title: Computer-based cognitive interventions for people living with dementia: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.
abstract: To estimate the efficacy of computer-based cognitive interventions for improving cognition in people with dementia (PWD).
  
  
  
  Online literature databases were searched for relevant studies. Interventions were categorised as follows: cognitive recreation, cognitive rehabilitation, cognitive stimulation or cognitive training. A systematic review, quality assessment and meta-analyses were conducted.
  
  
  
  Twelve studies were identified. Their methodological quality was acceptable according to Downs & Black criteria, the weakest methodological area being the external validity. The meta-analyses indicated cognitive interventions lead to beneficial effects on cognition in PWD (SMD 0.69; 95% CI = 1.02-0.37; P < 0.0001; I(2) = 29%), [corrected] depression (SMD 0.47; 95% CI = 0.16-0.78; P = 0.003; I(2) = 0%) and anxiety (SMD 0.55; 95% CI = 0.07-1.04; P < 0.03; I(2) = 42%). [corrected]. They benefited significantly more from the computer-based cognitive interventions than from the non-computer-based interventions in cognition (SMD 0.48; 95% CI = 0.09-0.87; [corrected] P = 0.02; I(2) = 2%).
  
  
  
  Computer-based cognitive interventions have moderate effects in cognition and [corrected] anxiety and small effects in depression in PWD. No significant effects were found on activities of daily living. They led to superior results compared to non-computer-based interventions in cognition. Further research is needed on cognitive recreation and cognitive stimulation. There is also a need for longer term [corrected] follow-up to examine the potential retention of treatment effects, and for the design of specific outcome measures.
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Psicología Básica, Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.|b Department of Psychiatry, Burgos University Hospital, Burgos, Spain.
authors.forename: J Antonio
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: García-Casal
authors.affiliation: c Center for Gerontology , University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loizeau
authors.affiliation: d Institute of Mental Health, University College London , London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Emese
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Csipke
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Psicología Básica, Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.|e Department of Psychiatry , Zamora Hospital, Zamora, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Franco-Martín
authors.affiliation: a Departamento de Psicología Básica, Psicobiología y Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Facultad de Psicología, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: M Victoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Perea-Bartolomé
authors.affiliation: f Institute of Mental Health , University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orrell
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D003704:Dementia / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted
keywords: Alzheimer disease; Cognitive rehabilitation; cognitive stimulation; computer; dementia