title: The effects of a Cognitive Stimulation Therapy [CST] programme for people with dementia on family caregivers' health.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is growing evidence that Cognitive Simulation Therapy (CST) benefits cognition and quality of life of people with dementia, but little is known about the indirect effects of this intervention on family caregivers. This study sought to investigate the effect of CST on family caregivers general health status of people with dementia living in the community attending the CST intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-five family caregivers of people with dementia took part in the study. All the people with dementia received the standard twice weekly seven weeks of the CST intervention plus either 24 weeks of a maintenance CST (MCST) intervention or 24 weeks of treatment as usual. Family caregivers were assessed before and after their relatives the CST programme, and after 3 and 6 months of the MCST programme. A pre and post CST groups comparison was undertaken to evaluate the open trial first phase and an ANCOVA model used to analyse the maintenance phase with its controlled comparison.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no evidence for a benefit on the family caregiver outcome measures of the intervention before and after CST groups by using a t-test analysis or any significant differences between intervention and control groups for any of the variables considered at any time point (3 and 6 month follow up).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CST seems to have a relatively specific benefit fpr people with dementia that may not carry over to family carers. Future studies need to further explore and compare the effects that CST might bring to family caregivers of people with dementia attending the intervention.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN26286067.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Mental Health Sciences, University College London, Charles Bell House, 67-73 Riding House Street, London W1W 7EJ, England. e.aguirre@ucl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Zoe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hoare
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spector
authors.forename: Robert T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orrell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003704:Dementia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome