title: The effect of cognitive stimulation on nursing home elders: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper describes the effectiveness of cognitive stimulation therapy (CST) on cognition and depressive symptoms in older adults in nursing homes (NHs).
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized controlled trial, carried out from 2012 to 2013, included 56 residents from four NHs, 36 women and 20 men (randomized into experimental and control groups). Eight participants dropped out.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants of the experimental group underwent 14 CST sessions (7 weeks) in groups of six to eight older adults, and participants of the control group received usual care. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment, the Geriatric Depression Scale-15, and the Barthel Index of activities of daily living (ADLs) were administered at baseline and postintervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Repeated measures revealed that CST increased cognition (F = 8.581; p = .005; partial η squared = 0.157; power = 0.82). There were no statistically significant differences in depressive symptoms (F = 1.090; p = .302). Baseline level of ADLs did not affect the outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CST had significantly improved cognition, explaining the 15.7% variability, but there was no statistical evidence of its effectiveness on depressive symptoms. This improvement was not affected by the baseline level of dependence-independence in ADLs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CST offers a range of activities, providing general stimulation for thinking, concentration, and memory, usually in a social setting. These results will support implementation of CST in NHs. In addition to the impact on elderly independence and autonomy, CST may also have an economic impact by reducing the direct costs of the impact of elders' cognitive frailty.
authors.affiliation: Phi Xi, Coordinator Professor, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing Portugal, Nursing School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: João Luís Alves
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Apóstolo
authors.forename: Daniela Filipa Batista
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.forename: Ana Isabel
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Constança
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paúl
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003863:Depression / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cognitive stimulation therapy; aged; aged 80 and over; cognition; depression