title: [Effect of cognitive stimulation in elderly community].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate that the implementation of the Cognitive Stimulation (CS) program 'Making a Difference' (MD) improves cognition and depressive symptoms in retired community elders.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multicenter quasi-experimental study of 45 community dwelling elders (38 women and 7 men), with a mean age of 75.29, from 3 day-care centers in rural, semi-rural and urban environments in the central region of Portugal. Participants attended 14 sessions twice a week over seven weeks. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) were administered at the following three time points: baseline, post-test, and follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From baseline to post-test, there is a statistically significant difference in depressive symptoms (F=7.494; P=.010) explaining 21% of the variance (partial eta squared [ηp(2)]=.21), power=.75, but there is no statistically significant difference in cognition. From post-test to follow-up, there is no difference in both cognition and depression outcomes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results showed improvement in elders' depressive symptoms after a seven weeks intervention program but it did not have a protective effect after the three months follow-up. No evidence was found for its efficacy in improving cognition. Cognitive stimulation may be a useful in preventing elder's depressive symptoms when included in their health promotion care plan.
authors.affiliation: Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Portugal, Nursing School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. Electronic address: apostolo@esenfc.pt.
authors.forename: João Luís Alves
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Apóstolo
authors.affiliation: Research Grant Holder Portugal Centre for Evidence-Based Practice: an Affiliate Centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Daniela Filipa Batista
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Cardoso
authors.affiliation: Research UNIFAI/ICBAS, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Constança
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paúl
authors.affiliation: Aggregation, Principal Coordinator Professor, Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing, Nursing School of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Manuel Alves
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Clinical Instructor for Nursing Research, Nursing Development and Saudization, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riad, Arabia Saudita.
authors.forename: Marinha Sofia
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Macedo
mesh_terms: D000069537:Adult Day Care Centers; D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011174:Portugal
keywords: Aged; Aged 80 and over; Cognición; Cognition; Cognitive therapy; Depresión; Depression; Personas de 80 y más años de edad; Personas mayores; Terapia cognitiva