8 subjects, not exposed to the rehabilitative training and with the same neuropsychological profile, represented a control group. In the first day of this program an evaluation of cognitive/behavioral functions was performed. Our program consisted of a neuropsychological rehabilitative intervention along 12 weeks, with a 5-day-period of domiciliary training with a set of home exercises and a 1-day training in our Center with rehabilitative exercises administered with the aid of a personal computer, each week. Rehabilitative training administered in our Center was aimed at stimulating visuo-verbal, verbal and spatial memory and the utilization of "memory strategies". After 4, 8 and 12 weeks of therapeutic program, other evaluations of the cognitive functions with the same battery tests were performed to evaluate possible improvements: the results indicated an improvement of memory test scores that demonstrated the positive effect of neuropsychological training on memory performances. There was no improvement in the control group.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, Center for Aging Brain, University of Bari, Faculty of Medicine, Policlinico, Piazza G. Cesare 11, l-70124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Panza
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Solfrizzi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mastroianni
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Nardó
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cigliola
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Capurso