title: Effects of a multidisciplinary cognitive rehabilitation program for patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of a multidisciplinary rehabilitation program on cognition, quality of life, and neuropsychiatry symptoms in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study was a single-blind, controlled study that was conducted at a university-based day-hospital memory facility. The study included 25 Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers and involved a 12-week stimulation and psychoeducational program. The comparison group consisted of 16 Alzheimer's patients in waiting lists for future intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Group sessions were provided by a multiprofessional team and included memory training, computer-assisted cognitive stimulation, expressive activities (painting, verbal expression, writing), physiotherapy, and physical training. Treatment was administered twice a week during 6.5-h gatherings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The assessment battery comprised the following tests: Mini-Mental State Examination, Short Cognitive Test, Quality of Life in Alzheimer's disease, Neuropsychiatric Inventory, and Geriatric Depression Scale. Test scores were evaluated at baseline and the end of the study by raters who were blinded to the group assignments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Measurements of global cognitive function and performance on attention tasks indicated that patients in the experimental group remained stable, whereas controls displayed mild but significant worsening. The intervention was associated with reduced depression symptoms for patients and caregivers and decreased neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer's subjects. The treatment was also beneficial for the patients' quality of life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This multimodal rehabilitation program was associated with cognitive stability and significant improvements in the quality of life for Alzheimer's patients. We also observed a significant decrease in depressive symptoms and caregiver burden. These results support the notion that structured nonpharmacological interventions can yield adjunct and clinically relevant benefits in dementia treatment.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciane F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Viola
authors.forename: Paula V
authors.initials: PV
authors.lastname: Nunes
authors.forename: Monica S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Yassuda
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aprahamian
authors.forename: Franklin S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Glenda D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Paula S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Brum
authors.forename: Sheila M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.forename: Alexandra M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Gisele F S
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Chaves
authors.forename: Eliane C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Ciasca
authors.forename: Rita C R
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Vanessa J R de
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Paula
authors.forename: Oswaldo H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Roberta M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Mirandez
authors.forename: Ricky
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Watari
authors.forename: Deusivania V S
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Falcao
authors.forename: Meire
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cachioni
authors.forename: Orestes V
authors.initials: OV
authors.lastname: Forlenza
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D016896:Treatment Outcome